ARE THE 10 COMMANDMENTS IN FORCE TODAY?

I may get in hot water with some of my viewers with today's blog, but here goes!

How well I remember the first time I heard someone in a conservative church state openly that the Ten Commandments were not for us today. I was shocked beyond words! I've changed my mind since then as I've delved into the Word a little deeper!

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog re tithing, the Ten Comandments, too, were spoken to the Jews, and we're Gentiles. The Ten Commandments, which comprised a major part of the Law, were given to people under the Old Covenant, or the Old Testament. Today we live under the New Covenant, or the New Testament. The Old Covenant and the Law were abolished when Christ died on Calvary and the curtain to the Holy of Holies was rent in twain from top to bottom. That was the end of the Law!

No doubt you recall that the first five commandments governed man's behavior toward God, while the last five were directed towards man's relationship with his fellowmen.

Keeping that in mind, look at Christ's words in John 13:34: "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." If we love others the way Christ loves us, that's going to cover the last five of the commandments and a lot more, too.

Then consider the story in the 10th chapter of Luke where a lawyer asked Christ what he should do to inherit eternal life. When Christ turned the question back to the lawyer and asked him how he read the law, he answered in verse 27 by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Now that covers our attitude toward both God and our fellowmen. It incorporates all 10 of the original commandments.

In fact, look at Christ's answer in the next verse: "Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."

Even though the Law, including the 10 Commandments, has been done away with, Christ's new commandment of love embodies everything those commandments required, and lots more!

So are the 10 Commandments in force today? I believe Christ's new law of love covers all ten and plenty of others things, too!

Preacher's Kid