The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments an

example of a moral code that man was (is) unable to keep

(Ex. 20:3-17).

1. You shall have no other gods before me God

demands man's exclusive worship.

Nothing can be set ahead of God. Not our families, our jobs, our recreation, or our

possessions. Sin is the exaltation of self at the expense of God. To keep this

commandment we would have to do as Jesus said, "love the Lord our God with all

our heart, soul, and mind.

2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image God

demands man's sincere and

spiritual worship (Jn. 4:24). Handmade idols are of course expressly condemned

here, but what of mental idols? We have attended worship, said prayers, and read

the Bible, but have we really worshipped, really prayed, and really let God speak

to us through His word? (Read Isa. 29:13; Mk. 7:6)

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain God

demands that

man respect His name. This respect includes refraining from profane language,

but further includes control of our thoughts and deeds. To call God "Lord" and

then disobey Him is to take His name in vain. To call Him "Father" and then not

to trust Him is to take His name in vain. Anytime we talk one way and act another

we are taking His name in vain we

are hypocrites!

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy God

demands that man worship Him

consistently, continuously, and periodically. As the Sabbath was the Lord's Day

for the Jews, so Sunday is the Christian's Lord's Day. It is a day in which time

must be set aside for Him, for His worship and His service.

5. Honor your father and your mother this

command is transitional. The first four

deal with man's duty to God and the last five deal with man's duty to man, this

command has aspects of both duties. Parents represent God's authority to children,

yet young people are often the most disobedient, selfish, and inconsiderate in their

parent's own homes. Parents are due our respect and affection, if they do not

receive these things from us as physical children, can God expect to receive them

from us as His spiritual children?

6. You shall not kill Jesus

took this command beyond physical murder and

extended it to "heart murder." John said, "Anyone who hates his brother is a

murderer." We can kill with a look, with a word, with our anger, with gossip, with

neglect, with cruelty, with spite and jealousy. Instead we must do all within our

power to foster health and life in others.

7. You shall not commit adultery this

includes any sexual activity outside the

marriage relationship. It includes not just actions, but thoughts as well. As Jesus

said, "everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery

17 Basic Christianity

with her in his heart." This command embraces every possible abuse of a sacred

and beautiful gift of God. Each one of us must have a right, healthy, and

honorable attitude towards each other.

8. You shall not steal taking

anything from a person that belongs to him or is due

to him. Tax evasion, dodging customs, working "short hours," or paying less than

a sufficient wage for work done are all forms of thievery. Not only did Paul want

the thief to stop stealing, he wanted him to start working. To start working so not

only would he not resort to stealing, but so that he could aid others.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor Among

man's greatest

God-given possessions are his life, his home and honor, his property, and his

reputation. Gossip, tale-bearing, perjury, slander, idle talk, listening to as well as

passing on rumors, making unkind jokes, creating untrue impressions, and not

correcting false statements are all ways to bear false witness.

10. You shall not covet this

command puts God's law beyond simply a legal code.

The law of the land cannot touch us for what we think we want, but only for what

we actually steal. As lust is to adultery, temper is murder, so covetousness is to

theft. What is covetousness? Its wanting what we have no right to want, be it a

man's house, his money, or his wife. Paul said, "It is idolatry." In contrast he said,

"There is great gain in godliness, with contentment."