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I
used to think I was a good child.
Well-mannered
Well-behaved
Helpful
Kind
Considerate
And
hardly ever in trouble at school.
So
when I met the 10 Commandments
I
didn't expect to find much wrong with me.
Commandment
number One :
"YOU
SHALL HAVE NO
OTHER
GODS BEFORE ME"
This
means that
God
wants us to love Him more
than
we love anyone, or anything else.
God
wants to be more important to us than
sport
marriage
friends
job
money
health
awards
. . .
you
name it.
Commandment
number two:
"YOU
SHALL NOT MAKE FOR
YOURSELF
ANY GRAVEN IMAGE"
A
"graven image" is something we can make,
and
then worship.
One
kind of "graven image" many people make
is
a false idea of God.
God
is not Santa Claus,
He
doesn't live in the Land of Fluffy Bunnies.
He
isn't stupid,
He
isn't blind
Or
permissive.
When
people invent God they make a god after their own imagination . . . just like a
"graven image".
Commandment
number three:
"YOU
SHALL NOT TAKE THE
NAME
OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN"
Just
the slightest bit of disrespect is enough
to
break this one.
Some
people, when they are angry,
or
abusive, actually swear with God's Name!
Commandment
number four:
"REMEMBER
THE SABBATH DAY
TO
KEEP IT HOLY"
For
many people, Sunday is just
another
day for work.
Or
they use Sunday for anything but God.
Either
way, they don't respect the day
as
God intended.
Commandment
number five:
"HONOUR
YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER"
There
is no such thing as a perfect child.
Most
parents will know this.
Children
never respect and honour their parents
in
all things . . . so every child,
of
whatever age,
has
broken this commandment
at
some time or other.
Commandment
number six:
"YOU
SHALL NOT MURDER"
Jesus
said hate is much the same as murder.
Very
few people have only thoughts of love
for
everyone
all
their lives.
Even
the odd bit of dislike is enough -
calling
someone a name,
putting
them down . . .
murder
has many shades.
Commandment
number seven:
"YOU
SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY"
Adultery
includes dirty thoughts,
impure
words,
lust
enjoying
immoral things.
Commandment
number eight:
"YOU
SHALL NOT STEAL"
Even
wanting to steal something
is
enough for God,
borrowing
and never returning,
taking
more than you should,
dodging
tax,
petty
theft
'perks'.
Who
hasn't done it now and then?
Commandment
number nine:
"YOU
SHALL NOT LIE"
You
may not tell big, obvious lies
but
sometimes people tell 'half-truths'
or
they don't say all they should,
or
they avoid saying something . . .
or
they are deliberately misleading.
Lies
can come in many different forms.
Commandment
number ten:
"YOU
SHALL NOT COVET"
Coveting
is greediness,
wanting
more than you need,
wanting
the latest, largest, newest . . .
gathering
and amassing,
hoarding.
Everyone
is a little covetous at times.
So
now I saw that I had broken all ten
of
the Ten Commandments.
I
was guilty on ten counts.
A
sinner in God's sight.
Helpless,
weak and hopeless.
Even
if I tried really hard to be good
I
knew I could never meet the standard set by God.
His
Law was perfect - and I was not.
But
God has made a way.
When
Jesus, the Son of God,
died
on the cross,
He
paid the full penalty for my breaking
of
the Ten Commandments.
Now
all I have to do is put my trust in Jesus.
If
I trust in Jesus as my Saviour,
and
live for Him as my Lord,
I
will be saved from the penalty of breaking
the
Ten Commandment -
everlasting
death.
As
soon as I become a follower of Jesus,
God
extends the perfection of His own Son,
and
covers me, with the same perfection.
How
did I become perfect?
By
receiving from God
all
that He in His GREAT LOVE
was
wanting to give.
Bible
texts for your reference :
Commandment
One
Jesus
said "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my
disciple" Luke 14:26 (This is hyperbole. Jesus wanted to grab our attention
by using an expression of high contrast)
Commandment
Two
"You
thought that I was altogether like you; but I will reprove you" Psalm
50:21,22
"Although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God . . . but . . . changed the glory
of the incorruptible God into an image . . ." Romans 1:21 - 23
Commandment
Three
"Understand
you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who
planted the ear, shall he not hear?" Psalm 94:8
"Every
idle word that men shall speak, they will give account of it in the day of
judgement" Matthew 12:36
Commandment
Four
"Bear
no burden on the sabbath day . . . nor do any work, but hallow (respect greatly)
the sabbath day . . ." Jeremiah 17:19-27
Commandment
Five
"(The
wicked) has said in his heart 'God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will
never see it" Psalm 10:11
"
. . .in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus . . .'
Romans 2:16
"He
reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness" Daniel
2:22
Commandment
Six
"Whoever
hates his brother is a murderer" 1John 3:15
"Whoever
says 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire . . . whoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgement" Matthew 5:22
Commandment
Seven
"Whoever
looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in
his heart" Matthew 5:27,28
"Do
not lust after her beauty in your heart" Proverbs 6:25
Commandment
Eight
"For
you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my
youth" Job 13:26
"Remember
now your Creator in the days of your youth . . ." Ecclesiastes 12:1
"Flee
also youthful lusts (desires), . . ." 2 Timothy 2:22
Commandment
Nine
"Behold
you desire truth in the inward parts" Psalm 51:6
"But
the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire
. . ." Revelation 21:8 (Symbolic language, but a clear implication)
Commandment
Ten
"Do
not lay up (hoard) for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal . . ." Matthew 6:19-21
"And
having food and clothing, with these we shall be content" 1 Timothy 6:7,8
THE
HEART
"the
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" Jeremiah 17:9
"And
the Lord saw the wickedness of Man that it was great upon the Earth, and that
every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"
Genesis 6:5
"All
our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6
THE
PRICE IS PAID
"Christ
has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us . .
." Galatians 3:10-14
"But
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities . .
." Isaiah 53:4-6
"For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
(trusts in) Him should not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16
While
the Ten Commandments are still a guide for my life, they no longer condemn me to
death! I will not be punished by the justice of God, although I may be
disciplined by God my heavenly Father. I am free to live for Jesus without guilt
or fear.
"Let us go on to perfection . . ." Hebrews 6:1-3