THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (PART 2)

Yesterday, we talked about the first three of the Ten Commandments. Today we will talk about the Sabbath day.

There is disagreement on whether The Ten Commandments are apart of the Law of Moses. Because God himself wrote the Ten Commandments, some believe they are not.

I believe they are - for two reasons.

1. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(Matthew 22:40- 40)

The Ten Commandments hang on these two laws. The first four hang on loving God, the last six on loving our neighbour.

2. In the book of James, the writer talks about how if you break one part of the law, you break the whole law.

(James 2:8- 11) If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

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.
　

In verse number 11, James uses two of the Ten Commandments as examples of how you can break the whole just by breaking one of the Ten Commandments. If James did not believe that the Ten Commandments were a part of the Law of Moses, why would he use them as an example of how you can break the whole Law? He had hundreds of other commandments that he could have used, but didn’t.

For these two reasons, I believe that the Ten Commandments were apart of the Mosaic Law.

Question: Since the Law has been done away with in Christ, does that mean we do not have to keep The Ten Commandments anymore? Not at all. Paul mentions them in Romans 13:9:

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The last phrase of the verse lets us know that Paul is referring to the last six commandments. The first four have to do with our relationship with God - and they are always to be kept.

Must we still keep a literal, physical Sabbath day?

As long as we do not judge others who do not keep a literal, physical Sabbath day, I believe it is ok to keep it that way. Most people keep the Sabbath day spiritually.
　
　

(Isaiah 28:11-12) For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

When we receive the Holy Ghost we are receiving a spiritual rest.

I hope that you have enjoyed my study of the Ten Commandments.

God Bless,

Douglas