We left off yesterday trembling in the spectacular of the giving of the 10 Commandments. The presentation was spectacular, but keeping them would be pretty day-in, day-out nitty gritty.

A friend of mine told me one day that now that we are under grace, the law doesn’t apply. I said, “Of the Ten, which is not worth keeping today?” The only one he could come up with was the fourth – the Sabbath. I said, “So you want to work all the time? Not take a weekly break?” Keeping the law isn’t for earning salvation or favor with God, but which of the Ten would you want to break?

Just 10. Do you know what they are? If not, or if you want an easy way to remember and teach them, here is a version I learned from John Schmidt, now pastor of CenterPoint Fellowship Church in Prattville, Alabama. I don’t know whether these are original with John or if he borrowed them. Just 33 words:

1. No other gods
2. No idols
3. Honor God’s name
4. Honor God’s day
5. Honor your parents
6. Don’t take your neighbor’s life
7. Don’t take your neighbor’s wife
8. Don’t take your neighbor’s stuff
9. Don’t lie
10. Don’t covet

(You can read the “official version” in Exodus 20.) It’s a good list, but it’s not complete. More tomorrow.

Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. (Deuteronomy 4.12, 13, ESV)

[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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5.17 – 19, ESV)