Do I Need to Obey the Ten Commandments?

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Do I Need to Obey the Ten Commandments?

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Jesus explicitly shows that our obedience must include obeying the Ten Commandments.

"Now behold, one came and said to Him, 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?' So He said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.'

"He said to Him, 'Which ones?'"

In answer Jesus listed a number of the Ten Commandments as well as a summary statement:

• "You shall not murder."
• "You shall not commit adultery."
• "You shall not steal."
• "You shall not bear false witness."
• "Honor your father and your mother."
• "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 19:16-19).

Obedience to God begins with accepting the Ten Commandments as the permanent standard for our values and behavior. But our obedience must extend beyond just keeping the Ten Commandments.

Jesus also said: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill [from the Greek pleroo, meaning to 'fill to the full']. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled [from a different Greek word, ginomai, used in the sense of 'come to pass'].

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-19).

Sin is disregarding, refusing to do, what God tells us to do. Jesus tells us He had no intention of annulling or abolishing God's commands and that anyone who presumes to teach that is in grave spiritual danger.

Comments

  • Stephen Cheng

    They who come under the OT Law become OT Jews and not NT Christians. A person cannot be both under the OT and NT. The Covenant with Christ is exclusive. If a Christian puts himself under the OT Law, he is automatically out of the NT. (Gal. 5:4). He's "alienated from Christ.. fallen away from grace", and not under grace anymore. Is such a person still a Christian, though he mistakenly thinks that he is? So, it's probable that many in the church who believe they are still under OT Law might actually not Christians by NT and Paul's definition. (Gal. 5:2).

  • Annabell
    Lets just look at the Bible and see what it says. I hope we can all agree on that. I put list of Bible verses about the commandments for everyone (basically I did a Bible search, typed the word "commandments" in, and pasted the results here. This way, everyone will clearly see what the Bible says and not what is "public opinion". 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. John 14:15-17 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever,even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you. Mt 22:35-40 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he 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 great and first commandment.And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets. (*God did not abolish all ten and keep two. He was making a concept: the 1st tablet represents loving God the 2nd you love your neighbor as yourself. He was referring to Deut. 6:5) John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. Prov19:16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; But he that is careless of his ways shall die. Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. Ro 3:31 Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law. Rev 12:17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus As you can see, God wants us to obey Him. I think that obedience of His commandments is clear. However we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Repent means turn from sin. What other way is left than obeying Jesus.
  • nbtalon
    Do we really need to keep the seventh day?
  • Jeff Alsey

    Without a doubt.

  • Lena VanAusdle
    @aheartofgold Matthew 22:37-40 says, "Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” These are the most important of the commandments, however, they encompass all of the ten commandments, which are all equally important to obey. Sin is sin, so no one commandment is greater than another.
  • vsbladz
    @Brood5155 Unfortunately your understanding is a little limited. You sure don't read your bible. You say the law was given to Israel or Jews, please read the verses below. Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 8:7 Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Son...WE are the spiritual Jews.
  • aheartofgod
    Is any one commandment greater than another?
  • Ivan Veller

    As Christians, we are "able to do all things through Him who strengthens" us--"to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit" (Philippians 4:13, Ephesians 3:16b HCSB 2009).

  • KARS

    @brood5155 How are you today?
    Because these are short articles, blogs or videos offered for learning tools and aids with our Holy Bibles;they can't possbile cover everything one can learn by a few paragraphs.

    You say you are a Christian, then did you not learn that you do not give the meat to babes in the word of God?

    You can't take shortcuts and build a foundation of faith and belief with the meat first. It must be done with the milk of the gospel first.
    I suggested to understand this short lesson that you have read; please feel free to read the booklet Titled: http://www.ucg.org/booklet/ten-commandments
    This just may shed some light on this subject answered above.
    Warmly,
    KARS

  • brood5155

    To Steven Brit and Skip Moen

    First of all not one person before Yeshua[ Jesus] were able to keep the 10 c's. Secondly not one person after Yeshua kept the 10 c's.

    If you agree with this then read on but keep in mind that all have sinned and he who says he has no sin is a lier and deceive himself.

    Christians are free from that law that were given only to Israel.
    Christians lead good lives by being led by the Spirit Of Yhwh my father. Read Gal 5 :16-18

    Christians lead good lives because its in their hearts to do so not because the 10 c's tells them to.

    Someone who still listens to the 10 c's or the whole Torah are still under the law Romans 3:19 and thus will be judged accordingly and believe me not one will be able to say to my Father " I KEPT THE 10C'S"

    Charles just Listen to the Spirit of your Father and He will guide you into all truth as i can see He is doing already.

    Love In Christ Yeshua our Lord and Saviour
    Christiaan

  • Chales Smith

    If I understand correctly, The Law could not be kept that's why we needed a Savior. How can we keep them today?

  • Skip Miller

    Hello Chales,

    The short answer is this:
    the law could not be kept completely (in the Spirit!)
    because God's Holy Spirit was not widely available until
    that outpouring of God's Holy Spirit recorded at Acts 2: 1 -- 4.

    But hey, many knew killing & stealing were wrong and
    so they couldn't really use that for an excuse. Should we?

    Yes we need a Savior but not so we can keep on sinning!

    God's Spirit is available today.
    Get it & get straight with your Creator!

  • Steven Britt

    Chales,

    It's not that the Law couldn't be kept, for Jesus proved by leading a sinless life that it indeed can be kept, and we are called to walk just as He walked. In fact, prophecies of the new covenant show that God writes the Law on our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31:31-33) and that we are able to keep the Law with the help of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). We are told the same by Jesus when He said that the Comforter would come and convict us of sin and righteousness (John 16:8). We are able to keep the commandments through Christ living in us and changing us so that we have the kind of heart that is capable of being humbly obedient to God.

    For an in-depth read on the role of the law in the new covenant, I found the following extremely helpful when I first took an interest in the matter:

    http://www.ucg.org/booklet/new-covenant-does-it-abolish-gods-law/

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