This page was going to be about the law & the prophets but the law is winning out here, I'll do another page on the prophets :o} Here I'll describe my understanding of the laws, specifically the 10 Commandments, and give you a breakdown of each of them along with my comments. Scripture quotes are from BlueLetterBible.org and are all KJV.The Law ~ The 10 Commandments
"The law" starts with the 10 Commandments as we see them listed in Exodus 20. There were some 613 or so added *Mosaic Laws* but we'll not cover those here, those were specific to the Jewish people and regarding their customs, what would set them apart from any other peoples of the world. Not that even alot of those laws were not marvelous advice of themselves, but that's another story!
The 10 Commandments are our basic *code of conduct*, a guide for how we should live our lives, how we should view & serve God, and how we should treat others. Often referred to as "the law", the term sometimes scares people, and many times it enrages them. Why? Because people simply don't want to keep them, it's a flesh thing ... it's an earthly worldly thing ... even worse it's a satanic influence thing. You'll hear many people say that we are not under the law because Jesus shed His blood and we are freed from the law. I agree with that 100%!
What I don't agree with is people using that as an excuse to do their own thing, which may or may not fall under the 10 Commandments. Most people think that Jesus' death and resurrection give us *license* to do as we please. NOTHING could be further from the truth! Nowhere in the bible will you see Jesus or the apostles, or for that matter even further back to the prophets, say anything contrary to the law (10 commandments), rather you see scripture like (I capitalized some of the H's in the scriptures below to better clarify who is Who) ...
Mar 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. <<< Jesus said that, He's quoting Exodus 20! Jhn 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. <<< Jesus said that! Jhn 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." <<< Jesus said that! Jhn 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. <<< Jesus said that! 1Jo 3:24 And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us. The Spirit dwells with those that *keepeth His commandments*! 1Jo 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. <<< Who's commandments? God's, that's who's! 2Jo 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. <<< Who's commandments? God's! What beginning? Genesis records it!
Gen 26:5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws." <<< WOW, that long ago, even BEFORE Exodus (where we first see them written), Abraham obeyed and kept the commandments!!!Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. <<< See that? Now, what were Jesus' commandments? The 10 Commandments of course! And He gave us one *new commandment* as we see below ... often referred to as the *11th Commandment* but it basically sums up the last six of the 10 commandments :o}
Jhn 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Why would we observe these 10 commandments, or the 11th? Simple, let's take the key words from each in order of their writings and see what the message is shall we? Notice the first four commandments directly relate to your relationship with God ... one on one! The rest is how you relate to mankind in general.
Exd 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
Is this not still true today? Is this so hard to understand? Your God is anything you worship or charish above or beyond God Himself ... think about it.Exd 20:4-6 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image ...
Has this changed any? Do you think God wants you to to have idols, or things you bow down to and pray to, or things that you consider of more importance or value in your life than God Himself?Exd 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; ...
Have you ever said the Holy name of Jesus (Jesus Chr...) or God (God da..) as a cuss word, an expression of disgust or anger? You are speaking vainly! Imagine what an insult it would be to you if you heard others doing the same using YOUR name. And why is it we use the name of God or His Son Jesus, have you ever thought it out ... let me help you because I've been there, done that! You are under satanic influence ... it's that simple. Stop and think before you speak! You are using the name of a most Holy being, the very One that created you, as a form of depraved expression, you will pay for those careless words as this verse finishes off by warning us:
... for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.Exd 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
What day do you suppose the sabbath day is, I'll bet the majority of you will say *Sunday*. You would be wrong. The sabbath day is the 7th day of the week (Gen 2:2-3), our Saturday, more specifically it's from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown (read Genesis 1 where each day is the *evening and the morning*). Sunday is the first day of the week, not the seventh!Exd 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Why is this important? Because honoring our parents, even if they have their own truckload of issues, is an outward display of how we aught to honor God, our heavenly Father.
Most of us agree wholeheartedly to this one, why is this one OK to observe and not the rest ... could it be we don't want to *be killed* therefore we're willing to observe that we shouldn't kill?Exd 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Adultery is a sexual liason between a married person or persons not within their own marital vows. Did you know to even think lustful thoughts is considered adultery, read on
Mat 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. <<< Jesus said that!Exd 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Think about this, personalize it, as you should be doing with all of the 10 commandments. Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how small?
Bearing false witness is another way of saying *lying* or not telling the truth of a matter, in particular about another person. When you falsely say things about others, you are lying. God doesn't like liars as you can see in other passages below.
To covet means to want what someone else has that you do not, that nice new car your neighbor has, or that bigger house your friend has, or that better job your co-worker has. Can you think of ways you are being covetous?The law is a mirror to the soul. If you are not doing your very best to abide by the 10 Commandments, then you might want to do a spirit check and try to figure out just what spirit is inside you. Even if you are a Christian ... I swore (cussed) for many years as a Christian, I took the Lord's name in vain ... He has been extremely patient with me ... oh how I've grieved the the Holy Spirit and for that my Lord I am so sorry! I've come off the *baby food* stage of Christianity, I am awakening to your call, thank you Father for your generous mercies to me a sinner!
By now you should see that the law was given so that you could see your sins, and why you need a Savior! Jesus was sent into this world by God, our Father and His Father, to redeem us from our sins. He paid the ultimate fine for us so that we that chose Him, chose Life. He is resurrected, and someday so will we that believe on Him. We will live forever hidden under His righteous blood. Oh, but you say ... that same blood covers us AND our sins and so if I've committed any of those *no biggy* ... God is a loving, forgiving God right?
Right! But He is also a Holy, and Just God, and He cannot tolerate sin ... we as Christians should be striving daily to keep ourselves as clean as possible so that our Lord's blood wasn't shed in vain. Why should He be crucified every time we sin and do so blatantly because we're *covered by the blood*. If you are purposely sinning, breaking the 10 commandments, making excuses so that you may continue in your evil ways, here's what the bible has to say to you:
I am not saying that you are bound by the law(s) but that any self-respecting Christian will work diligently to not break them, and if they do they will repent as soon as they realize they've sinned and will not commit that sin again!1Ti 1:9-11 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. Which of us can honestly say we are righteous, none. Therefore the law is for us! Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. I think that pretty much says it all. Friends, we've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). I write this article to ask you to please re-evaluate how you are living your life. Use the 10 Commandments as a mirror and look into your soul, see where you are offending the Father of Love, Light & Life and make changes of your own free will to better yourself for the coming kindgom of God! Amen!? No, you are not bound by the law, Jesus hung on the cross so that you might be saved, but will you make His pain & suffering for naught? Consider ... EVERYTHING you do & say is being recorded and you will have to make accounting of yourself someday! Why not start now?
Mat 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. <<< Jesus said that! If this article has left you feeling like there is no way God could love you for all the sins you have committed against Him, think again, read 1 Timothy and remember, we are all sinners and all fall short of the glory of God. My point in this article is that we should be actively *trying* not to sin, and when we realize we are sinning we need to earnestly repent of those sins and try very hard to not offend our Creator God! Sin is the transgression of the law as we read here ...
1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Finally, regarding the law (10 commandments), Jesus says it best:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.Nuff said?