The Ten Commandments. What do they really mean to you?
The Ten Commandments. What do they mean to you? Law? A chain around your neck? Something long since passed away? Something on the court house wall to be debated?
Having attended church almost my entire life you would think I knew the Ten Commandments by now. I recently read them again, but it seemed to be for the first time for some strange reason. In the back of my mind I thought reading the Ten Commandments would be like reading Leviticus. Sure, a good and noble thing to do, but why? (not to mention boring). I could not have been more wrong!
I am not sure at what stage the Ten Commandments became 'law' in my mind. I have had the idea in the back of my head that the Ten Commandments are the old law but we are under grace now. I am referring to the Ten Commandments, not the Levitical law. The Levitical law is more complex than today's NFL rules and regulations.
I always realized that you had to obey the last six commandments, which are the ones always quoted and readily remembered. (Thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, steal, etc.) That was kind of obvious, but for 'the rest of the story', it was all ancient law, and we are now under grace. At least that was my perception. It is the perception I hear a lot, so I am not alone in this.
I am not sure how the church justifies differenciating between grace and law. Oh I know all the scriptures to prove that point of view of a 'grace covering' that somehow super-cedes law, believe me.
Let us sit back and consider a few things. The Ten Commandments were given in Moses' time, yes, but they were with us from the beginning also. Cain would not have been guilty of murder if the law had not been there already. That alone is proof that the Ten Commandments were with us from the beginning. Another example is that God declared the Sabbath for rest after six days of creation, which took place long before Moses' time.
The thing that came to me while reading and contemplating God's commandments, is that they are only 'law' to those who do not know Him. When you know the Father, His commandments are life, not law. They are a delight, not grievous. They are easy, not a burden.
You do not 'obey' them in order to be saved, you keep them because you are saved! The accuser is so good at twisting things! It is a privilege to keep the Father's commands. It is an honor to keep the Father's commands. It is LIFE to keep the Father's commands. His commands are not a burden, and they are not grievous.
The Pharisies of old are a perfect example of an institution that did not know the Father. They made it a burden and a yoke to be shackled to.
Jesus gave sight to the blind on the Sabbath, and on purpose. He healed the sick and the lame all the time, so how would resting for one day change things? He did it to prove a point to the religious leaders of the day is why. "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" was His reply when accused of breaking the law.
There seems to be two sides to this discussion, as always. One side says you have to 'obey' the law in order to be saved. That side includes ancient judaism, ALL pagan religions and a few modern denominational institutions also.
The other side says that we are under grace, so we do not need to obey the law. That side includes most of today's protestant institutions (No matter how 'scripturally sound' they state it, that is the essence of it)
Neither side sees the Father's commands as anything but law to be obeyed or to be escaped by grace. What a grievous state of affairs we are in!
Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV)
Let's read that again: "...Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven..."
That says two things to me. One: Keeping the commandments is NOT what gets you to heaven. To those who would teach obeying law for justification of sin, there you have it, and from the mouth of the Messiah. Secondly it tells me that not only should I keep them all, I should encourage everyone to do the same. I do not want to be called 'Least', I want to be help close to His bosom.
Friends, YHWH's commandments are not law to be dreaded, but commandments to be kept. They are life, they are liberty, and they are the pursuit of happiness! Do not let anyone turn them into a law in your heart, either by teaching them to be obeyed on pain of judgment, or water them down to some sort of ancient agreement that is passed.
"Father, teach me your ways that I might know You. Dispel all deceptions that would hinder me. Thank you for your commands. Thank you for loving me so much that you considered me important enough to even write them in stone, and even more so to write them on the tablet of my heart. Forgive me for any thoughts I have had that your wonderful commands are a law or a burden, and forgive me for ever teaching such a thing to the least of anyone who crossed my path."
|
|
Author: goodnews
Location: Fitzwilliam New Hampshire USA
Gender: Male
Age: 51
Blog Entries: 25 (archive)
Blog Comments: 83
i was born in bangor maine, usa in 1958. my parents went on the mission field in south africa in 1964 where my younger brother peter and i were raised. my parents have both gone on to be with the lord now. i live in southern new hampshire with my...
view full biography
i live in new hampshire with my wife rebbecca and our son caleb. we are a family of the kingdom of god. becky got saved late in life, i was raised as a missionary kid in africa and got saved very young. caleb also got saved very young. we love...
view full testimony
Are you a patriot or a ch...
I Had A Dream...
A Royal Priesthood, who i...
Do you blame yourself abo...
Life as a highway, which ...
A Pilgrims search for the...
Who or what are you looki...
Shepherding God's way...
Giving, how God keeps the...
Withstanding the Storm fo...
|
Log Into Chatroom 
