The Ten Commandment

Every individual or successful people live by setting a set of standards. These rules and regulation help them to acquired or achieve or be in the situation they are in. As believers of Jesus Christ, there are set of rules or instruction that guide us to live the life that our creator want or expect from us. These laws are given by God on mount Sinai.  The instruction of God tells us what to do and what not to do to help us not go the wrong way. As the scriptures says, “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray”. As followers of Christ, the instruction of the lord hep us in many ways and I would like us to share some of them in this article.

• You shall have no other gods before me.

Idolatry is the worship of a cult image as though it were deity. The scripture made it clear that, the lord did not want his people to give their hearts, souls, and minds to anything ahead of him. Nothing is to be placed before the lord. Worshipping other gods gives a false sense of security from a source other than God, who is everywhere, all-powerful, and all-knowing. Since God is the creator of all things, he is the ultimate authority of all things. As the scripture reminds us, “for you shall worship no other god, for the lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God.”

• You shall not make idols.

This instruction as part of the first commandment strictly prohibits us from creating an idol of any kind. Idolatry is sinful, then, not because it violates an arbitrary rule, but because it transforms an individual made in the image of God into the image of a lifeless idol that is itself the work of human hands. As the scripture reminds us “you must not make any idols. Don’t make any statues or picture of anything up in the sky or of anything on the earth or of anything down in the water.”  Because God alone is holy and good and we are his creatures, he deserves all our attention and adoration and trust. Making ourselves idols subject us to demons.

• You shall not take the name of the lord your God in vain.

The word vain means nothing or empty. Saying the name of the lord in vain means saying it unintentionally or in anger, is a mortal sin. Beloved, the lord gave his name out of love and trust. Let’s not abuse it but hold it in our hearts and call upon his name when we need him. His name has the power to cast out demons and scare away evil. This instruction not to take God’s name in vain reminds us that our words, beliefs, actions, and habits reflect an understanding of God to others.

• Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Remember the sabbath day means don’t forget to take a day off. As we all know that, we have six days each week for our ordinary work, but the seventh day is a sabbath day of rest dedicated to the lord our God. God wants us to make Sunday, the sabbath day, feel different from the other days of the week by resting from our normal daily routine and dedicating our thoughts and time to Him. Observing the sabbath show our commitment to honor and worship God and keep our covenants. It will give us an eternal perspective and spiritual strength. The sabbath also allows us to rest from our physical labors and worship the lord.

• Honor your father and your mother.

To honor our parents means, to prize highly, care for, show respect for, and obey them. Beloved, if we love our parents. We will love them, respect them, confide in them, be considerate of them, and express appreciation for them. By honoring our parents, we will fulfill one of God’s core commandments, which deepens our spiritual life. This obedience brings a sense of peace and alignment with God’s will. And also, the bible promises blessings for those who honor their parents. Honoring them also teaches us how to respect that authority and be respected by those we have authority over.

• You shall not murder.

The scripture reminds us “you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment”. Beloved , God values human life highly, and he wants us to value and choose life as well.

• You shall not commit adultery

An adultery was a man who had illicit intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was an adulteress. Adultery was regarded as a great social wrong, as well as a great sin. This law addresses relationships, sexuality, and encompasses both physical and emotional sin. Beloved, our creator told not to commit adultery because it may lead to consequences not suitable for the persons involved and if a child is born due to such actions, he or she does not have the confidence of being a legit child and is always not clear who the father might be. As believers, adultery damages one’s relationship with God as well as with the person to whom we promised to be faithful.

• You shall not steal.

The command against stealing is seen as a natural consequence of the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. The eight commandment protects personal property and teaches us to respect the property of others. Almighty God says, no stealing because, what one person has, has been provided to them by God. And to steal something from them is to steal from God. Beloved, it is good to honestly work and provide for ourself rather than stealing, but it is righteous and good to use what we have been given to help and bless the less fortunate.

• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

The reason we need to be so careful in judging testimony against others is because the damage of a false witness is so bad. As the scripture says, “there are six things that the lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers”.

• You shall not covet

We shall not covet means that we should banish our desires for whatever doesn’t belong to us. Covetousness goes against the nature of God. Covetousness tends to bypass God’s gifts completely, so that they are ignored, despised, and stagnant.

Beloved, being able to read this article will help us to abide by the law of the lord. Thanks for your special day and let’s keep on sharing to others for more updates.