What is God saying to us in the Ten Commandments? Many who are familiar with this passage think of of these as the "thou shalt nots" Many, rather vaguely, seem to include these in with the ceremonial laws, which were done away with when Jesus died on the cross. The world, in general, treats them as Ten Suggestions, to be obeyed only if you feel like it.
When questioned about it, they may reply that Jesus took care of the commandments in Matthew 22:37-40, when He spoke of loving God and loving your neighbor. They seem to believe this is the new way of serving God and obeying Him--just love Him and your fellowmen. Is it as simple as that? Are we capable of this without any further instruction or insight into what love consists of? Yes, we have the beatitudes, we have the fruit of the Spirit and we have the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. Are the ten commandments needed now?
Did you know the ancient Israelites had these same two commandments to guide them in understanding the meaning of the Ten Commandments? Yes, most of them failed to understand. Yet, the two were there. In Deuteronomy 6:5 we read "You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." And, in Leviticus 19:18 we are told "you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
So ancient Israel had access to the true meaning of the Ten Commandments. Then, why did God spell them out in detail to them, and are they to be considered in detail by Christians? Think of this this: When Jesus was still on the mount where He gave the beatitudes, He gave more detail on the keeping of the commandments. He emphasized the need of reaching down into our motives and thoughts, not just our words and actions. While He was there He let them know He had not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill.
If we go to 1 John 5:3, we find this disciple, who has written so much on love, says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." To many they seem burdensome, or grievous (as the KJV puts it).
Here is another way of looking at the commandments. This way, I believe, is the gospel way of looking at them. And, gospel means "good news." How are the commandments the good news of salvation for mankind?
Let me paraphrase the text of the first part of Exodus 20, where we read the Ten Commandments, and perhaps you will see what I mean about the good news being enfolded there.
"And God spoke all these words saying: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of slavery to sin, and out of the house of sinful bondage. I did this by dying on the cross for your sins and rising again, so you could also crucify the flesh and rise to walk in the newness of life through the Spirit of God dwelling in you. Because of this I promise you divine power, and the following promises will be fulfilled in your heart and life:
Can we picture these as promises? God promises to give us His divine power to do all these things. This wouldn't mean much if it only referred to surface words and actions. When God tells us He looks on the heart of a man can it mean He doesn't pay attention to the actions and words of the outward man? He is interested in everything we do, for He also says we are known by our fruits.
Suppose you pick an apple off a tree and when you bite into it you find it is rotten inside. Not all fruit is good fruit, even when it appears to be on the outside. The law of God reaches into our very inner being. This is where He promises to write His law (Hebrews 10), in our hearts and minds.
The gospel of salvation, the plan of redemption is the good news God not only will forgive our sins, but He will give us power to overcome them. The grace of Christ, His righteous merits, do more than pardon us, they have cleansing power. We are freed from the house of bondage, the slavery to sin.
Yes, sin enslaves us. We are helpless and cannot free ourselves from this slavery, but God through His Son, can and will do it, if we choose to let Him. Paul describes sin as the transgression of the law. What law? The only law given to mortals that could apply are the Ten Commandments. Perhaps from now on we should call them the Ten Promises. When we think of them this way they are indeed a happy part of the Good News of Salvation. Christ is our Creator and Redeemer . Through Him we may receive the full power of the Gospel. For as the law enfolds the plan of salvation, when we see it clearly, the plan of salvation can unfold the true meaning of God's law of love. For this is what the entire ten commandments are in reality.
