The Ten Commandments
When we look back in the Bible, we read about Ten Commandments that were written on two tables of stone. Today, people are confused about whether or not we should keep them. Considering the attributes of stone such as its hardness and longevity, it is not too difficult to understand that God intended to impress us with the immutability and eternality of the law of God. Let’s examine the Ten Commandments and understand why they are important.
WHO WROTE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
Exodus 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Exodus 32:16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
Answer: In the book of Exodus, Moses went up to commune with God on mount Sinai. While Moses was on mount Sinai, God wrote with His own finger, on two tables of stone, the Ten Commandments. The commandments of God can be termed the law of God.
WHAT IS THE TERM WE USE TO DESCRIBE THE BREAKING OF THE COMMANDMENTS?
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Answer: When we break God’s law, it is called sin because sin is the transgression of God’s law.
WHY SHOULD WE KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 3:1-2 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Deuteronomy 6:24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
Answer: The Bible teaches that those who keep the law of God are happy! Not only are commandment keepers happy, but they also live longer as compared to those who do not keep the commandments. The sixth commandment, thou shalt not kill, is a common commandment broken by violent people. According to the Combined Forces and Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia, “about 20% of all murders in British Columbia are gang-related and stats show that the average gang member who dies doesn’t reach 30 years old.” So we can easily see how simply refraining from killing people can positively affect our lives. The keeping of the Ten Commandments is for our good.
WHAT DO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS DO?
Roman 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
James 1:23-25 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Answer: The Ten Commandments show us what sin is. When we look at the law of God and compare the commandments with our lives, we then understand that we have sinned. The Decalogue is the standard by which God judges our characters, and it is the standard by which we are to examine our lives. Speaking of Jesus in 1 John 2:3, the Bible says that we know him if we keep his commandments. Does that make any sense? How do we know Jesus by keeping the law of God? Read about the shared characteristics between God and His law and find out more about God in the table below!
| Characteristic | What God is | What the Law is |
| Good | Luke 18:19 | 1 Timothy 1:8 |
| Holy | Isaiah 5:16 | Romans 7:12 |
| Perfect | Matthew 5:48 | Psalm 19:7 |
| Pure | 1 John 3:2,3 | Psalm 19:8 |
| Just | Deuteronomy 32:4 | Romans 7:12 |
| True | John 3:33 | Psalm 19:9 |
| Spiritual | 1 Corinthians 10:4 | Romans 7:14 |
| Righteous | Jeremiah 23:6 | Psalm 119:172 |
| Faithful | 1 Corinthians 1:9 | Psalm 119:86 |
| Love | 1 John 4:8 | Romans 13:10 |
| Unchangeable | James 1:17 | Matthew 5:18 |
| Eternal | Genesis 21:33 | Psalm 111:7,8 |
Jesus said “I and my Father are one” {John 10:30}. Here we understand that to know God’s law is to know the very character of Christ. The closer we come in harmony with God’s law; the closer we come to being like Jesus.
DID JESUS GET RID OF THE LAW?
Matthew 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Matthew 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Isaiah 42:21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
Answer: Jesus Christ came not to destroy the Ten Commandments but to fulfill them. In other words, He came to plēroō the law. Plēroō translated as fulfil means to make full or to render complete and bring into realization. Jesus exemplified law keeping. He kept the law of God, and He taught the depth and breadth of the law. He helped people better understand the sixth and seventh commandments. As a matter of fact, Jesus magnified the law and emphasized that law keeping is very necessary and honourable!
WHAT DID JESUS SAY THAT WE SHOULD DO?
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Answer: Jesus Christ said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments.
IF PEOPLE KNOWINGLY CONTINUE BREAKING GOD’S LAW, WILL THEY BE SAVED?
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Answer: The Bible teaches that the end result of sin is death. When we knowingly choose to do evil and do what is wrong in the eyes of Almighty God, we will not inherit eternal life. Unless we repent, we will be destroyed and never exist again.
ARE WE SAVED BY LAW KEEPING?
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Answer: No! We are saved by grace through faith. Grace is the unmerited favour of God in the life of a Christian. This very grace teaches us that we are to deny ungodliness and worldliness and live soberly, righteously and godly in the present time! Moreover, God’s divine favour and powerful operation on the hearts of men and women produces obedience to God and purity in their lives {Titus 2:11-14}. It is salvation by grace through faith. Why faith? Because obedience comes through complete trust in God and the Bible. When we trust the Bible, we do what the Bible says because we believe it is true. When we trust God, we believe that He will give us the strength to do all the good things the Bible says we should do. We obey God because we love Him and appreciate His free gift of salvation! {Galatians 5:6}. Remember that faith without works is dead. {James 2:17}.
DOES GRACE FREE US FROM LAW KEEPING?
Romans 6:14-15 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Answer: The reception of grace is like receiving a pardon for committing crime. A pardon removes the penalty for transgressing the law, but does not permit us to break the law of God again. Christ pardons repentant sinners and with His help, they are brought back into harmony with His law.
DO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS APPEAR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
| Commandments | The Law of God in the New Testament |
| Exodus 20:3
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. |
Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. |
| Exodus 20:4-5
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them… |
1 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. |
| Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. |
1Timothy 6:1
Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. |
| Exodus 20:8-10
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work… |
Hebrews 4:4
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Hebrews 4:9-10 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. |
| Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother… |
Matthew 19:19
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. |
| Exodus 20:13
Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet… |
Romans 13:9
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. |
