When god finished the physical work of
creation He was able to stand back and evaluate
his work. Notice what he told us in Genesis the
first chapter and verse 31: "then God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good." The Bible is not talking about just any
God in this passage. It was talking about the God of creation
as described in this book the Bible. How can you know this God, and can you
know that you know Him. According to the Bible
the answer is a resounding yes. "Now by this we know that we know Him, if
we keep His commandments. He who says "I know Him and does not keep His
commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever
keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in
him. By this we know that we are in Him."
The New Bible Commentary Revised tells us this about this passage:
"Next comes a test by which men can know whether, in spite of their failures,
they are in right relationship with God and walking in fellowship with Him.
The test is whether they keep His commandments. It is impossible for men who really know God to be unaffected in their daily living by this knowledge."
This very mainstream commentary goes on then to elaborate on verse 4.
"The man who claims to have this knowledge but disobeys his commandments,
John says forthrightly, is a liar. He underlines this with the addition, the
truth is not in him." Love is defined
by the commandments. Remember John is known as the apostle of love
and he tells us: "By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love god and keep His commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome." The Ten Commandments have long been
acclaimed as the ultimate moral standard for mankind.
These ten simple rules separate right from wrong,
teaching us how to obey and love our Creator,
as well as how to treat our fellow man. These ten rules set
so high a standard that even when falling short
those nations who have sought to implement them as founding principles
have reaped immense rewards from doing so.
Yet today we see the Ten Commandments being attacked, ridiculed,
and all too often ignored altogether. Are these laws archaic and destined to fade
into memory as a relic of ideals from a less progressive time? You may be
surprised to discover the depth of wisdom found in these laws. That 10
commandments given several millennia ago could not only be relevant today, but
necessary for success in our relationship with those around us
as well as with the Eternal. Throughout this program I
along with four additional Tomorrow's World presenters, each of whom have spent
decades studying these commands, as well as teaching them as a way of life,
will go through each of these 10 remarkable laws asking
"Is there more to the commandments?" You shall have no other gods before me.
We begin with the first commandment, for without it the remaining
commandments carry no authority. If the Eternal is not God, then what does
it matter what He expects from us in the subsequent commands. The first commandment reads: "you shall
have no other gods before me." In his definitive work on the topic the
late Roderick C. Meredith describes the implications. "How then, does the first commandment
apply to you? I am the LORD your God the Creator
states. Is the God of creation-- the God of Israel the God of the Bible
really your God whom you serve and obey? Or have you
conjured up your own false "god" or "gods"? Or are you falsely worshiping according
to the traditions of men which Jesus said would cause you to
worship God in vain? Have you put something else in place of
God? Is your time, your interest, your service
taken up more with something other than the true God?
What idol have you placed between yourself and the true God,
studying His word, and living by it? "You shall not make for yourself a carved
image." Many fail to see the distinction between the first two commands,
not realizing that the first tells us whom to worship,
while the second tells us how. Gerald Weston describes the importance. Most people only have a vague idea of
what the Ten Commandments actually say. Hardly anyone can name all ten in order.
But, if they can, it's the abbreviated version.
For example, here's the way they begin I am the lord your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall
have no other gods before Me. Number two: You shall not make for
yourself a carved image-- any likeness of anything that is in the
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that
is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve
them. But look what happens when the first two
are combined and only the abbreviated form is given.
All you have left is: You shall have no other gods before Me.
What is left out is God's instructions not to
use images or idols in the worship of God.
By combining them and only the abbreviated version is given,
one effectively does away with the command against idols.
Now is it too cynical to ask the question, which denominations combine the
first and second and which do not? The iconoclastic
controversy, the argument over whether images and idols could be used in
christian worship, raged off and on for centuries.
Eventually the most dominant forms of professing Christianity
accepted statues and their worship while a smaller portion did not. And
depending on which side of the controversy
a denomination came down on determined how
they listed the commandments. The evidence is there for
anyone to see that those who use statues in their worship
obscure and diminish the second command. "You shall not take the name of the lord
your God in vain." Part of worshiping God is holding him in
high esteem and showing the proper reverence
towards the One who created all things. This includes
how we use His name. What does it mean to take God's name in
vain? Exodus chapter 20 records the account of
God listing for the nation of Israel, and by extension all of mankind, his Ten
Commandments. The third is detailed in verse seven: "You
shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain;
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name
in vain." biblestudytools.com provides this list of synonyms for vain:
empty, foolish, useless, another word often
substituted by translators for vain is deceit. Emptiness and deceit
perfectly describe the two primary ways individuals break the third commandment Emptiness. God's name is meant to be
spoken with reverence. It's not simply an exclamation we cry
out when we stub our toe or hear surprising news.
The term "oh my God" is used with reverence throughout scripture.
But how many today use the phrase without giving a split second of thought
to the Being whose name they are invoking?
This is also true if we use God's name to curse or swear.
Deceit. Often the name of God is invoked as a method of projecting authority.
When one presents themselves as a representative or minister of Jesus
Christ, when one distorts or misrepresents the
clear instruction inspired by God in scripture,
yet claimed to be speaking in his name, They are taking His name
in vain. "And Jesus answered and said to them: "
Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come
in My name saying I am the Christ, and will deceive many." God reveals many
facets of His character and personality through the use of various names in
scripture. When we use those names without the proper reverence
or when we usurp His authority by claiming to speak in His name,
yet teaching contrary to His word, we are guilty of taking His name
in vain and thus breaking the third commandment. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
This command seems straightforward enough
and yet the majority who profess to keep it do so on a different day than ancient
Israel did. The late Rod King explains this
discrepancy: Which day was the Sabbath day? It was the
seventh day. It was the seventh day Sabbath, or as we
would call it today, Saturday. Would He change His observance
to Sunday if He came back today? "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today,
and forever." Jesus Christ was the God of the Old
Testament who gave the Ten Commandments to Israel.
And the fourth of those commandments is what?
It says "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.
For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth,
the sea and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. When you read the bible you do not have
to read very far to find it teaches that there was one
day and seven that was to be treated differently
from other days of the week. "And on the seventh day
God ended His work which he had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all
His work which he had done. Then God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His
work which God had created and made."
History bears out that the seven day sequence Israel
started to keep that year at Sinai has been continuously preserved. So the
seventh day of the week as identified in exodus 20 is the day we
call Saturday today. To learn more about today's topic visit
twcanada.org. "Honor your father and mother." The first
four commandments teach us how to love God.
The fifth teaches us how to love Him as well as our physical parents.
Richard Ames and Gerald Weston describe the benefits of doing so. Do you believe what Jesus said? Today the Ten Commandments are under
attack. But the savior of the world taught them.
As we continue this program we'll see how the Ten Commandments apply in the
21st century, and how they can help you and your
family. These commandments describe God's law of
love. If everyone kept the fifth commandment
societies and nations would experience stable
and happy families. Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. This desire on the part of young people
to cast off parental restraints leaves them vulnerable to making costly
mistakes. As adults we have all been there,
and we have learned some hard and painful lessons.
Oftentimes we find ourselves slaves to habits we acquired in our youth.
It is our desire to save our children from the same bondage and pain.
But they may not listen to us any better than we listen to our parents.
So the cycle of pain and suffering from enslavement to bad decisions is repeated
in one generation after another. Even many adults think that freedom
comes from loosening of restraints. Of an attitude that says "don't let
anyone tell you what to do." This often has the exact opposite effect.
This is the kind of enslavement from which Jesus proclaimed:
"The truth would set us free." Children obey your parents in the LORD for
this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is
the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may
live long on the earth. "You shall not murder." For most this seems
like an easy command. When we understand the spiritual
component, this becomes a vital area where I'm sure we could all
use improvement. Matthew chapter 5 makes this clear: "You have heard that it was said to those
of old, You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of
the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry
with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." In the free booklet what is a true
christian the late Dr. Roderick C Meredith outlines the
morality-the way of life- required by anyone wishing to truly take
up the title of Christian. "You will not only refrain from
committing murder but will carefully guard your mind against even
entertaining murderous thoughts of hatred or violence against your neighbor."
Sadly even today there are many who look down on those of other ethnicities.
Like God, we should show no partiality. Near the end of his life, John was
inspired to include in his first epistle: "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer."
Few would argue that murder is a sin. Hatred is also a sin,
as is racial hatred. "You shall not commit adultery." God
devotes an entire commandment to protect the sanctity of marriage,
encouraging both husband and wife to work towards building a strong family.
Rod King describes one example of a healthy marriage.
Have you made the commitment until death do us part?
Let me tell you of a couple that I know. Some years ago, I was pastoring a
congregation in Melbourne, Australia. I was impressed with a couple who had
considered that they had both come from broken marriage families. This became a
catalyst to make their commitment to marriage for life
a top priority. Now, about 40 years later, they're still
together and happy. Notice what god says about
divorce: "You cover the altar of the LORD with
tears, with weeping and crying; so He does not regard the offering
anymore. . . . Yet you say: For what reason?
Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth,
with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion
and your wife by covenant. For the LORD God of Israel
says that He hates divorce. Why? Because divorce fractures and tears
families apart. Children are too often the innocent
victims of the selfishness and the immaturity of one parent or both
parents. There are no winners in divorce. Do you
realize how many people depend on a successful marriage? It's not
just the man and woman. It's also the children, grandparents,
uncles and aunts, even neighbors. The whole society has to pay for broken
marriages with single parent funding more accommodation and government
support for child care. We've talked about commitment, but what
about trust? We know that God not only created
the laws of physics but also gave us spiritual laws for our
protection and happiness. You shall not commit
adultery is a powerful protector of marriages and
families. The Ten Commandments have been ridiculed
and scoffed at, but for those who break them, they and
their families will be broken by the heartache
and the sorrow that often follows. To learn more about today's topic visit
twcanada.org. "You shall not steal." There is a common
saying that possession is nine tenths of the law.
Even our modern society sees value in this command.
Yet few realize the far-reaching implications if this command were truly
followed. Imagine for a moment what would happen
if just one of the Ten Commandments was adhered to around the globe.
If the world were to observe "You shall not steal"
how much would change overnight? Billions of dollars currently spent on
security could be repurposed into aiding our
fellow human beings. How much time would you save not having
to try to create and remember dozens of passwords to
access any of your private information. How much stress would be relieved
knowing that your possessions are secure. "You shall not bear false witness." You
would be amazed at the long-term damage that a so-called little white lie can
inflict. Gerald Weston relates a story of how
such a lie altered the course of a family member's life. I often tell people a story of my Uncle
George and how he started down the road to become a staunch atheist.
When he was five years old his mother, my grandmother,
told him one day to go out and look for the eggs the rabbits had laid.
Even at this early age he knew that rabbits didn't lay eggs
because my grandmother raised rabbits for sale.
He immediately protested "rabbits don't lay eggs"
and she replied "Georgie, if you look real hard
you'll find them." As he explained to me a couple years before his death
he really did look but didn't find any and he went back into the house and with
disgust told her "mother you lied to me, rabbits
don't lay eggs." And that's when he began to question the Christian religion.
Why is it that Christians lie to their children about such things when the
ninth commandment tells us "You shall not bear false witness"? "You shall not covet." It may seem harsh to
have a law against a type of thought, yet greed is such a destructive force
that God deemed it necessary to include this vital commandment. Gerald
Weston shows how much we have been given and that most still want more. The great God of creation put us on this
beautiful earth and gave us an abundance of natural
resources: fertile lands, rivers and streams,
small ponds and deep blue lakes. He also gave us a mind to invent and
build and we have learned a great variety of
ways to feed clothe and house ourselves. Some people have far more than they need
but, sadly, they think they need more and are never
satisfied. The One who created us understands this
human weakness and so his tenth commandment contains
these simple words: "You shall not covet your neighbor's
house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
nor his male servant, nor his female servant,
nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
In Luke the 12th chapter and verse 15. "Take heed and beware of covetousness for
one's life does not consist in the abundance
of the things he possesses." Isn't it interesting how most people profess to
know that money does not make for happiness
but they live as though they live just the opposite.
While few would argue against the benefits of God's law
many professing Christians believe that Jesus died so that we would no longer
have to follow such commands. They often point to the writings of Paul
in an attempt to defend their position. The ten commandments as found in exodus
chapter 20 make up the core of god's law. Let's see
which ones Paul instructed to be kept 1
Corinthians 6:9 "Do you not know
that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers . . . nor thieves, nor covetous . . . will inherit the kingdom of God. Five
commandments are listed here, understanding that to break the second
on idolatry is to break the first as well, having no gods before the true God. Now the works of the flesh are evident,
which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries . . .
Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Several are listed again here with the additional inclusion of murder,
bringing us to six. But now you yourselves
are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of
your mouth. Do not lie to one another . . . That brings us
to eight. Children obey your parents in the LORD
for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, which
is the first commandment with promise. Now at nine we shall see one more
commandment taught through his example. And he reasoned
in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews
and Greeks. He kept the seventh-day Sabbath-
Saturday. Thus we see that the apostle Paul
strongly taught that all of the Ten Commandments are still in force.
He taught this to both Jew and gentile. That Jesus loved the Ten Commandments is
evident throughout the gospels. He had very strong words for those who
would say that they are obsolete or unnecessary for Christians to follow. Anyone who tells you that you can get
rid of one of these commandments is devaluing all of them. "Whoever
therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so,
shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;
but whoever does and teaches them he shall be great in the kingdom of heaven.
During the olivet prophecy Jesus warned that his name would be used to spread a
dangerous false religion. "Take heed that no one
deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I
am the Christ, and will deceive many. God's law is a perfect law. His law was
not created without purpose. It describes a better way of life
personified by Jesus himself. Those who believe the law was replaced
with love failed to see that the Ten Commandments are a perfect law
of love. You can reap the blessings of an
abundant life by applying Christ's instruction. The first four of the Ten Commandments
show us how to love God, and the last six commandments show us
how to love our neighbors. My friends you need to study the Ten
Commandments and you need to teach them to your
children. Just think, if any nation
just kept one of the commandments their whole society would change
remarkably. Truly God's law is a perfect law,
a law of liberty, and a law of love. You need to study the spiritual
application of the Ten Commandments in your life. Be sure to visit our website which will
be shown on the screen momentarily where you can read or download our
inspiring booklet the Ten Commandments. This booklet will
help you and your children learn God's true way
of love and life. While the nations of the world
are unlikely to turn to God's Ten Commandments as a path to modern
morality, you can still reap the benefits of
abiding by these living laws in your day-to-day life. To learn more about today's topic visit
twcanada.org at our website you can also watch this
and many more Tomorrow's World programs.
