Does anyone believe we can and must keep the 10 Commandments?
The 10 Commandments
- Thread starter Beth220
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
The Ten Commandments are now within the Law of Christ. And instead of being written on tablets of stone, they are written in the hearts and minds of those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. But no one is saved by trying to obey the Law. God now required obedience to the Gospel under the New Covenant.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (Heb 8:10)
Thought Questions
1. Doesn’t the Bible say the law was (or is) faulty?
No. The Bible says the people were faulty. God found “fault with them” (Hebrews 8:8). And in Romans 8:3 the Bible says that the law “was weak through the flesh.” It is always the same story. The law is perfect, but the people are faulty, or weak. So God would have His Son live within His people “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:4) through the indwelling Christ.
2. What does it mean when Galatians 3:13 says we are redeemed from the curse of the law?
The curse of the law is death (Romans 6:23). Christ tasted “death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Thus He redeemed all from the curse of the law (death) and in its place provided eternal life.
3. Don’t Colossians 2:14–17 and Ephesians 2:15 teach that God’s law ended at the cross?
No. These passages both refer to the law containing “ordinances,” or Moses’ law, which was a ceremonial law governing the sacrificial system and the priesthood. All of this ceremony and ritual foreshadowed the cross and ended at Christ’s death, as God had intended. Moses’ law was added till the “Seed should come,” and that “Seed … is Christ” (Galatians 3:16, 19). God’s law could not be involved here, for Paul spoke of it as holy, just, and good many years after the cross (Romans 7:7, 12).
4. The Bible says “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). Matthew 22:37–40 commands us to love God and to love our neighbors, ending with the words, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Do these commands replace the Ten Commandments?
No. The Ten Commandments hang from these two commands as our 10 fingers hang from our two hands. They are inseparable. Love to God makes keeping the first four commandments (which concern God) a pleasure, and love toward our neighbor makes keeping the last six (which concern our neighbor) a joy. Love fulfills the law by taking away the drudgery of mere obedience and by making law-keeping a delight (Psalm 40:8). When we truly love a person, honoring his or her requests becomes a joy. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). It is impossible to love the Lord and not keep His commandments, because the Bible says, “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
5. Doesn’t 2 Corinthians 3:7 teach that the law engraved in stone was to be done away?
No. The passage says that the “glory” of Moses’ ministration of the law was to be done away, but not the law. Read the whole passage of 2 Corinthians 3:3–9 carefully. The subject is not the doing away with the law or its establishment, but rather, the change of the location of the law from tables of stone to the tables of the heart. Under Moses’ ministration the law was on stones. Under the Holy Spirit’s ministration, through Christ, the law is written upon the heart (Hebrews 8:10). A rule posted on a school bulletin board becomes effective only when it enters a student’s heart. Likewise, keeping God’s law becomes a delight and a joyful way of living because the Christian has true love for both God and man.
6. Romans 10:4 says that “Christ is the end of the law.” So it has ended, hasn’t it?
“End” in this verse means purpose or object, as it does in James 5:11. The meaning is clear. To lead men to Christ—where they find righteousness—is the goal, purpose, or end of the law.
7. Why do so many people deny the binding claims of God's law?
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:7–9).
8. Were the righteous people of the Old Testament saved by the law?
No one has ever been saved by the law. All who have been saved in all ages have been saved by grace. This “grace … was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9). The law only points out sin. Christ alone can save. Noah “found grace” (Genesis 6:8); Moses found grace (Exodus 33:17); the Israelites in the wilderness found grace (Jeremiah 31:2); and Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and many other Old Testament characters were saved “by faith” according to Hebrews 11. They were saved by looking forward to the cross, and we, by looking back to it. The law is necessary because, like a mirror, it reveals the “dirt” in our lives. Without it, people are sinners but are not aware of it. However, the law has no saving power. It can only point out sin. Jesus, and He alone, can save a person from sin. This has always been true, even in Old Testament times (Acts 4:10, 12; 2 Timothy 1:9)
1. Doesn’t the Bible say the law was (or is) faulty?
No. The Bible says the people were faulty. God found “fault with them” (Hebrews 8:8). And in Romans 8:3 the Bible says that the law “was weak through the flesh.” It is always the same story. The law is perfect, but the people are faulty, or weak. So God would have His Son live within His people “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:4) through the indwelling Christ.
2. What does it mean when Galatians 3:13 says we are redeemed from the curse of the law?
The curse of the law is death (Romans 6:23). Christ tasted “death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Thus He redeemed all from the curse of the law (death) and in its place provided eternal life.
3. Don’t Colossians 2:14–17 and Ephesians 2:15 teach that God’s law ended at the cross?
No. These passages both refer to the law containing “ordinances,” or Moses’ law, which was a ceremonial law governing the sacrificial system and the priesthood. All of this ceremony and ritual foreshadowed the cross and ended at Christ’s death, as God had intended. Moses’ law was added till the “Seed should come,” and that “Seed … is Christ” (Galatians 3:16, 19). God’s law could not be involved here, for Paul spoke of it as holy, just, and good many years after the cross (Romans 7:7, 12).
4. The Bible says “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). Matthew 22:37–40 commands us to love God and to love our neighbors, ending with the words, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Do these commands replace the Ten Commandments?
No. The Ten Commandments hang from these two commands as our 10 fingers hang from our two hands. They are inseparable. Love to God makes keeping the first four commandments (which concern God) a pleasure, and love toward our neighbor makes keeping the last six (which concern our neighbor) a joy. Love fulfills the law by taking away the drudgery of mere obedience and by making law-keeping a delight (Psalm 40:8). When we truly love a person, honoring his or her requests becomes a joy. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). It is impossible to love the Lord and not keep His commandments, because the Bible says, “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
5. Doesn’t 2 Corinthians 3:7 teach that the law engraved in stone was to be done away?
No. The passage says that the “glory” of Moses’ ministration of the law was to be done away, but not the law. Read the whole passage of 2 Corinthians 3:3–9 carefully. The subject is not the doing away with the law or its establishment, but rather, the change of the location of the law from tables of stone to the tables of the heart. Under Moses’ ministration the law was on stones. Under the Holy Spirit’s ministration, through Christ, the law is written upon the heart (Hebrews 8:10). A rule posted on a school bulletin board becomes effective only when it enters a student’s heart. Likewise, keeping God’s law becomes a delight and a joyful way of living because the Christian has true love for both God and man.
6. Romans 10:4 says that “Christ is the end of the law.” So it has ended, hasn’t it?
“End” in this verse means purpose or object, as it does in James 5:11. The meaning is clear. To lead men to Christ—where they find righteousness—is the goal, purpose, or end of the law.
7. Why do so many people deny the binding claims of God's law?
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:7–9).
8. Were the righteous people of the Old Testament saved by the law?
No one has ever been saved by the law. All who have been saved in all ages have been saved by grace. This “grace … was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9). The law only points out sin. Christ alone can save. Noah “found grace” (Genesis 6:8); Moses found grace (Exodus 33:17); the Israelites in the wilderness found grace (Jeremiah 31:2); and Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and many other Old Testament characters were saved “by faith” according to Hebrews 11. They were saved by looking forward to the cross, and we, by looking back to it. The law is necessary because, like a mirror, it reveals the “dirt” in our lives. Without it, people are sinners but are not aware of it. However, the law has no saving power. It can only point out sin. Jesus, and He alone, can save a person from sin. This has always been true, even in Old Testament times (Acts 4:10, 12; 2 Timothy 1:9)
The 10 commandments aren't binding on receiving eternal life, but they are the underlying commands in serving Jesus through the local church.
I suppose it's theoretically possible to keep the law. But if you're ever use dollars as currency, then you're certainly violating the commandment against dishonest weights and measures. Not to mention the admonition against graven images. And "In God we trust" is certainly blasphemous when printed on pot metal counterfeit coins.
Then Jesus told us what He meant by adultery, when he said that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
He told us the admonition against murder means that you better not call into question your neighbor's intelligence by calling him a fool.
It goes on and on. So no, I don't think we really can. I think all of the laws point to the need for a savior.
I certainly do. Without the commandments we would have no knowledge of sin. The law kills but Jesus saves. If you focus on humbly serving the Lord you won't be breaking any commandments, at least not on a regular consistent basis. We all stumble but God is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger but quick to forgive.
Some people have kept the law in the past, according to the Bible. The issue is that no one has ever kept it perfectly from start to finish, which is why everyone has sinned, even the most obedient of Christians has made a mistake in judgment or said something unfitting to someone.
When the modern church talks about someone not being perfect, they dont mean a mistake in judgment however, they are talking about the most vile of sins that mean you wont inherit the Kingdom. Thats a little "mishap" to them. Whoops! In the apostate "Not by works" thread on here, there was a man claiming you could convert to islam or become and atheist and still be saved if you had just believed once in the past. That is how far we are in the end times.
We are expected to have a certain level of holiness:
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
This is all over the Bible. 1 John 3:10 also makes it clear that the absence of DOING righteousness means someone is not of God.
When the modern church talks about someone not being perfect, they dont mean a mistake in judgment however, they are talking about the most vile of sins that mean you wont inherit the Kingdom. Thats a little "mishap" to them. Whoops! In the apostate "Not by works" thread on here, there was a man claiming you could convert to islam or become and atheist and still be saved if you had just believed once in the past. That is how far we are in the end times.
We are expected to have a certain level of holiness:
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
This is all over the Bible. 1 John 3:10 also makes it clear that the absence of DOING righteousness means someone is not of God.
It was not considered a graven image of worship when Jesus asked whose image was on a coin. It was Caesar's image, it only represented legal tender, and it was not an object of warship.
I think Jesus was pointing out the sinfulness of using the coinage. Think about it - you toil away a giant piece of your life to acquire these coins with this image. You're in effect laying down your life for the coins. Sounds like a form of worship to me. If Jesus' standard was chopping off your hand to avoid sin, then I suspect that He would say that the use of coins with images does indeed constitute worship. I think that's exactly what He was saying.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10).
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
The Bible says we must obey every one of them perfectly. But the sad part is we can not.
That’s why the law was not a means of salvation or sanctification but a means to take ya to our knees and find Christ
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Amen seek the law of love not the law of Moses
seeking god me will help us not break the other
J
Jesus was indicating what is under Caesar's authority belonged to Caesar, and what i under the authority of God is God's...........it is said in plain words,.
This calling money an object of worship is, in my esteem a total stretch. It is written money solves all problems and the love of it is the root of all evil.............so, money is good for resolving issues in this age but loving it is another stretch.
Everything is under God's authority. What did He not make? Caesar doesn't own the coins just like I don't own my body. Neither do I own the time I'm allotted. It's all God's. If Caesar is an authority unto himself, then how is it wrong for me to be an authority unto myself? Am I then free to violate God's laws because I am my own authority? It certainly feels like that's what you're saying. Unless I'm misunderstanding you? I sincerely don't understand how you can think that it's okay for Caesar to print graven images of himself because he's not under God's authority.
You will have to take that up with Jesus Who teaches us this. I am not the author of this teaching, our blessed Lord is.
The 10 commandments are the moral law of God that stand fast forever, when something is written in stone it means that it cant be broken. People usually confuse the 10 commandments law with the ceremonial and sacrificial laws which were a shadow of things to come. Meaning till Jesus come for it pointed to Jesus, and He was our ultimate sacrifice. On our own strength it is impossible to keep the 10 commandments for without me you can do nothing Jesus said, but He also said, with God all things are possible. Jesus said that he that says he loves Him and doesn't keep the commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. People that kill and steal go to jail because they are breaking the law. Where did that law come from in the first place? A Christian is not under the law cause he is not going to kill someone because he loves his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. If you love me keep my commandments Jesus says, and we can stop ourselves from killing and stealing because Christ lives in us, therefore we are living His life and not ours, He gives us the power to resist temptation and live godly lives. Sin is the transgression of the law of God, the 10 commandments law. And no sinner...is going to enter the kingdom of heaven...More detailed info later...may you all be blessed and delight to do the will of God because His law is withing your heart....Psalm 40; 8
Too many shadows nary enough light.
When anyone reads all of the law they know Jesus, Yeshua, has fulfilled the lion's portion. Any left extant are those containing mercy and making up love. Any who disagree are perfectly free to do so, but this is my understanding from the Lord's teaching. Too bad so many get confused reading Paul on the subject. He know also this is true.
When anyone reads all of the law they know Jesus, Yeshua, has fulfilled the lion's portion. Any left extant are those containing mercy and making up love. Any who disagree are perfectly free to do so, but this is my understanding from the Lord's teaching. Too bad so many get confused reading Paul on the subject. He know also this is true.
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
The problem with trying to obey the law is it does not tell you how. You can look at the law and it says do not commit adultry and boast of how you keep the law because you have never slept with someone not your spouse yet you have Lusted the n your heart which is the same as commuting the sin in Gods eyes thus your boating is ill timed and not true
The law was not given to help us stop sin. It was given to prove us a sinner and shut us uP
Is the law still valid. Amen it is. It is still sin if we break.
But where do we find victory. Jesus told us how. All the law contained in two
Commands. Love god and others.
The law was not given to help us stop sin. It was given to prove us a sinner and shut us uP
Is the law still valid. Amen it is. It is still sin if we break.
But where do we find victory. Jesus told us how. All the law contained in two
Commands. Love god and others.
One of those is ceremonial law as a shadow of rest. Used as a mixture using a parable with two different reasoning idea one from the Exodus 20 rendering of the ten, the other parable rom the Deuteronomy 5 . . .to come to one conclusion. in order to understand its meaning contrasted with 9 moral laws, No faith coming from a parable is needed with moral law ... straight forward.
I would suggest the whole bible, the law and the prophets. Prophets represent the witness of the law as those who bring the law. .. Altogether it is the one commandment of God.
He has set aside certain laws to keep the integrity of all the commandments . The ones that warns us as well as the ones that brings us his understanding of faith that works in us. . Ten is a remnant of one whole Some say 613 .But we know to be guilty of one is to be guilty of the book of law. Not a book of religious theories but the very mind of God revealed to mankind. Every word is law. Not one title or jot will be removed until the last day .
One law to protect the integrity of the author God as an continue safeguard and another at the end of the book to protect the whole from anyone adding or subtracting from it. The perfect had come what he had in part on till John on the island of Patmos it became the whole. The Deuteronomy informs protected each word from the meaning being changed and therefore not added another meaning and taking away the old in tended.
Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word (singular) which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, (singular) that ye may keep the commandments (plural) of the Lord your God which I command you.
It would seem mankind is quick to number laws, people, time. 10 better than 913. 913 better than the whole Bible . He have loved us perfectly not in part . It us that are limited in the power to love .He must increase. . Some display certain attributes of love works but suffer in other attributes of Gods love working in us. Only he loves perfectly