BiblicalStudies: "How do God's Ten Commandments apply today?"

How do God's Ten Commandments apply today?

Many people today feel that God's Ten Commandments are no longer valid because they do not apply to our current society. They look to the Ten Commandments as being outdated and full of inflammatory language which doesn't sit well with our politically-correct viewpoint. The Ten Commandments are also considered by many people to have been abolished by Jesus when He made a new covenant between God and man with His death and resurrection.

The problem in thinking that Jesus came to abolish the Ten Commandments is that Jesus never claimed to have abolished the Ten Commandments. Instead, in Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

In this verse, Jesus gives a clear indication that the Ten Commandments are still to be followed and adhered to even in our generation and every generation to come until the day that Jesus returns. So what does all this mean to us and how do God's Ten Commandments apply today?

God's Ten Commandments are still valid because Jesus declared them to be. We are still called by God to honor the Ten Commandments and obey what they call us to do. Jesus also told us that obeying the Law or the Ten Commandments is not just a superficial act, but one that carries the essence of the law into our thoughts and hearts.

Jesus proclaimed that if we think something that is contrary to one of the Ten Commandments, we are to view it in the same light as if we had physically carried out the act. For instance, if we think to ourselves it is okay to slander or gossip about our neighbors, we are in essence breaking the ninth Commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." If we are married and one day we see a handsome man or a pretty woman walking down the street and we lust in our hearts for them, we are breaking the seventh of God's Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

As Christians, we should not think that since Paul tells us "we are set free from the law" the Ten Commandments no longer apply to us. Paul is telling us that because we are now in a relationship with Christ, we are forgiven of our indiscretions when it comes to following the Ten Commandments. We are still called throughout the New Testament to obey God's Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments also apply to non-believers because in the end, they will be judged by the essence of the law and the Ten Commandments. This means that if they are guilty of breaking even one of the Ten Commandments, be it a lack of respect or reverence for God or some indiscretion between non-believers, it will be as if they were guilty of breaking all the commandments.

God's Ten Commandments are still the standard by which we should strive to live our lives. They are not some outdated laws that were only to be used by Moses. God meant the Ten Commandments to be permanent guidelines that we are still to follow in order to have a more meaningful relationship with God and each other.

The 10 Commandments - God's Revelation in the Old Testament

The 10 Commandments are found in the Bible's Old Testament at Exodus, Chapter 20. They were given directly by God to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai after He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt:

"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God…

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'

SIX: 'You shall not murder.'

SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'

EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'

NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

The 10 Commandments - Christ's Summation in the New Testament
About 1,400 years later, the 10 Commandments were summed up in the New Testament at Matthew 22, when Jesus was confronted by the religious "experts" of the day:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40).

A reflective reading of Christ's teaching reveals that the first four commandments given to the children of Israel are contained in the statement: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." It continues that the last six commandments are enclosed in the statement: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

10 Commandments: The Origin of God's Law

 
The 10 Commandments are first recorded in the book of Exodus. They were given by God at Mt. Sinai following the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt. The 10 Commandments were moral statutes given by God, through Moses, so that the Israelites could enjoy fruitful and holy lives. The Commandments were significant in that they formed the basis of Jewish life, law and faith. Inscribed on stone tablets, the 10 Commandments were initially broken by Moses in anger over the flagrant sins of the Israelites. They were then re-inscribed and kept in the Ark of the Covenant at the command of God. Four of the Commandments deal primarily with man's relationship with God and the other six deal primarily with man's relationship with one another.

10 Commandments: God's Standard of Holiness
The 10 Commandments were also known as the Law. For ancient Israel, breaking the Law was a serious offense. To deviate by any degree from the 10 Commandments was to sin and fall short of God's standard of holiness. Knowing that it was impossible for any human being to perfectly follow the Law, a sacrificial system mediated by the Levitical priesthood was established. Through this system, God permitted ancient Israel to make reparations for the sins they committed. As an example, an appropriate sacrifice would involve the slaughtering of a young lamb that is found to be without any blemish. The sacrifices continued endlessly, as did the sins. This system of blood sacrifice was not meant to be barbaric, but rather, symbolic of the gravity of sin. The annual Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur is a day of atonement that is set aside for the reparation of sins.

Although God gave the 10 Commandments to the Israelites, they do not apply to Jews alone. The 10 Commandments reflect God's standard of holiness for everyone. Since God is the universal authority of moral conduct, all of humanity is subject to His standards. According to the Bible, no one is exempt from God's Law. Some say that the 10 Commandments do not apply to them, since they did not grow up with "religion." However, the scriptures reveal that the requirements of the Law are written on our hearts (Romans 2:25), and thus, our conscience ultimately confirms our guilt. Wait a minute. Since most of us, to some degree, have tried to live good lives, contributing positive things to our families and communities, how can God fault us if we have tried our best? Based on God's standard of holiness, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). In addition, God is not only concerned with our actions, but also the condition of our hearts. In the New Testament, Jesus referred to the Law when He emphasized that hatred is tantamount to murder and lust is tantamount to adultery. We have all had these thoughts. Indeed, we have all sinned according to God's standard.

10 Commandments: Revealing Our Need for a Savior
After reviewing the 10 Commandments, some argue that God is unjust for imposing a standard upon humanity that He knows we can't fulfill. Doesn't it seem awfully cruel for a loving God to condemn man for the evil that is inherently part of the human condition? The response to this perplexing question lies in Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus came to earth in order to reconcile this dilemma. Like the perfect lambs that were constantly sacrificed for the sins of Israel, Jesus was perfect and without blemish, because he was sinless. Like the lambs, He was sacrificed for the reparation of sins. Unlike the lambs, however, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ redeemed the sins of all humanity for all time. Unlike the lambs, Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead and conquered the power of sin for all humanity for all time. The Bible tells us why Christ had to become a sacrifice: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

10 Commandments: Love Without Condemnation
For many, the 10 Commandments are symbols of condemnation that point to our faults and mistakes. Some feel so guilty that they believe God will never accept them. Others simply choose to reject God because His Law is impossible to obey. Ironically, the 10 Commandments were never given by God to condemn humanity, but rather, they were given to convict humanity. The 10 Commandments act as a mirror to "reflect" the condition of our souls. When we examine our life in light of the 10 Commandments, we realize our shortcomings and our need for redemption. Jesus Christ is our redeemer. Therefore, God gave the 10 Commandments not to condemn humanity, but to show us His love for us. For, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).