Ten Commandments

The final days and hours of a year are a good time to honestly evaluate our own hearts and lives. Have you loved your brother as you ought? Is there a brother in Christ against whom you are holding a grudge? Have you offended anyone and failed to ask forgiveness and seek restoration? If so, take the step of humility and restore. Do this before a new year dawns!

We are all prone to think of our “neighbor” in the comfortable circle of those whom we already love. It is easy to define neighbor to include our close friends at church, the next-door neighbor who watches over our house when we are away, the coworker who shares our viewpoints, and the people with whom we enjoy socializing. But what about the family on the other side of the street with the barking dog? What about the coworker who is continually gossiping about other coworkers? What about the one person who always seems to ask the wrong question at the wrong time? What about people from a different cultural background than ours? Are these our “neighbors” too?

According to God’s Word, “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly” with our God by faith is at the heart of true religion in both the Old and New Testaments. In our own day, there is an abundance of every sort of religion. But God is still looking for men whose religion springs from a faithful heart and is expressed by obedient hands. God is looking for men who will do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. Will you be such a man?

We live in a day of rampant selfishness. Politicians are suspected of advancing their own interests for political power. Union labor strikes demonstrate distrust between employers and employees. Wars, crime, and acts of terrorism are daily reminders that we are living in a world where men and women do not love their neighbors. In contrast to the selfish culture in which we live, as God’s children we are commanded to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Could it be that faithful believers who are serving the Lord, doing good works, boldly proclaiming the truth, and standing firmly against error and compromise are actually neglecting their chief priority? Is it possible that in loving our churches, our families, and our communities, we may be neglecting to cultivate a love for the Lord Himself?

What is your focus: enjoying temporal pleasures here in this world or laying up treasures in Heaven? Is the Kingdom of God your pursuit over every other pursuit? Obedience from the heart is not legalism. True obedience is love in action.

In Matthew 22:37–38, our Lord Jesus referred to Deuteronomy 6:4–5 as the “first and great commandment” in the Law. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

In November and December, we will examine carefully the grand summary of “all the law and the prophets” given by our Lord Jesus.

The tenth commandment warns against the danger of coveting the possessions or positions of other men. Obedience to this important command calls for us to abstain from coveting. However, this is only the bare minimum required by the commandment. On the positive side, we are to learn contentment with the various items that God has provided to us.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). How many times have you heard this familiar, beloved verse? It has been used in a variety of ways. Christian business leaders have used it to encourage their employees to do their best. Christian politicians have quoted this verse to announce hope for the future. Christian military officers have referenced it on the eve of battle, encouraging the soldiers under their command that Christ gives strength for the victory. It has even been used by Christian volleyball teams as a pep cheer before a game!

During the earthly ministry of Jesus, our Lord was asked many questions about life, eternity, law, and even politics. His answers to these questions astonished the multitudes, silenced the critics, and moved soldiers, such as those who were sent to arrest Him, to say, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46).

Are you satisfied? Real satisfaction springs from a heart deeply filled with gratitude to God—not only gratitude for what He has provided, but a deeper gratitude for the essence of Who He is. A soul that is truly satisfied with God’s provision is fully content with God’s goodness, resting in His unchanging character even amidst the changing circumstances of life.

In today’s modern culture, we are bombarded with advertising. Christians who do not have a proper defense against covetousness can easily fall prey to impulsive spending. The opposite of covetousness is contentment. A contented man is a grateful man who has learned to rest in what God has provided for him, regardless of what God may have granted to others.

The ninth commandment says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). As noted previously, this commandment is about far more than a prohibition against lying. It not only calls us to cease from lying, but the commandment calls us to a positive affirmation of walking in the light, speaking the truth, and presenting a Godly testimony to a skeptical world.

The truth is not merely what we speak; it is also what we live. Those around us are able to see our hypocrisy very clearly when the way we live does not match the way we speak. The words testimony and witness both come from the same word in the original languages of the Bible. In reflecting upon the ninth commandment—“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”—we must realize that a man’s testimony and a man’s witness should be one and the same thing, not a “false witness” but a living testimony of the truth.

The prophets of Israel played an important role in exposing the deceptions of their day and pointing God’s people to the truth. Today, we still need faithful men who are willing to counter the evil that comes from falsehood in all areas of life. “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22).

With the rapid expansion of modern technology, we have gone from a world of printed materials to an influx of digital images and messages. Christian men must be on guard that the material they read, the actions they repeat, and the messages that they pass along are grounded in truthfulness. Deception is deadly, and God hates it.

Before COVID-19, a person could not enter a bank with a mask on. The simple reason? Masks were not normally allowed in banks because a robber often used a mask to disguise his true identity. The eighth commandment states, “Thou shalt not steal.” In our study of the eighth commandment, we have been on guard against the dangers within our own hearts of robbing God or others. In this final article covering this particular commandment, we will consider not stealing from the perspective of guarding our own genuine treasures from the disguised, subtle robbers that abound, looking to steal and destroy from us.

Homes, churches, and businesses suffer when lazy and selfish men take advantage of others. The Apostle Paul directly addressed the eighth commandment in the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Ephesians. In verse 28, Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “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.”

The Lord Jesus Christ was the ultimate keeper of the eighth commandment: “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:13). He came into this world to give, not to take. Leaving the glories of Heaven, Jesus willingly entered our world of sin and suffering. He took nothing from this world; yet, He gave everything to redeem it. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (II Corinthians 8:9).