Final Thoughts

So what does all of this mean? These Commandments were established in a desert before Israel ever got to the promised land. Have you read Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy? There are so many rules and regulations. Things like don’t eat meat and cheese together. Don’t wear mixed fabrics. All these seemingly ridiculous rules that we definitely don’t follow today. So where do we draw the line between rules to follow and rules to throw away? Where does the old covenant end and the new covenant begin, and where is the overlap? 

Now I’d like to transition to talking a bit more about the Ten Commandments as a whole.

My church has developed a statement of faith regarding the Ten Commandments, it reads; “The Ten Commandments were known and obeyed by faithful people before the law was given at Sinai. Later incorporated into the new covenant by the example and teaching of Christ, the Commandments constitute the basic moral code for humanity and are obeyed to demonstrate the believer’s love for God and his fellow man.”

Jesus’s purpose on earth was to fulfill the requirements of the law. So while he was here he wanted to elaborate on some of the most important pieces of the law. Jesus needed to emphasize that the Jews were slipping into dangerous territory with their customs, rituals, and rules. 

Some may argue that they were beginning to worship the religion rather than God. So Jesus needed to clear up the water. Put God first. Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. All your being. But don’t forget to love God’s creation too. We were all created to worship Him and we need to show the love He has for us with other people. You can’t properly love if you also hate. The main focus is your relationship with God, and your relationship with man. Therefore the whole reason for the law and everything the prophets were referring to, can all be boiled down to a relationship problem between God and man.

 As we went through each Command and compared Jesus’ thoughts you will notice each one gets significantly harder to keep. Any one of us can look at the Ten Commandments and say, I keep all of them so I am good. But Jesus says, wait a minute, what if it wasn’t just about murder or adultery or stealing? What if it was about your thoughts and where your heart is at? What if I were to tell you that every single sin highlighted in the Ten Commandments starts in your heart and thoughts? The heart is the root of all our actions. 

Jesus was noticing that the Jews were following the law really well, almost too well. They had everything down to a science, so much so that they had people always watching for a law to be broken. But they never really got the point. They did what they were told to do, but did they truly understand the meaning of the law? Did they truly follow the Commands? Or did they just say what they had to to avoid being stoned? 

Jesus mentions in Matthew chapter 15 they are so set on following it to the point where they made the consequence of disobedience death, but they twist their words just right and it suddenly becomes okay. In doing so they end up contradicting themselves, and ruining the whole point of the law. 

As Christians we are called to stand out from the crowd. We are called to love differently than others. One of the ways we are called to do this is through keeping Jesus’ interpretation of the law. Found back in Matthew 22, the greatest commandment Love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love people.We do this because we now have the Holy Spirit guiding us. Galatians chapter 5 summarizes the difference between a life reflective of the world and a life reflective of the Spirit;

“Living by the Spirit’s Power:

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. 

These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” Galatians 5:16-26

Jesus also referred to the difference of a Spirit driven life versus a flesh driven life in Matthew Chapter 12; “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. “Matthew 12:33‭-‬35 

Here we can see that the heart is where sin starts so we must get our heart right with God first in order to live a Christ-like life.

Some say that the law of Moses was meant for the Israelites and does not apply to the Gentiles. However, if you have accepted Christ as your savior, you have been accepted into the family of God, and therefore are like the Jews, in that you have become a child of God and must obey his commands. As it says in Ephesians and Romans; Ephesians 2:19 “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.” 

Romans 2:26‭, ‬28‭-‬29 “And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.” So according to these verses, we as gentiles are encouraged to follow God’s laws. These verses emphasize that it is a change of heart and a desire to praise God, rather than following the law that is what makes us a part of God’s family. 

The following passage describes the relationship we as believers are to have with one another under the new covenant. 

“For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:14-16‬ 

Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in Him. They stumbled over the proverbial rock in their path.‬ ‭Consequently, the law became a stumbling block rather than a blessing. 

So with all of that being said let’s talk about the shift from the old covenant to the new covenant. We know that the mark of a believer is the gift of the Spirit. But what is the difference? The following passages explain the change from the old law to the new law.

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:1-18‬ “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. 

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. 

Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.”

He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 

But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. 

And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.” Hebrews‬ ‭10:1-18‬ ‭

Let’s also look at Galatians 2:16-21

“Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 

Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This passage embraces the idea that the law showed just how sinful our flesh can be, because despite all our futile efforts, no one can be righteous on their own. But with Christ we have died to our sinful flesh and no longer are bound to the sinful ways highlighted in the old law. 

As it also mentions in Romans 8:1-6

‘So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.‘ Romans 8:1-6

Because we live a life led by the Spirit we are no longer controlled by our sinful flesh but now we can allow the Spirit to lead our thoughts and our minds. We are no longer bound to the law but rather freed by grace.

Galatians 3:19-29 begs the question;

“Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 

Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? 

Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. 

Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.” Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus did not set out to destroy the construct of the law, which is what the Pharisees thought. Rather his intention was to restore the true meaning and purpose of the law. “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” Matthew 5:17-18 The old covenant was put in place to showcase our need for a savior. It showed how we will never be righteous on our own. Christ came to fulfill the need for a permanent sacrifice and allow us to claim Christ’s righteousness instead of our own. So were the Ten Commandments abolished along with the old covenant? I believe they were not abolished but rather enhanced. We are now able to look at the Ten Commandments as a way to please God in our efforts to live a life led by the Spirit. Obedience to the Ten Commandments is that outward symbol of an inward commitment to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love others as we love ourselves. Jesus says multiple times, if you love me, keep my commands.

‘If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command… This is my command: Love each other. ‘ John 15:9-12, 17

Jesus demonstrated how we are to live our lives while he was on earth. A life blameless and full of love. So we are to imitate Christ in our lives as well. Really the commandments give us a guideline for how to treat those around us. The most important thing a Christian can do to demonstrate Christ, is to love those around us. The commandments are there to give us parameters on how to love others. Therefore we are to set aside the desires of the flesh and allow the Spirit to lead us and to influence our thoughts and actions. Colossians 3:1-3 says “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

So let us go forth and live a life that demonstrates Christ, setting our minds on Kingdom things and following the Spirit’s leading in our life.