Do We Have To Obey The Ten Commandments?

What we need is the searchlight of God's Word to shine into our moral darkness so He can reveal His truth to us. Were the Ten Commandments nailed to the cross? Is the very sin that started with Adam and Eve and nailed our loving Saviour to the cross something God no longer cares about? Did Jesus die so we could continue living in lawlessness? Is this what the Bible really says about the Ten Commandments, or are these just lies from our adversary who is determined to keep and steal everyone he can from God's kingdom, especially as we draw closer to this Earths final days? Romans 6:23 says Jesus died to redeem us from the penalty of sin which is death by taking the penalty for our sin upon Himself, not so we could continue living in sin, which is breaking the Ten Commandments. 1 John 3:4.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The author of Hebrews 10:26-29 exhorts that to continue in wilful sin is to tread the Son of God under foot and count the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified as an unholy thing despite God's grace. So how will Jesus respond to those who worship Him and even do miracles in His name but had the opinion they could practice lawlessness by wilfully disobeying the Ten Commandments?

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”

Here Jesus speaks of those who called Him “Lord” but did not do the will of the Father. He then describes those who would seek entrance into the kingdom claiming to be workers of miracles in His name, but He would sorrowfully say, “I never knew you: depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!” These are words we never want to hear Jesus declare because we practiced lawlessness by wilfully disobeying the Ten Commandments, but how many of the Ten Commandments does one have to break to be guilty of sin?

James 2:10-12 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”

Every single person will be judged by the mighty moral code of God's Ten Commandments. To break just one is to be guilty of sin. The Bible demonstrates that the Ten Commandments are like a chain of ten links. When one link is broken, the whole chain is broken. And so it is with the Ten Commandments. Those who stand in the judgment will have to meet the acid test of the Ten Commandments. If a practicing thief should seek entrance into the kingdom, he would be rejected. This is why Paul says thieves will not inherit the heavenly city. Furthermore, the Bible specifically declares that idolaters, adulterers, liars and covetous men will not be in the kingdom. Why? Because the Ten Commandments forbid those things and men will be judged finally by this law. Not one single person will be admitted into heaven who is WILFULLY violating any one of the Ten Commandments because breaking one of the Ten Commandments is breaking them all. We find a good example of this in Exodus 16:4-30. These non-Jews thought that God did not mean what He said when He said the Seventh day. So how did God respond to them? He accused them of breaking ALL His Commandments and laws.

Some may object that this is making works the basis of entering the kingdom. But not so. This is really making love the qualifying factor. Jesus said that the greatest Commandment of all is to love God supremely. Quoting from the second of the Ten Commandments, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my Commandments.” John 14:15. Those who practice any known sin are really confessing that they do not love God with all their heart, soul and mind. So you see it is actually the lack of love that shuts them out and not the act of disobedience that exposes that lack. Only when love is motivating the obedience does it become acceptable to God. Any other work is man's vain attempt to earn salvation and to deny the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

What about those who teach the law is abolished or condemn others that do teach and obey the law? The words of Jesus are not ambiguous. He informs us that He did not come to destroy the law and we are not only to obey the Ten Commandments but TEACH them also. Again we are warned that the consequence is not entering the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:17-29 reads, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (See Jesus fulfilled the law or were the Ten Commandments abolished and the meaning of fulfilling the law for more detail on fulfil and Luke 16:17 on the eternal nature of the law) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [by those] in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire…You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.”

Not only are the Ten Commandments to last as long as heaven and earth but did you notice that our Lord and Saviour raises the bar even higher and magnifies the law as prophesied? See Isaiah 42:21. Example: From do not commit adultery to having committed adultery in your heart by looking lustfully at a woman. Jesus also informs us that the result of living in deliberate sin is “Hell Fire” and that it is better that one of your members should perish than for our whole body to be cast into Hell. My question is, “Why would any Christian try to justify disobedience to God's Ten Commandments anyway?” If we do not desire with all our heart to do this now, why would we be any different in the kingdom of heaven? The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and that His Ten Commandments are Ten Royal laws of love. (James 2:8) All the attributes of the Ten Commandments are found in God's very own nature and is why God cannot tolerate sin as it is a defilement of His very own character. To try and abolish or attack the Ten Commandments is to also attack God and His character. Does this mean being perfect as Christ was perfect? Of course not. This is where repentance, faith and God's grace are required which covers our failures in the flesh. See Romans 7:14-25. God's grace however, does not and cannot cover deliberate and wilful sin. See also FAQ 2.

Hebrews 10:26-29 says, “For if we sin WILFULLY after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth NO more sacrifice for sins, … He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?”

The Bible tells us how much sorer the punishment shall be for wilful sin and it is my heartfelt prayer that no one takes that path. Some may exhort that it is not possible to keep the Ten Commandments. Because we are sinners this is impossible to do on our own, but God's love changes us and enables us to obey His Commandments. God's Holy Spirit can pour into your heart an abundance of self denying love so that you will be able to love God most of all and your neighbour as yourself. The Bible also informs us that all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us and renews our hearts and minds making us a new creature. See 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Philippians 4:13.

The Ten Commandments - Page 3