The Ten Commandments Are Not Outdated

Salvation by grace through faith has long been debated in Christian circles as either being a complete misinterpretation of the New Testament, or some kind of “get out of jail free” card.

God gave His Law to Moses, ten directives for men and women to follow for a happy and healthy life. Often regarded as a list of “do’s and don’ts” the real purpose of the Ten Commandments gets lost in the shuffle.

People try to avoid being held accountable

People will argue that because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not bound to the Law, but that is a narrow view. We are still accountable to God, but not able to live up to the absolute perfection required to gain access into God’s eternal Kingdom.

One of the purposes of the Ten Commandments is to communicate those requirements for salvation, even though God understands fully that we cannot do that. They are a way of proving our guilt, as it becomes apparent when we really look at each one and see that we have violated not just one small one, but all of them.

Rather than having the Law act as a standard for human behavior, or a mirror to give us a look at ourselves, their most important function is to point us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We argue don’t need to worry about the law because I have Jesus

Here is where the misunderstanding and argument starts. We can argue that the Ten Commandments don’t count because of Christ. Christ, however, sheds light on that by one, simple statement.

“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. (Matthew 5:17)

Jesus fulfilled the law

If Jesus fulfilled the Law, does that mean the Law is no longer necessary or relevant? Certainly not.

Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law. Compare His sacrifice on the cross to Moses displaying the bronze serpent in the desert. People were dying from snake bites. Moses was instructed to craft the serpent and place it on a pole.

All one needed to do was look to the serpent and they would not die. And so it is with Christ Jesus. We need to look to him for salvation, otherwise our sin (snake bite) will kill us. This simple act of faith is what God wants from us. Look to the cross.

Good works are a byproduct of faith

If faith is all that is required, should we not do good works? Good works are a byproduct of faith. Because we have been loved, because we have been saved, we desire to serve God. The Law has been fulfilled in Christ. But for those without Christ, it might appear to be like the Sword of Damocles hanging there above the head of the nonbeliever.

The law shows us how to have a perfect relationship with God

So, why the law in the first place? It is not limited to being a set of rules and regulations. It is a guideline for having a fulfilled and perfect relationship with God. But it was not intended necessarily for a test on our worthiness, because we are, by nature, sinful people.

The Law points to Christ, who fulfilled the Law. Because we cannot obey and do what the Law requires, we need to turn to the Lord Jesus, who did it for us. You see, nothing has changed since those days of Moses in the desert. The Law is very much in effect.

Ten Commandments in the Bible

ten commandments

When people think of the Ten Commandments, they often think of the film by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Charlton Heston as Moses. They may also think of lessons learned in Sunday School, but rarely are the Ten Commandments thought of in terms of God reaching out to man to form the basis of an eternal friendship.

God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt in 1446 BC, and immediately gave them the rules to follow to have a moral, well functioning society even as they lived in the wilderness for forty years. Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai and God inscribed the tablets with the Ten Commandments.

The commandments are the rules that God wanted the Israelites and all of us to follow.

Here are the Ten Commandments from the King James Version of the Bible:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.


2. 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: 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; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.


3. 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.


4. 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, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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.


5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.


6. Thou shalt not kill.


7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.


8. Thou shalt not steal.


9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

10. 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.

Ten Commandments define a moral society

People have debated the meaning of these commandments for centuries. Some regard them as a rigid set of rules and regulations, while others describe them as suggestions. Most would agree, that they are a set of morals that we all should follow to live a joyous and free life.

If we love God, then we will want to follow His commandments. God, as our creator, knows what is good for us and striving to follow these commandments helps us to live well.

Impossible to follow on our own

The Ten Commandments are the perfect set of standards one must adhere to in order to gain entrance into heaven. Disobeying the commandments is how sin is defined. If we covet what our neighbor has, we are sinning. If we worship false idols or prophets that is also sin.

Jesus knew, of course, that nobody can keep them, we as fallen humans are not able to avoid sinning and breaking the commandments. He also knew that only perfection would be allowed in His Father’s kingdom.

That is why we needed Jesus, our Messiah, to be willing to die on the cross and rise on the third day for us. His death and resurrection allows us enter into God’s kingdom with our sins covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. It all starts by understanding God’s law as outlined in His Ten Commandments.

Judaism is defined by the commandments

The Commandments were given to the Israelites, three weeks after their exodus from captivity in Egypt, the beginning of Judaism was taking shape. God directed Moses how worship was to be done, sacrifices to be made and from those original Ten Commandments, 613 individual laws were established.

The prophets over the ages would warn the people when they were falling away from God. After God gave Israel the commandments in the desert, the rest of the books of the Old Testament describe Israel’s disobedience. The Bible outlines a long history of Israel turning to God, turning away from God and then turning back again. The relationship between man and God was formalized.

God introduced sacrifice as atonement for sin

Because it was not possible to keep the commandments, God established a system whereby people could offer a sacrifice, a substitution shedding of blood to cover their sins.

Before fleeing Egypt, the first Passover was established. The people were instructed to take a perfect lamb, a first born, male, without blemish from the flock. God was very specific about this. The sacrifice was made. The blood was painted on the doorposts of houses and angel of death would pass over the house.

This became a yearly ritual. The shedding of blood to cover sins. It was the same thing that God did in the Garden of Eden, when He killed an animal and gave the skins to Adam and Eve to cover themselves. It was a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, for all who believe.

God said He would write His commandments on our hearts. That is, for those who chose to follow Him, the Law is something to be embraced, a goal of heavenly perfection, shrived for our of love and desire to belong to God.

Ten Commandments give us a mirror into our lives

The Ten Commandments can also be like a mirror. By embracing the commandments men and women can look at themselves and see the truth of their lives. It is a warning system, reminding people to turn back to God and rekindle their relationship. It is a way for man to see the Holiness and perfection of God.

Because perfection is required for heaven, and because people are incapable of reaching that perfection, it becomes obvious that what separates man from God is man’s sin. Man’s debt for that sin cannot be repaid. It is impossible. Because of sin, man does not deserve heaven, can’t earn his way to heaven and cannot buy his way into heaven.

Jesus and His Resurrection redeem us from our sin

The penalty of sin leads us to the major point of the Bible—the Lord Jesus Christ. God loves us. He does not desire that we should perish. But He is Holy and perfect and the price for sin must be paid, otherwise He is a liar.

Rather than sacrificing man, God chose to sacrifice His own Son. The ultimate purpose of the Ten Commandments is they point the way to the Messiah.

The Ten Commandments, often overlooked as a lesson for children, are so much more. They point to Christ. They bind us to God. They are meant for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the beginning was the Word…

The Bible

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The Most Important Book

The Bible is an amazing book. It’s the most important book in human history. It defines existence. It is our story, regardless of race, gender or national origin. It’s God’s revelation of Himself to His creation.

No other book in human history has had the kind of scrutiny, has been debated more, or has been the cause of as much social upheaval.

The Bible represents ABSOLUTE TRUTH about how we were created, why we exist and how we should live. Although parts of it were written more than 3400 years ago, it is completely relevant for today.

The Bible represents COMPLETE LOVE, because God is willing to communicate to us through His word. He shows us how to live through His Law, and because of His mercy, He sends His only Son to us so that we can live forever with Him.

The Bible represents UNAVOIDABLE JUSTICE for all. He rights the wrongs that have been committed by the world, delivering the perfect penalty to those who deserve it.

The Bible represents an INFINITE RESOURCE that we can study our entire lives and still find new and exciting revelations in, every day.

Bible Verse

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1

Description

The Bible is the manual for human life. It gives insight and clarity into human behavior by examining man’s psychological makeup, and like no other book ever written, explains why we are the way we are. It is the story of how we came into being, but more importantly, WHY we came into being.

The Bible is not a history book, yet its history is accurate and at times strikingly detailed. It is not a science book, yet its scientific information is solid. It is the story of the relationship between God and man, written over a 1400 year period by over 40 different authors.

The Good Book

By some, the Bible is considered “the good book,” while others consider it to be the inspired word of God. Some consider every word to be the literal truth, while others view it as truths contained in stories of people. Its wisdom is undeniable, and its commandments are the basis of all Western Law.

For some, the Bible may seem too difficult to understand and therefore not useful for practical, every day matters. Still others consider it vital to those mundane aspects of human life and rely on its guidance and directives to avoid calamity.

For some it’s all about religion, rules and regulations, and how to act. Some others view it as the gentle teachings of a loving parent. It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, but translated into nearly every written language on the globe.

To set one important fact in place before you go any further, we not trying to prove the existence of God. For the followers of the Bible, namely Jews and Christians, it is a matter of faith more than fact, despite the overwhelming evidence it presents.

The Bible Chronicles Israel and the Life of Christ

The Hebrew texts of the Old Testament chronicle the amazing development of Israel, and the land that God promised to His people. For Christians, the story in the New Testament continues with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, written about by the Prophets.

The books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, are one continuous story. Old Testament writings are considered by many Christians to be the very foundation of Christianity, essential to the faith and of equal importance to the New Testament writings. More specifically, Christians see the entire Bible as being the story of Jesus and God’s plan for mankind. It is God’s unfolding plan that can be seen beginning in the opening chapters of Genesis. As the history unfolds, so does insight into the nature and character of God, as he uses human events to shape the future of the world.

God Does Not Change

Human nature never changes. Science and technology certainly do, as does culture, but human nature is the constant. This is important to know because what was true of men and women 6000 years ago, is true today. The emotions are the same, the aspirations the same and the motivations are the same. It’s like the old saying, “the more things change the more they stay the same.”

The accounts of the Israelites in the desert can be easily applied to the motivations of people today, no matter what country they live in. That’s what makes the Bible amazing. It’s amazing because God was the inspiration and God does not change. He is the same—yesterday, today and tomorrow. The people he created are likewise the same and will be tomorrow.

We will try to give you reliable information and at times direct you to authoritative places to gain more knowledge and insight. We do not claim to be apologists (defenders of the faith), nor do we want you to consider our point of view as non-negotiable.

Read The Bible

We invite you to read the Bible for yourself and make up your own mind about what it means. God gave us free will and invited us to use reason to understand the relevance of His word. We just want to meet you where you are at and help your along your spiritual journey.

This site is a brief summary of an enormous topic, and will give you an introduction into the Bible. It is very likely to become the most important and enduring book of your life.