03/01/18 NINE OUT OF TEN LAWS STILL APPLY
Except for Sabbath keeping, Christians obey the Ten Commandments, since they are God's constant spiritual and moral standards.
Though we are not saved by keeping laws or on the basis of our own moral status, but rather by faith in the atoning work of Christ, believers are called and enabled to follow the spiritual and moral standard of God. There is nothing in either the Old Testament or the New Testament that abrogates the moral and spiritual standards of God and grace does not make us lawless.
Consider these nine commandments.
The Commandments are taken from Exodus 20:3-17. I will refer to the verse number and then I will give a New Testament passage that recognizes that law as being approrpiate to the New Testament Bebliever.
ONE
vs. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
New Testament...
Matthew 4:10
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
TWO
vs. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
New Testament
1 John 5:21
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Acts 17:29
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
THREE
vs. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
New Testament
1 Timothy 6:1
1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.
(SABBATH LAW, not applicable to Christians)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
FOUR
vs. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
New Testament
Matthew 19:19
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Ephesians 6:1-4
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
FIVE
vs. 13 Thou shalt not kill.
New Testament
Romans 13:9
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.
SIX
vs. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
New Testament
Romans 13:9
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.
SEVEN
vs. 15 Thou shalt not steal.
New Testament
Romans 13:9
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.
EIGHT
vs. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
New Testament
Romans 13:9
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.
NINE
vs. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
New Testament
Romans 13:9
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.
There is nothing in this list of nine laws that is contrary to truth, Divine revelation, Divine nature.
To violate any of these nine laws is to openly rebel against the authority, dignity and revelation of God.
It is unthnkable that a Christian should consider violating these nine laws.
This is not saying we are saved by the keeping of the law, but it is obvious that a person cannot be an offender of these laws and be acceptable to God.
