Ten Commandments

Today our Pastor finished preaching on the “Ten Commandments”. As we’ve gone through this series I’ve my own failures to follow God’s Law. The first four commandments all pertain to Loving God. No other Gods, Taking God’s name in vain, Graven images of God and heaven and the Lords Sabbath. I certainly fail in all of these.

But it is the Loving One Another portion of God’s law that my failure truly becomes apparent to me.

COMMANDMENT 5

Honor Your Father and Your Mother ~ this law pertains to the proper relationship between parents and children and really extends to all authorities God has placed in our lives. I recently had an argument with my stepmother regarding my relationship with my Father. The truth is I don’t honor my parents. I barely speak to either of them. Yet I expect my children to honor me.

My disdain for authority has gotten me in hot water on many occasions. How do I teach my children a lesson I never learned myself? Hmmm. How do I begin to honor my parents? Why can I talk to my elders, my friends, my siblings, and complete strangers, but when faced with my parents I am silent?

God says we should honor our parents (authorities). He doesn’t say we should honor them if they are Christian or if they are good parents. We are to honor them, Period. They are entitled to honor by the fact that God has chosen them to be your parent.

COMMANDMENT 6

You Shall Not Murder ~ Most of us will say, “I’ve never killed anyone”. But this command goes much deeper than that. It deals with unjust anger. It deals with malicious intent of the heart. I have felt rage, anger, disdain, and contempt for my fellow man. I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misery.

I have been angry at my wife, my children, my siblings and my parents. These are those I am supposed to Love.

COMMANDMENT 7

You shall not commit adultery ~ Once again, most of us will say “I’ve never cheated on my spouse”. But Jesus said, if you lust in your heart, you are guilty. So, all of you men out there who have looked at a woman, who you weren’t married to, lustfully, please raise your hand. Now, I’m a man and I know how men think. But women are a mystery. I’m certain women look lustfully at men. I just don’t know how often or what would temp a women. In short, we are guilty.

COMMANDMENT 8

You shall not steal ~ This is really about honesty. Honesty in business, honesty in relationships, honesty in all transactions.

It is also about being a good steward of what God gives you. The earth and all that is in it belongs to God. We are to care for the things he gives us. Negligence in caring for our property is a violation of this law.

There is the obvious taking of another's property.

COMMANDMENT 9

Bearing a false witness ~ during the time of the judges if you testified falsely against your neighbor, then you were given the punishment you wanted him to receive. So if I accuse a man of murder falsely in hopes of his execution, I would be executed instead. How many of you would be willing to risk your own life or property to falsely accuse someone else?

But this is more than just courtroom drama. It is also about honesty. Not slandering your neighbor. Not gossiping (even the truth can be used as slander). God is very concerned that we deal fairly with one another.

COMMANDMENT 10

Thou shalt not covet ~ In short if we are not content with God’s providence in our lives. Our husbands, our wives, our children, our job, our home, our food, our resources, our burdens, than we covet more than God has chosen to give us. This doesn’t mean we don’t strive to better our lives. But it means we appreciate what we have. In want or wealth, it should be God’s grace that sustains us and keeps us satisfied.

I think it can be said that this is the commandment that leads us to break the rest.

I am grateful that it is by God’s grace I am saved and not by my obedience to God’s law. I’m a thankful that God has given me Faith in Jesus alone for redemption from my violation of his Law. It is God’s law that reminds me what a wretched sinner I am and how desperately I am in need of a savior. Thank God for being a Gracious God, for sending his Son to take my curse upon himself and pay the price for the sins I commit. Thank God I don’t have to count own “goodness” to save me.