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Lesson 11

What The Bible Teaches About
The 10 Commandments For Our Good

The Importance Of The 10 Commandments

1. Who wrote them and how?

Exodus 31:18

Exodus 31:18 (KJV)
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.

2. What other name do the 10 Commandments have and what do they reveal?

1 John 3:4

1 John 3:4 (KJV)
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

3. To whom does the law take us?

Galatians 3:24

Galatians 3:24 (KJV)
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

4. The Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:3-17

Exodus 20:3-17 (KJV)
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 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. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 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. 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Validity Of The Holy Law

5. What was Jesus' attitude towards the law?

John 15:10

John 15:10 (KJV)
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

6. Did Jesus make any changes to the commandments?

Matthew 5:17, 18

Matthew 5:17, 18 (KJV)
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 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.

7. Can anyone change the 10 Commandments?

Ecclesiastes 3:14

Ecclesiastes 3:14 (KJV)
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

WHAT MUST I DO?

1. Love God and keep his law.

John 14:15

John 14:15 (KJV)
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

2. Keep the commandments.

Psalm 119:44

Psalm 119:44 (KJV)
44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.

3. Respect all the commandments.

James 2:10

James 2:10 (KJV)
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

MY RESOLUTION

I accept God's holy law. I will strive, with God's help, to respect the 10 Commandments.

Additional Study 11

The Importance of the Law. It is the standard of truth (Isaiah 8:20). The law is the copy of God's character. Both of them are:

  1. Holy (1 Peter 1:6; Romans 7:12).
  2. Righteous (John 17:25; Psalm 119:172).
  3. Perfect (Matthew 5:48; Psalm 19:7, 8).
  4. Eternal (Hebrews 13:8; Psalm 111:7, 8).

Validity of God's Law. God is eternal (Malachi 3:6), his law is also eternal (Psalm 119:152). Christ did not change the law, he confirmed it (Matthew 5:17, 18; Isaiah 42:21). Jesus' mother and the disciples respected the holy law (Luke 23:56; Romans 7:22; 2 Peter 2:21; James 1:25; 1 John 2:3, 7).

The Christian Must Keep The Holy Law. The Law is of great usefulness for the Christian (Romans 2:18; Psalm 119:104, 165). The true demonstration of God's love is to keep his commandments (John 14:15, 21; 15:10). The redeemed will keep the holy law (Romans 2:13; Revelation 14:12, 1 John 2:3-6). God helps us to respect the holy law (Hebrews 10:16; John 15:5; Romans 8:3, 4).

Blessings We Receive When We Keep the Commandments

The universe, God's creation, is ruled by natural laws. All moral, social, commercial and international order is governed by laws. Likewise, God instituted moral and spiritual laws. These are like the wise rules of a father for the upright formation of his children. The biblical teaching is clear about the need to respect the holy commandments. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Since God will bring all works to judgment, we must all keep the commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Blessings are promised to those who keep the law: they will have peace (Isaiah 48:18; Psalm 119:165); Jehovah shall exalt them (Deuteronomy 28:1).

The Law and Grace

Nobody is saved by keeping the law, but rather by the redemptive grace of Jesus (Galatians 2:16). However, the law has an important and necessary part in salvation: it indicates to us what sin is (1 John 3:4). Like a mirror, it shows us our desperate condition (James 1:23-25). Then it takes us to Christ who saves us (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24). Saved, with God's help, we will respect the holy law, because grace does not invalidate God's law (Romans 3:31).

God's Law Has Not Been Abolished

Jesus taught with clarity that God's holy law does not change (Matthew 5:17, 18). Therefore, in order to not be confused, it is good to differentiate between the God's moral law that is eternal and the ceremonial laws that represented Christ and his sacrifice, and that therefore, ended with his death on the cross (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:15).

Differences Between The Moral And Ceremonial

Laws Moral Law

  1. It is spiritual. (Romans 7:14).
  2. Royal law. (James 2:8).
  3. Given by God. (Deuteronomy 4:12).
  4. Written in stone. (Exodus 31:18).
  5. It is unchanging. (Psalm 111:7, 8).
  6. It was not abolished. (Romans 3:31).

Ceremonial Law

  1. It is carnal. (Hebrews 7:16).
  2. Ritual law. (Colossians 2:14).
  3. Given by Moses. (Leviticus 1:1-3).
  4. Written in a book. (Deuteronomy 31:24).
  5. It is temporal. (Hebrews 10:1).
  6. It was abolished. (Colossians 2:14).

God's 10 Commandments

The 10 Commandments are recorded in Exodus 20:3-17.

Nobody has the right to change these commandments, neither should anybody add nor remove anything (Ecclesiastes 3:14; Revelation 22:18, 19). Jesus never authorized anybody to make any change; on the contrary, He energetically rebuked whoever tried to exchange the law for human tradition (Matthew 15:3, 6, 9).