A Fresh And New Way Of Looking At God's Ten Commandments

Keeping The Ten Commandments By Letting The Holy
Spirit Transform Them Into Ten Principles Of Life.

The editor of a weekly newspaper in a small Southwestern town was hard put one week for copy to fill a column. So he had an associate editor typeset The Ten Commandments, and ran then without making any editorial comment. Three days after the paper was published, he received a letter saying: "Please cancel my subscription. You're getting too personal."

Maybe that's the real reason people are up in arms against posting The Ten Commandments in classrooms, courtrooms, living rooms, bedrooms and hearts throughout our nation. Perhaps there are a lot of individuals who feel that these ten divine rules to live by are way too personal and painfully cut to the quick each time they read them.

WHY EVEN CHRISTIANS DON'T LIKE COMMANDMENTS

C-O-M-A-N-D-M-E-N-T. An unpopular word in today's adult and youth vocabulary and culture of rebellion. So, instead of understanding the purpose of these Ten Commandments and the other commandments found in both Old and New Testaments, both nonbelievers and  immature and nongrowing Christians reject all authoritative orders by stating that they are no longer under Old Testament law, so they can do what they want to do as long as they go to church and/or accept Jesus as their Savior. In a sense, they have actually accepted The Lie of Satan (Genesis 3:1-13).

Jesus Christ declared that He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He did just that. He's the only one who never sinned, thus He fulfilled the Law's requirements. As hard as we try, you and I can't. So everyone who accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord is declared righteous. In a sense God declares, "Because you accept My sinless Son as Your Savior I deem that you have fulfilled the Law as well. I now accept you as My son or daughter--not because of your righteousness or unrighteousness, but because you have made Jesus Christ your personal Savior.

THINK OF GOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS AS GOD'S TEN ULTIMATE VALUES

The Ten Commandments of God are listed in Exodus 20. These ten commandments represent so much more than oppressive, unreasonable, undoable and antiquated rules. These ten rules actually reveal the ten things God values more than anything else in the universe--ten invaluable and priceless things that have to do with Him and His human creations.

God's Ten Commandments actually reveal His Ten Ultimate Values And Absolutes!

GOD'S TEN ULTIMATE VALUES:

God's Ultimate Value #1. Himself.
You shall have no other gods before Me (verse 3).

God's Ultimate Value #2. His Character.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven or on earth...You shall not bow down to them or worship them (verses 4-6).

God's Ultimate Value #3. His Name.
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name (verse 7).

God's Ultimate Value #4. His Day.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (verses 8-11).

Ultimate Value #5. Parents.
Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD is giving you (verse 12).

God's Ultimate Value #6. Human Life.
You shall not murder (verse 13).

God's Ultimate Value #7. Moral Purity.
You shall not commit adultery (verse 14).

God's Ultimate Value #8. Private Property.
You shall not steal (verse 15).

God's Ultimate Value #9. Truth & Integrity.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (verse 16).

God's Ultimate Value #10. Internal & External Restraint System.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house...your neighbor's wife...or anything that belongs to your neighbor (verse 17).

FROM COMMANDMENTS TO VALUES TO PRINCIPLES

Unlike that irate newspaper subscriber, there's no reason to cancel  a growing and maturing relationship with God because He seems too personal and asks you to keep His unkeepable commandments. Just let Him transform your mind and show you that these ten commandments are actually His ten ultimate values. Then, don't be surprised when He eventually changes these ten ultimate values into ten natural and doable principles of life.

What's the difference between a commandment and a principle?  A commandment is an authoritative order. A principle is "a natural or original desire, tendency, ability, endowment, or motivation." Thus, the commandment "Thou shalt not steal" automatically becomes "I will not steal," and so forth.

That's how powerful the Holy Spirit will be in your life if you let Him!