Some General Thoughts on the Ten (10) Commandments
The Ten (10) Commandments originate from / hang on the two (2) Great / Prime Commandments, which spring from God; they are the reflection of who God is, and how
to act so that we conform to God.
We are to act like God acts.
The command, “Be ye holy, for I am holy”, does not refer to God’s intrinsic nature of God-ness, but his conduct. God acts according to his nature, I am to act like God acts.
Several things to notice about the Ten (10) Commandments:
1) The Ten (10) Commandments are not “an” expression of God’s person and will, they are “the” expression of God’s person and will. They tell us how he thinks and acts, and
therefore how he wants us to act. He wants us to act like him. They are not primarily “Dos and Don’ts” but “Bes and Don’t Bes”. God is love, so they express conformity to
him, by telling us how to love.
Conformity to his conduct: “As obedient children do not conduct yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as He who has called you is holy, so be holy in
all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1Pt 1:14-16 “As obedient children … in all your conduct!”
2) We learn about God from the Ten (10) Commandments. They are not just arbitrary rules he wants us to keep. He did not write down 1000s of laws on a dart board, and then
randomly throw 10 darts, to come up with 10 laws.
They reflect God himself, just like the Operating Manual of a Company, reflects the Owner’s Mindset, and are to be obeyed.
3) The law is good. It is good because it reflects God, and God is good.
“So then, the law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good.” Rom 7:12
Laws are not bad. Think of how things would be here on earth if there were no laws, and no law enforcement. It would be worse than hell on earth.
And it is good to be told when we are doing wrong, so that we can avoid future bad consequences. Hell is a very bad future consequence.
4) God’s Ten (10) Commandments are the basis of all Law. Not only are they inscribed on the wall behind the US Supreme Court, missionaries have found that the most isolated
people groups have an intuitive knowledge of the laws regarding man-to-man relationships. All cultures “know” it is wrong to murder, steal, commit adultery, and
covet. The Stone Age Angave people among whom we work do.
Why is it that the same basic laws are written on the hearts of all men, across all cultures, and all time?
It is because when God purposed to make mankind, he purposed to make us after his image. “Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” Gen 1:26
So when God made our one common father Adam in his image, that image included his moral image, as expressed in his law; God stamped his moral image on us, writing his
law on our hearts.
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law (written in a book), do by nature the things contained in that law, these people, not having the law (written in a book), are a law unto
themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, while their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them”
Rom 2:14-15
5) The law was given to show us what actions, thoughts, desires, etc. are sin. Sin is to not act like God acts, it is deviation from God’s thoughts and actions and desires. Non-
conformity to the Ten (10) Commandments is sin; in that way the Ten (10) Commandments define sin.
“For by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” Rom 3:20
“I did not know sin, except through the law. I would not have known coveting (i.e. that coveting is sin) if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” Rom 7:7
The Greek word for sin is “hamartia” which means to “miss the mark” “deviate from the standard” God is the standard, his will is the standard, his actions are the standard, and so
when I deviate from him, when I do not act like he acts, I miss the mark, and I have sinned! Again, it is really pretty simple.
6) The Ten (10) Commandments are a unified whole. They are not like ten (10) separate pieces of ceramic, disconnected, with no relationship to each other. They are ten (10)
pieces glued together to make one vase. We cannot say, “I keep most of the law, so I am OK.” If you break one piece of the vase, you have broken the whole thing, and you are a
vase (law) breaker.
A murderer cannot say, “Even though I have murdered, I never steal, so I am not a law breaker!” Or, “I have only murdered once, but I have not stolen many times, so I am not
a law breaker!” Won’t it be great if we could use that kind of reasoning!
“For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of breaking the whole law.” Jam 2:10
7) The law was never given as a way for us to become right in God’s eyes, “For by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” Rom 3:20, it was given to show
us we cannot be right in God’s eyes (conform to him) by our own actions, it was meant to drive me to Christ, and get righteousness from him.
“For, being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. Christ is the end of the
law unto righteousness for every one who believes.” Rom 10:3-4
So let the law do it work: see your sin and go to Christ.