Ten of the laws which God gave to Moses on Horeb were written upon two tablets of stone. These are recorded twice in the Bible:
The first four commandments concern respect for God, and the last six
Most of the ten commandments are drawn from a basic or common morality that has always existed, both before the ten commandments were given, and since the ten commandments were abolished. This basic morality, which originated with God, is expressed to some extent in most systems of law, including Australian law. We would all be very surprised indeed if it were lacking in the law of Moses, not to mention
It is important, however, not to confuse this common morality with the ten commandments themselves. They are not the basic morality itself, they are not even the basis of the law of Moses, and they are certainly not the basis of Christianity (as so many people mistakenly think). These three "nots" are developed in this lesson to help us
The ten commandments, whilst they are an important part of the Bible, are not by any means the basic law of God as many people consider them to be. We certainly do not live by the ten commandments today, for under them we would be condemned! Paul called the ten commandments "the ministry of death" (2Co 3:7) so they obviously are not the
1~I am the Lord your God
you shall have no other gods
2~You shall not make
or worship an idol
3~You shall not take in vain
the name of the Lord your God
4~Observe the Sabbath day
to keep it holy
5~Honour your father
and your mother
6~You shall not murder
7~You shall not commit adultery
8~You shall not steal
9~You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbour
10~You shall not covet your
neighbour’s wife or possessions
A ministry of condemnation instead of salvation
In 2 Co 3:7-18 Paul speaks of the law that was "engraved on tablets of stone" at the time when Moses’s face shone. So we know that he refers to the ten commandments in particular. Note Paul’s descriptions of
We all break the 4th commandment to keep the seventh day. Notice that we cannot adjust this law to our liking by rewording it as "one day in seven". The law as God gave it clearly says "the seventh" day
Either
You and I need to think about each of those options carefully, and in our minds' eye tick one,
The ten commandments would be "decrees against us" if Christ had not abolished them and replaced them with "the law of Christ"
The ten commandments draw from, and express, several elements from a common or basic morality that was revealed by God to all the world from creation
Jesus said the law of Moses was based on two commandments
The first four of the ten commandments are based on love for God, a commandment found elsewhere in the law of Moses
The basis of Christianity is faith in Christ the Son of God, and a reliance upon his death and blood as a sacrifice for our sins, together with his resurrection and ascension to God’s right hand that he might intercede for us