The
Ten Commandments

Introduction

Today it is often believed by many Christians that God's Ten Commandments were for those who lived in Old Testament times and do not apply to Christians who are under grace in the New Testament.

The Bible has much to say on the subject of law and grace but even though it is true that Christians are saved by grace through faith in Christ, nowhere in the Bible does it say God's laws are not binding upon man. Keeping the commandments of the Decalogue is not the method of salvation, but the fruit of it. Obedience to God is the test of the genuine Christian.

1 John 3:4 “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and SIN IS LAWLESSNESS.”

Some say the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross of Christ: but this cannot be so. This scripture defines sin as the "breaking of God's law". You see, if the law is abolished, then so is sin and if sin is abolished, then the need of a Saviour becomes unnecessary. Why did Christ die on the cross? To save us from our sins, which is transgression of God's law.

If it were possible to do away with the law, Christ need not have died, but the fact that He was prepared to make this supreme sacrifice proves the unchanging character of God's law that shows us how to love God and man. If the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross then love was nailed to the cross along with them. Thankfully this was not so.

Romans 3:20 “Therefore BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

We are saved because of our faith in Jesus Christ, and not because we keep God's law. This scripture does not say it is unnecessary to keep the law, but it says we are not justified by keeping it. We are justified by the blood of Jesus. This scripture in no way says it is unnecessary to obey God's moral law.

Romans 6:14, 15 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE. What then? SHALL WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE NOT UNDER LAW but under grace? CERTAINLY NOT!”

We are not under the condemnation of the law because of the grace (Gods unmerited favour) of Christ. His blood covers our sins so that the law cannot condemn us. The question is asked by Paul; "Shall we sin (or break the law) because we are not under the law but under grace?" and the reply is most definite - "God forbid". God's forgiveness to us does not give license to sin.

Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW.”

Genuine Christians will not seek to break God's law, instead they establish it; uphold it and keep it. It is only as one breaks the law that he comes under the condemnation of it. For example, one is not affected by the roads speed limit law while driving, until he exceeds the limit - then he is condemned by it. Simply because we are under grace, does not give us free rein to break the law rather we are under greater obligation to keep it. We are only under grace so long as we keep the law. For example, if a prisoner is given a pardon and is released from prison, does his freedom allow him to break the law? If he does, he is no longer free. The law of the land condemns him and he goes back to prison. In the same way, God's law will condemn us when we break it.

Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? IS THE LAW SIN? CERTAINLY NOT! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

Paul is emphatic. There is nothing wrong with the law. In fact he says that he would not be conscious of sin without the law to show him his errors. Here Paul quotes from the 10th commandment. The Ten Commandments can be likened to a mirror. If a person with a dirty face looks in the mirror, then the mirror tells him his face is dirty - but it won't clean it for him, he needs soap and water. The commandments show us our sins, but they do not cleanse us. We need the blood of Christ to make us clean. When we are cleansed and look at these ten laws, they no longer condemn us.

Romans 7:12 “Therefore the LAW IS HOLY, and the COMMANDMENT HOLY and just and good.”

God's law is perfect and cannot be faulted.

What change did take place at the cross concerning the law?

Colossians 2:14-17 “HAVING WIPED OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREMENTS that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, HAVING NAILED IT TO THE CROSS. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in FOOD or in DRINK, or regarding a FESTIVAL or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

An ordinance is a rite or a ceremony. In Old Testament times animal sacrifices were made, symbolising the supreme sacrifice Christ or the Messiah would make one day. There were many ceremonies that revolved around these sacrifices, such as partaking of certain foods and drinks. Why do we not offer animal sacrifices today? Because this would show we have no faith in Christ's sacrifice. Just as it is no longer necessary to shed, the blood of animals, so it is no longer necessary to partake in the ceremonial system associated with the killing of animals. Christ fulfilled the law of ceremonies. When He died, the temple veil tore in two as an indication that the temple services had come to an end.

Generally speaking, the Bible does not try to differentiate between law of God and the law of Moses. To the Jew there was one law of God, and all details of the law were important, whether ceremonial or moral. However, the New Testament in many instances mentions specific parts of the law. This text mentions the ceremonial system, and not the moral law. Even the sabbaths mentioned were not necessarily the seventh day Sabbath of the fourth Commandment. The Jews had several ceremonial sabbaths which fell on certain dates of the year, each one occurring once a year.

THE TWO LAWS

When God led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, He delivered to them in fiery majesty the Ten Commandments. This holy law was spoken by God, written by God, recorded on tables of stone, and is of eternal duration. At the same time another law, of temporary usage, was also delivered to the children of Israel. This law dealt with the ceremonial rites of the Jewish sanctuary service, and concerned itself with a system of religion that passed away at the cross. Large sections of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy describe in detail this temporary ceremonial system. This Law can easily be identified in the Scriptures. It talks about circumcision (a religious Jewish rite), sacrifices, offerings, purifications, ceremonial holy days, and other rites associated with the Hebrew sanctuary service.

To the unbiased reader of God's Word, it becomes more than clear that God's Ten Commandments are binding upon all men for all time in every place, whereas no man is bound to keep the Ceremonial Law that was fulfilled in Christ.

The Ceremonial Law with its sacrificial system pointed God's people to the coming of Christ. Every time the blood of a beast was shed in the old Jewish temple, it was a dramatic reminder to the onlooker that One would come and die for his sin. Hence, John the Baptist pointed to our Lord and declared the significant words, "Behold the Lamb of God". See also the Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial law, what is the law in Galatians and Colossians 2:16.

Continued at the top of the next column...