Personal comments of Bro. Mark on the Ten Commandments.
Video is available for this study.
Read the Ten Commandments.
Let me begin with these two scriptures:
Mat 5:21-22b “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.’ (22) But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
Jesus compares hating a brother (or sister) without cause to the Sixth Commandment (“you shall not murder”). He said that anyone who does hate his brother or sister is guilty of breaking the Sixth Commandment just as the one who murders is guilty. Thus a person who hates his brother or sister is just as guilty of murder as one who actually murders someone.
Mat 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ (28) But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Here we have a similar situation. If any person lusts sexually for another person that is not his or her spouse, then that person is guilty of breaking the Seventh Commandment (“You shall not commit adultery”). (The Bible is specific, marriage is between a man and a woman (Gen 2:24), not two men or two women, thus this applies to homosexuals as well).
The Commandments:
1. Exo 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
This means no mythical gods or goddesses, Greek, Indian, Roman, no ancestor worship, etc. This applies to humanism, evolution, money, power, prestige, sex, pleasure, houses, land, cars, etc.; it even applies to church buildings. Do not let anyone or anything come between you and God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Trinity. This includes Allah (who is not Yehovah), Muhammad, Buddha, Matreya, Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, the Pope, Mary, your pastor, or anyone else. I have been guilty of committing this sin. For years, my god was doing whatever pleased me; pleasure seeking was my god. I fervently fought against anything that was of the true God.
2. Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; (5) you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.”
This does not say we are not allowed to make photographs, statues, paintings, etc. It says not to bow down to any image and worship it. This includes making God in your own image. What I mean by that is making God conform to your idea of Who He should be. For example, some people say their god is a god of love thus He would never send anyone to hell. The truth is, people will go to hell, but God does not send people to Hell; He allows them to go there by their own choice. Your image of God may be that it is OK with Him for you to have sex outside of marriage because we live in “modern times.” Anything that changes God into what you want Him to be instead of what He truly is according to His own words in the Bible is breaking the second Commandment. Of course we can also make a god of our job, money, power, prestige, pleasure, buildings, things, sex, etc. I have committed this sin. I have made God fit into the box I put Him in instead of worshipping Him as the true God he really is.
3. Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”
The most common form of this is using God’s Name as an expletive, that is, as a curse‑word or cuss‑word (sic). That is extremely common in the general population, and certainly in Hollywood movies. Additionally, swearing to God, when the oath is not meant is taking the Lord’s Name in vain. Making a promise in God’s name and not following through on it is taking His name in vain. Using His Name loosely is taking His Name in vain. Accusing God of evil or wrongdoing is taking His Name in vain. Swearing to tell the truth “So help me, God,” in a court of law and then lying is taking His Name in vain. Vain and vanity mean empty and emptiness. Vain also means worthless, base, senseless, and foolish. Speaking of God arrogantly, foolishly, worthlessly, senselessly, or baselessly is taking His Name in vain. Claiming to be saved by God’s grace, when that is not true is taking His name in vain. Making the statement, “I swear to God” and not really meaning it, or to cover up a lie is taking the Lord’s Name in vain. Using exclamations like “O my God!” or “OMG!” to express an emotion like excitement, surprise, pleasure, frustration, etc., is taking the Lord’s Name in vain. As one can see, there are many ways to take the Lord’s Name in Vain. I have broken this commandment. I have used His name as an expletive. I have used it loosely. I have broken promises made in His Name.
4. Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
I have said and have written in posts on this blog that when we take one day in seven to dedicate to God is honoring the Sabbath day. Through my studies, I have very recently come to the understanding that honoring the Sabbath does not mean taking one day in seven to honor Him, but that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath and we should set aside that particular day to honor Him. However, I still believe that a person who must work on Sunday should set aside another day to honor God. I have certainly broken this commandment on many occasions. I have taken this commandment too lightly in the past; therefore, I will try in the future never to do that again.
5. Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother.”
Regarding our elders with honor means to respect them for their experience and wisdom. Not only does this apply to disobedience to parents when we are children and adolescents, it includes honoring them throughout our lives; it also includes caring for your parents in their old age. I have broken this commandment; at times I have dishonored my parents.
6. Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
Based on Mat 5:21-22b (above) I have broken this commandment because I have hated others in my heart.
7. Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
Based on Mat 5:27-28 (above) I have broken this commandment because I have lusted after women other than my wife.
8. Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.
Have you ever taken anything that belonged to another? This includes your employer. If you have even taken a paper clip or a pen without your employer’s permission, you have broken this commandment. If you have used pirated software or software you have not paid for, you have broken this commandment. If you have ever cheated on your taxes, you have broken this commandment. I have broken this commandment; I have done many of these things.
9. Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Who is your neighbor? According to the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luk 10:30-37), all people are our neighbors. There is more to this commandment than lying about a person on the witness stand. This means lying about anyone else or to anyone else for malicious purposes. It includes gossip. It also includes lying for personal gain. Any lie that hurts another is covered by this commandment. I have certainly broken this commandment. I have gossiped and told lies about others.
10. Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s [things]”
Let us define coveting. Merriam Webster definition: “to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another’s property.” Another meaning is envy. This goes much farther than “keeping up with the Jonses,” though that truly is a form of coveting; it is envy. It means to wrongfully desire something to the extent that you will steal it or do something dishonest to get it or an item similar to it. An example is a person selling drugs or another illegal product in order to buy a car like the next door neighbor has. Lusting after the spouse of another is also a form of coveting. I have broken this commandment. I have had inordinate desire for the things of another.
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Let me say that there are times when the word ‘covet’ is used for a good thing. For example, Paul said we should earnestly covet the best Spiritual gifts. We should covet that all will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We should covet righteousness. The commandment is not to covet wrongfully.
I did not claim to have broken these commandments vaingloriously, or to brag; I wanted to show that I am not claiming to be better than others. I have broken all of these at one time or another. I daresay that most of you have broken them as well. We are into the same boat, so to speak. Even though I have broken them, Jesus Christ died a horrible death in my place. My belief in Him and His work at the cross has allowed God the Father to forgive my sins and cast them as far as the east is from the west. In other words Yehovah God found me not guilty of those sins. I hope you have trusted Christ to remove your sins. If not, go and read Plain Talk From the Pastor.
