TEN COMMANDMENTS

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
R.D.Ice

"We are not under the Ten Commandments." Obedience to law is not a basis for salvation (Gal. 2:20-21; 3:10-14,21-22). Paul said: "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." Being "right with God" is a matter of faith in Jesus and His perfect work - His Doing & Dying & Rising Again (Phil. 3:7-12; Hebrews 8:12-13; 1 John 3:22-24).

(But, many people think the Ten Commandments represent GOD. Therefore some post them in their yards. The ACLU oppose them as "Christian." The Ten Commandments demand moral living. Therefore many good and honest people raise up the Ten Commandments.)

Jesus restated the Ten Commandments and changed "thou shalt not" into "thou shall." Jesus said: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill ("to make their teachings come true"). Matt. 5:16-17; 1 Peter 2:12. Law serves as a "friendly guide" to help us "walk in newness of life" because we have been saved by faith in Christ. Compare Romans 12:1-2; James 1:17-27.

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
Jesus said: "The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 12:29-30; Deuteronomy 6:4-5

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Paul said: "...and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things." Romans 1:23; Deuteronomy 4:15-19
Jesus said: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." Matt. 4:10

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Jesus said: "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. But I say to you, do not swear at all: . . But let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." Matt. 5:33-37; Leviticus 19:12

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
The Sabbath was a special reminder to Israel (Deuteronomy 5:15). The Christian's Sabbath will come in Eternity (Hebrews 4:4-11).
Jesus said: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." Mark 2:27-28

5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
Jesus said: "For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother..." Mark 7:10-13
Paul said: "Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." Eph. 6:2-3

6. Thou shalt not kill. ["murder"]
Jesus said: "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment. . . First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Matt. 5:21-24
John said: "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." 1 John 3:14

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Jesus said: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Matt. 19:5-6; Hebrews 13:4

8. Thou shalt not steal.
Paul said: "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need." Eph. 4:28

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Paul said: "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him..." Col. 3:9-10

10. Thou shalt not covet.
Jesus said: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Luke 12:15
Paul said: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10

"God has overlooked the times when people did not know Him, but now He commands all of them everywhere to turn away (repent) from their evil ways. For He has fixed a Day in which He will judge the whole world with justice by means of a Man He has chosen. He has given proof of this by raising that Man from death." Acts 17:29-31


O U R F A T H E R
R.D.Ice

To show us how to pray, Jesus gave His disciples the "model prayer" which many call the Lord's Prayer. This is not a formal prayer to be said always. John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray. Jesus gave this as a guide to the right way to pray.

We do not need to try to overwhelm God with our prayers. He already knows what we will say, and He hears His own people (Matt. 6:7-8). Yet God wants His people to come to His Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) and lift their prayers to Him.

Our Father.
a. relationship. God is our Father. 2 Cor. 6:18
b. we are His children. 1 John 3:1-3

In heaven.
a. God is outside our world of time. Acts 7:48-50;
1 Kings 8:27 "But will God indeed dwell on the
earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of
heavens cannot contain You. How much less
this temple which I have built!"

Your Name.
a. glorify Your Name. Rev. 15:3-4 "Great and
marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty
Just and true are Your ways, O King of the
saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and
glorify Your name? For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before
You, For Your judgments have been manifested."

Your kingdom come.
a. kingdom is loyalties and relationship. Col. 1:13
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness
and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of
His love."
2 Peter 1:11 "For so an entrance will be
supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Your will be done.
a. Jesus prayed: "O My Father, if this cup cannot
pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will
be done." Matt. 26:42
b. on earth as it is in heaven. Psalm 103:19 "The
Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His
kingdom rules over all."

Our daily bread.
a. feed me. Proverbs 30:8 "Remove falsehood and
lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor
riches - Feed me with the food You prescribe
for me."

Forgive us.
a. cleanse us from sin. 1 Cor. 6:11 "And such were
some of you. But you were washed, but you were
sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
b. I will remember no more. Hebrews 8:12 "For I
will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their
lawless deeds I will remember no more."
c. as we forgive others. Matt. 6:14 "For if you
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you."

Deliver us from evil.
a. from the evil one. John 17:15 "I do not pray that
You should take them out of the world, but that
You should keep them from the evil one."
b. from temptation. 1 Cor. 10:13 "but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will also make the way of escape, that you will be
able to bear it."

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
a. You, Jesus, are worthy! Rev. 5:9 "You are
worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;
For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God
by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue
and nation, And have made us kings and priests
to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
b. Compare David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
"Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father,
forever and ever. Yours, O God, is the greatness,
The power and the glory, The victory and the
majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth
is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And
You are exalted as head over all. Both riches
and honor come from You, And You reign
over all. In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great and to give
strength to all. Now therefore, our God, We
thank You And praise Your glorious name."