The Ten Commandments and the Church

Arno Froese

“And 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. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:1–17).

Why Ten?

First, we must answer why God gave these Commandments to the people of Israel. The answer is actually twofold: 1) The people of Israel had no laws that had been given to them directly by God; 2) Israel was destined to be different from all other people on the earth: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:5–6). Clear from the beginning is that God has separated a people unto Himself and for His namesake.

Ten Commandments for Israel

To whom were the Ten Commandments given? The answer is found in the introductory Scripture: “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). The Lord God spoke these words to the people He led from out of bondage in Egypt, that is, the 12 tribes of the children of Israel and their descendants.

Does that mean other nations should disregard the Ten Commandments? Absolutely not! We will address that issue later in this article.

The Law and Judgment

The fact that the Ten Commandments were addressed exclusively to Israel is confirmed in the account of the Israelites entering the land of Canaan. They did not teach the Ten Commandments to the people of Jericho, nor did they try to introduce these pagans to the God of Israel.
They came to the land of Canaan for two reasons: 1) for judgment upon the nations and 2) for the kingdom of God to be established on earth.

Sin Must Be Dealt With

This is prophetically significant: sin must be dealt with first. It is futile to think we can please God in any other way. History tells of those who have attempted to reach God by using their own strength. Think about the Tower of Babel, which men tried to build in an attempt to reach heaven. I don’t question that these were good people; in fact, I’m sure these people were sincere in their attempt to seek God. But there was a problem: They weren’t dealing with their sin. These people had the same idea as virtually all people do today: creating your own religion and your own way to reach God.

Notice the words “we” and “us” in Genesis 11:3–4: “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” That is the epitome of national esteem. We don’t need to search too far these days to find the god of selfesteem at work. It is man’s desire to focus too much upon himself and his own comfort; this tendency unfortunately is supported by the Church.

Israel: Our Sign

If we want to understand the Bible, a Jewish book, we must look more closely at the Jewish people. God gave the Ten Commandments to the Jews and He made covenants with them.

If we want to understand our position, we should carefully read Ephesians 2:11–12: “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” That’s not a very good position to be in; however, that is not the end of the story because the next verse says: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (verse 13). As believers in Jesus, we’re no longer considered strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and part of the family of God (verse 19). What a wonderful act of God’s grace for those who were outside of the covenant of promise.

Scripture continues: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:20–22). Again, this is Jewish territory: the prophets represent the Old Testament and the apostles represent the New Testament, and Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. Now we have access to God as fellow citizens who are part of this spiritual building, the habitation of God, which is being built today.

In the beginning it was a mystery hidden even from the elect. God’s plan was not revealed to Israel nor was it revealed to the Jewish church.

Only by grace through faith have we become partakers of the promises and of the fulfillment of prophecies: “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:9–12).

Before the Ten Commandments?

How did God expect the Israelites to behave before He gave them the Ten Commandments? If we follow history closely, we will see that the Ten Commandments already were contained in God’s prophecies. For instance, the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” was broken when Eve disobeyed God and listened to another god who appeared in the form of a serpent and said, “Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).

The commandment not to kill was broken by Cain, who killed his brother, Abel. The Ten Commandments express God’s expectation of man and, as we will later see, apply to all people throughout the generations.

The Ten Commandment Instruction

“I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Deuteronomy 5:6–21).

Preaching the Law

There are slight variations in the Ten Commandments as given by God and recorded in Exodus 20 and then as Moses repeated them to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 5. Although the Deuteronomy account is slightly longer, one account isn’t any more important than the other. We do, however, learn the value of preaching God’s Word. When we use Scripture to preach, we don’t just read it; we expound on it and explain it in order to help the listener understand. As a person hears the Word preached, the Holy Spirit convicts his heart and he recognizes his lost condition, prompting him to repent and ask God to forgive him of his sins. God responds by sending the Holy Spirit to live inside this new believer, causing him to be born again. That is one reason for the Ten Commandments; they enable us to recognize our failures and shortcomings, causing us to humble ourselves before God, ask His forgiveness, and pray for grace that we may live decent lives before the countenance of God and of man. Thus, Paul wrote: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).

The Threefold Criteria of the Ten Commandments

We may categorize the Ten Commandments as being 1) our responsibility to God, 2) our responsibility to mankind, and 3) our responsibility for private property.

It is significant that the first four commandments deal directly with God; they outline what God expects from man. Once we recognize and obey these important laws, we are able to live harmoniously as civilized people.

A Brief Analysis of the Ten Commandments - The First Commandment

“Thou shalt have none other gods before me” (verse 7). Several other translations use the word “besides” instead of “before.” God is not interested in whether we serve idols; we just can’t serve idols and simultaneously serve Him.
Later in history, the great prophet Elijah challenged the people of Israel with these words: “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). It’s quite obvious that even during their great apostasy the Israelites still believed in the Lord God. But they also believed in Baal, which was an abomination to the Lord.

We read over and again in the Old Testament that Israel was to worship and serve the God of Israel alone. For that reason, its people were instructed to destroy any object that would bring to mind the gods of the pagans whose land they were to take. They were forbidden to marry foreigners because of the dangers attached to being introduced to other gods.

The God of Mammon

Jesus made the distinction clear: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
This is significant because mammon means money. No one can deny that the majority of people in the world worship money, which is the key to our economy and a deciding force in politics. Virtually all religious infrastructures, including Christianity, would collapse without the generation of money. Throngs of people today are striving to earn more money, not realizing that they have allowed it to become an idol.

The Apostle Paul identified the love of money as being the root of all evil: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).

The Second Commandment

“Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments” (verses 8–10).

This commandment positions the visible against the invisible. The Bible says no one has seen God’s face; therefore, any attempt to visualize Him is a grave error. If we obey God’s commandment, we will receive a visible blessing. If we don’t, we will experience a visible curse.

That is where the Jews and biblical Christianity differ from all other religions. While the Jews do have an identifiable geographic territory, they are to serve only the invisible God.

As the Church, we have nothing on earth to identify us as being part of the Body of Christ. Many have attempted to recreate holy places, objects or images, but that only leads to the blatant violation of the Second Commandment. As Christians we must heed the words Peter was led by the Spirit to write: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). Although we have not seen Him, we believe in Him.

When we follow Israel’s history, we learn that its violation of the Second Commandment resulted in catastrophic curses.

Important to point out is God’s judgment upon the family: “God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” That doesn’t mean the children were being cursed because of their father’s sin. The Bible makes this clear in 2 Chronicles 25:4: “But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.”

We’ve all heard the saying, “Like father like son.” Of course this could be a compliment or a negative remark. For example, if a parent lies or steals, it is likely that the children will practice the same behavior. From God’s perspective, however, we are responsible for our own actions. Notice the words “them that hate me.”

Regarding the blessing of mercy, the Tenakh says: “By showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

The Third Commandment

“Thou shalt have none other gods before me” (verse 7). The name of the Lord is holy. “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). He is the thrice holy God and woe unto anyone who misuses His holy name, for he shall not be without guilt.

The Lord Jesus reminds us of a group of people who used the Lord’s name in vain: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21–23). These people addressed the Lord in prayer, prophesied in His name, cast out demons, and did many wonderful works, yet are rejected with the words: “Depart from me ye that work iniquity.” Why isn’t the Lord pleased with these seemingly sincere people? The Lord answers: “I never knew you.” While they may have thought they knew the Lord, the Lord does not know them. These people had no living relationship with the Lord. They had apparently developed their own religion, apart from being subject to the Lord. This new religion had them work very hard and they probably had achieved great things, but they accomplished it outside of the Lord. We are reminded here of our Lord’s statement: “Without me, ye can do nothing.”

The Lord did not recognize them because they did not belong to the family of God. These people were deceived into believing in another Jesus. They were subject to another spirit and they proclaimed another gospel, precisely as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:4: “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

The Fourth Commandment

"Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (verse 8–11). The Fourth Commandment must be significant because it’s the longest of the ten.

Israel was to be distinguished from the surrounding nations by keeping the seventh day of the week holy. Moses specifically added that Israel had a reason to keep the Sabbath: “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15).

Remember

Before He gave them the Ten Commandments, God reminded the children
of Israel to remember their history: “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:4–6).

What was God’s purpose for redeeming Israel from slavery in Egypt? “Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” A priest acted as a representative of God to man, and vice versa. A priest sacrificed offerings to God on behalf of the people. As a kingdom of priests, Israel was called by God to be a holy nation and demonstrate to the entire world that they were — and continue to be — a “peculiar treasure unto [Him] above all people.”

The Priesthood of the Believer

We are reminded here of the Apostle Peter’s words: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Believers are also a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people. Like Israel, we too have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. When we grasp this truth in spirit, we become keenly aware of our tremendous responsibility to the world. Each of us has been called to the office of priest, but our authority, actions and intentions must focus on God: “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:6). As believers we have already entered His rest spiritually, as we read in Ephesians 2:6: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” But in a physical sense, we are still here on earth, subject to the curse of sin and the subsequent decay of our bodies. Thus, Philippians 3:20–21 adds: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” It seems to me that our responsibility is directed more toward heavenly than earthly things. In other words, our testimonies to others will be overshadowed by our testimonies to God. The closer we grow to God, the more effective our testimonies will be as we serve as priests to those who are still in bondage.

The Fifth Commandment

“Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (verse 16).

God has given us earthly parents. Those who did not honor their mothers and fathers during ancient biblical times became subject to capital punishment:“And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:17). Jesus repeated this commandment later: “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matthew 15:4).

This is also a commandment of earthly promise. The Apostle Paul testified to the church at Ephesus: “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:2).

The Sixth Commandment

“Thou shalt not kill” (verse 17). This is the first of the Ten Commandments that relates to other people. Murder interferes with God’s ordinances, for He alone gives life and He alone takes it away.

Even an accidental death had consequences under the Old Testament Law. The killer had to flee to one of the six cities of refuge designated by God, where he would be safe from the avenger of blood, a member of the victim’s family who was obligated to kill the perpetrator. The one who was able to escape the avenger had to stand before a counsel and prove that his killing was an accident: “And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment” (Numbers 35:12).

You may be thinking, “Well, I’ve never killed; that’s one commandment I have been able to keep.” But that would be wrong, because as believers in Jesus Christ, we stand before a much higher law than the one given to the children of Israel. The New Testament says: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). While the Old Testament primarily concerns itself with the physical person, the New Testament takes a significant step higher to include the spiritual person; that means our words and our thoughts are also judged.

The Seventh Commandment

“Neither shalt thou commit adultery” (verse 18). This commandment protects the God-ordained relationship of marriage. Matthew 19:15 says: “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh.” Old Testament Israelites who broke this commandment were subject to a penalty of death: “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10).

What does the New Testament say about this? “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). I don’t believe it’s necessary to go into detail to illustrate that we are in fact living in an adulterous generation specifically designed by the devil himself to break that commandment.

Most shocking is that the devil is so successful in promoting adultery within the Church. Few pastors dare point out the inappropriateness of garments popularized by sodomites and worn to church by our wives and daughters! No wonder the most horrible person identified in the Bible is described with these words: “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5).

The Eighth Commandment

“Neither shalt thou steal” (verse 19). The punishment for stealing is summarized in Exodus 22:1: “If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.” Under Old Testament Law, to steal another person’s property required restitution, in the case of livestock, four and five times the value of the stolen property. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul admonished the Church: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28). Stealing was as common then as it is today. Of course, stealing is more refined today and is being practiced at the highest levels of our society. Large corporations even try to steal ideas and technology from other firms so they may compete more effectively.

The Ninth Commandment

“Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour” (verse 20). In Psalm 62:4, David wrote: “They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.”

Later, Daniel the prophet wrote: “And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed” (Daniel 11:27).

And speaking about the endtimes, 1 Timothy 4:1–2 says: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”

The Tenth Commandment

“Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (verse 21). This points to the exclusivity of the commandments to the people of Israel. The Israeli society was built upon the principles ordained by God; honesty was rewarded and dishonesty was punished. But the Tenth Commandment points to the unfinished work of the Law. This commandment deals primarily with “desire,” translated in the King James Version as “covetousness.” Unger’s Bible Dictionary defines covetousness as an “inordinate desire for what one has not … it is an element of lawlessness … eager to obtain money … unwilling to part with money….” The one who broke this commandment in Old Testament times could easily cover it up because it was not a visible act. The New Testament Christian is commanded to: “Be content with such things as ye have” (Hebrews 13:5).

If implemented on a broad scale, this commandment would instantaneously destroy our system of capitalism. Not too long ago a book titled Greed is Good was released; and so it is in the business world. Countless business executives from all over the world analyze their competition and desire to be as good, if not better.

Christians and the Ten Commandments

We already have emphasized that the Ten Commandments were given exclusively to the children of Israel. It was the Lord God who introduced Himself: “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 5:6). Again in verse 15: “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt.” In verse 16: “in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” None of these situations applied to the Gentiles. We did not come from the land of Egypt, nor do we live in a land that God gave to us. These important guidelines can only be spiritualized. As believers we came from the land of bondage and entered the land of freedom in Jesus Christ. We, too, are to remember, as 2 Timothy 2:8 admonishes us, “that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.” But when it comes to honoring our parents, not committing adultery, lying or stealing, we cannot spiritualize these matters because they are tangible.

One may argue that if the Ten Commandments were addressed to Israel, then they do not apply to believers. But that is a glaring error because we have already seen that the Law existed before the Ten Commandments were even given. Most important for believers to realize is that we are under a much higher law. We stand before God guilty and condemned if we so much as have an evil thought against our brother. We don’t have to commit the act of adultery to be declared guilty of breaking the Seventh Commandment; all we have to do is look at a man or woman who is not our spouse with lust in our hearts. Therefore, anyone who recognizes his failure in relationship to the Ten Commandments can confess his sin and receive forgiveness based on the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross. Jesus paid it all; all to Him we owe.

The Ten Commandments and the Nations

We must point out again that God did not give the Ten Commandments to the nations, but all nations are subject to the spirit of the commandments. Many of us don’t realize that the principles of the Commandments are contained in the laws of all civilized countries. Even Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist countries have incorporated the principles of the Ten Commandments into their laws. This is obvious because not one nation encourages children to dishonor their parents or rewards murderers, adulterers, thieves and liars. The term “Christian nation” is definitely not supported by biblical doctrine because all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. All are subject to the devil because the Bible makes it clear that those who sin are of the devil. The Bible also says that our righteousnesses are the equivalent of filthy rags.

However, for a nation to function in a civilized manner — and to be a place where Christians can exist — that nation must have principles that are based upon the Commandments. Again we see God’s wonderful and miraculous grace. He does not allow the devil to destroy the fundamentals of any nation; therefore, we always will be able to find believers on all five continents and in all 200 lost nations. They are subject to different laws and various governments, but none of these governments have the authority to openly violate these Godordained principles.

Public Display of Biblical Laws

It doesn’t make any difference whether a nation publicly displays the Ten Commandments or even believes them, because all nations must adhere to the fundamental principles contained in the Commandments. That cannot be denied. There is no doubt, however, that publicly reading Scripture and displaying scripturally based truths does serve as a warning sign to the government and people alike. Christians, however, must distinguish that even if they are biblically based, these things belong to the government and have no relationship to the Church of Jesus Christ.

For instance, communism attempted to eradicate religion. Communist leaders worked hard to delete the first three Commandments, but eventually communism dissolved.

During the centuries, various attempts have been made to change the six workdays and one day of rest, but that effort also failed. Whether man acknowledges God as Creator or not; he needs one day of rest. He may choose different days on which to do that, but the fundamental principle remains the same.

The Highest Command

“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). The Lord exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees during His time.

But His words also expose our hypocrisy, which we so piously try to proclaim to the world. It is sad to hear hatred preached from pulpits, written in publications and aired on broadcasts from those who do not agree with us. This becomes particularly evident during election years, when respected preachers literally use gutter language to describe the candidates with whom they disagree. Jesus exposed that hypocrisy when He said: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” He did not mean we should love our neighbors more than we love ourselves; He meant we love ourselves because we are selfish and filled with self-esteem (which, incidentally, is another gospel preached by many ministers). Yet the Bible admonishes: “…in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3). Have you recently heard a loving word from your pulpit about the poverty-stricken Haitians or the people in Sudan or Iraq? Shouldn’t we want to declare a day of prayer and fasting for the people — especially our Christian brethren — who are suffering in Iraq? What did Jesus say? “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43–44). Jesus’ words should always have preeminence when it comes to interpretation and doctrinal divisions. We even read about the law of love in the Old Testament: “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:17–18).

If you want to keep the Ten Commandments, then start by practicing the commandment of love. When you see the atrocities taking place in the world around you, begin to fight the battle of love. In other words, become a priest, stand in the gap for the people and begin a serious prayer life. While doing so, your eyes will be opened to your own corruptness. You will no longer find the time to fight with flesh and blood, but you will remain in repentance before the Lord so He can fill your life to overflowing with His love and His compassion and His grace. That is my prayer for you.

MidnightCall Magazine

July 2008

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