The Ten Commandments

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

February 29, 2008

If it is pleasing to the LORD I wish to focus this study on “The Ten Commandments”.   You know, the Commandments that GOD gave Moses on two tables of stone.   The composition of the Ten Commandments is the Law.

I have listed the Ten Commandments in the order Moses received them from the Almighty on the Mount called Sinai.  Exodus 20:1-26

Moses said: “God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Exodus chapter 20

[1] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

[2] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

[3] Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; 

[4] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

[5] Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land.

[6] Thou shalt not kill. 

[7] Thou shalt not commit adultery.

[8] Thou shalt not steal.

[9] Thou shalt not bear false witness.

[10] Thou shalt not covet

After hearing all the things GOD had to say concerning the Commandments Moses said: All the people saw the thundering, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  Exodus 20:18

Since the law was committed to Moses by GOD Almighty and he mediated the Law Covenant between GOD and Israel, in His Gospels, John said: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

JESUS was asked: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.   And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  Matthew 22:36-40

Yea, it is ironic when considering all the ways the Ten Commandments relate and have related to mankind in the past.

The Moral Law:  There is the Moral Law, and Solomon explained it on this wise: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13   GOD ordained that all governing forces be based on the Ten Commandments.  The moral law began by telling Adam how to honor his creator and how his posterity is to conduct their lives.

The Ceremonial law:  During The Old Testament the LORD GOD formed the ceremonial law through merging the Ten Commandments with the sacrificial law. And when one of the Old Testament scribes referred to the Law that reference included the Commandments and the sacrificial law.  

Then after JESUS fulfilled the sacrificial Law by the sacrificing of Himself, the Commandments remained while The Old Testament sacrifices were omitted from the Law; and when Paul and others refer to the Law their reference is to the Commandments alone. 

The LORD GOD gave us the Commandments that we might through them show our Love for GOD and His CHRIST.  JESUS told us, His followers: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15  

The Original Sin:  Adam sinned and fell and Paul said: “As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

Moses said that after Adam fell he begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.  Genesis 5:3-b

Yea, Adam begot Seth in his own fallen image and likeness, Then Seth took a wife and begot sons and daughters in his likeness and image.

David understood how the original sin is passed on from generation to generation.  Here is what he had to say: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5

Not that His parents sinned during his conception for the Apostle said: “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled.” Hebrews 13:4

Yea, sin is passed on by the father, and for that reason JESUS had not the original sin because He was begotten by FATHER GOD.

Thus far our doctrine has been on how the Commandments relate to the outward man; but now to consider how they apply to the soul that Paul depicted as the inward man.   Here’s what he said: “I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Romans 7:22-24  

At the birth of a child, GOD breathes the breath of life into them and he or she becomes a living soul, while their flesh is accompanied by “The original sin.”

The law keeps its distance from the youngster until the LORD GOD determines that it's time for them to be accountable for sin at that time it’s revived.

The Apostle Paul recorded the time he became accountable for sin:

He wrote “For I was alive without the law once: but “when the commandment came,” sin revived, and I died.  And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.”
Romans 7:11

Now what befell Paul is typical of others such as took place when we become accountable sinners.

As Paul continued, he said: “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”  Galatians 3:24-25

Now the law, as the schoolmaster was designed to work repentance through faith and repentance in the LORD JESUS CHRIST and the work He did at Calvary.   Amen!

Paul told Timothy: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15

Paul told us how to lay claim on the finished work of CHRIST.

He wrote:  “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

The Apostle Peter gave his analogy on how the LORD JESUS qualified as our substitute.   He wrote: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:22-25

Even though JESUS CHRIST was all GOD he was also all man, for said the Apostle: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Hebrews 2:14    

Luke told of His stressfulness the night He was incarcerated by the Jews:

He said: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:44

Then in the first month called Abib, on the 14^th day, on Friday morning at 9am, JESUS was nailed to the cruel cross; then at noon it became dark over all the land until the death of JESUS who at three pm He cried out    When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30  

Paul told us that we were processed through the finished work of the LORD JESUS CHRIST on this wise.

He said: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6 

“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12

Lest someone should assume that the baptizing in that passage was of water, but nay, it was the baptism in the name of JESUS that Paul told us of in Acts 19:4-5

Many are those who use the Commandments to establish their own righteousness, some of which were the Apostle’s peers.   He refuted them with: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20

James warned those whom would establish their own righteousness:  by saying “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:10-11.

One of my distant cousins asked: ‘If a child should die before it was offered a chance to be saved would it go to Heaven?’  I believe David answered that question.  After his baby boy became gravely ill, as long as the child was alive David fasted and prayed to God that He would spare its life.  But after the child died, David asks: “…can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”  2 Samuel 12:23 By that David meant that the child was in heaven.

With that I will close.

May the GOD of creation be praised and glorified forever, Amen!

P.S In this small remaining space I’d like to show why the Baptist believes once saved always saved.

The beloved Apostle John said: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” John 3:9