The Ten Commandments are (more or less) known by almost everybody. They have usually been used as the basis of the social contract in most societies. But what are they about? What is the meaning of these commandments?
The Ten Commandments are presented twice in the Bible: in Ex 20:1-17 and in Deut 5:6-21. They are stated using only 120 words in the original text. These commandments form the basis of the Law given by God to man. The first four describe the spiritual laws (God/man relationship) while the remaining six are about relationships between people (of course, even they still have spiritual meaning!). The Ten Commandments are recognized as authoritative by a lot of people, not only by Christians.
Imagine yourself suddenly about to be brought before the most authoritative man in your country. Because you fear this man's power, wouldn't you review your past actions, not wanting him to condemn you for something you did wrong?
Now, do you realize that this man has only limited power, over a little territory, on a small planet, in the middle of the universe?
Now, please realize that ultimately, you will be facing God, God Almighty, who created the universe, who knows everything, who has endless power. How much more fearful of His judgments should you be!
The Ten Commandments help define God's attributes (who He is) - purity, righteousness, holiness, love, light, etc. - as well as show His glory. Attributes contrary to God's cannot stand in His presence, and therefore are prohibited by these commandments. Since the Ten Commandments are an illustration of His attributes, we need to pursue fulfilling them in the spirit.
Take the following test, imagining that you are in the room next to the one where God will meet you very soon. In the following chart, read carefully the column on the left hand side (the biblical commandment), then the column in the middle (application of the commandment), and then answer if you fulfill or break that commandment (your conscience will help you!).
| Commandment | Application | Do you fullfill? |
|---|---|---|
| "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." | Who/what is the center of your life? Who/what has the priority in your life? If money, health, yourself, or anything else comes #1 in your life, then it has taken the place that should be God's. | |
| "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing [...]: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them [...]" | Have you let any object (a good luck charm, rabbit's foot, lucky penny) hold any kind of supernatural power in your life? Have you made for yourself the god that you want to have; have you tried to shape God into how you want Him to be? | |
| "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain." | Are you using God's name as a way to express not-so-godly feelings? Are you using God's name without thinking about who and what it stands for? | |
| "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." | Do you spend time, on a regular basis, getting to know God? Do you keep one day holy, set apart, during the week to think about God? | |
| "Honour thy father and thy mother [...]." | Do you consider your parents to have been given to you by God? Do you consider them as having God-given authority over you? | |
| "Thou shalt not kill." | Have you ever hated someone so much that you wished he/she would die? If so, you have already committed murder in your heart. Any feeling of hatred is murder in your heart. | |
| "Thou shalt not commit adultery." | If you look at someone other than your spouse with lust, you have already committed adultery in your heart. | |
| "Thou shalt not steal." | Have you ever taken something without paying for it, when you were supposed to (even like music or software downloaded off of the Internet)? | |
| "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." | Have you ever lied? Have you ever not told the truth about somebody else? | |
| "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." | Have you ever jealously desired anything from somebody else, wanting what is theirs to be yours? |
If you broke at least one of these commandments, you are a sinner before God, undeserving of God's heaven and presence. Sin is an abomination before God, because it is against His very nature. All who do not obey His commandments are an abomination before Him (Dt 25:16).
The Bible has some terrible news: it says that all people have sinned (sin is breaking God's law), and therefore deserve death and eternal separation from Him.
But the Bible also reveals good news: it talks about the grace and love of God. This grace and love is seen in Jesus Christ, who paid the price for mankind's redemption while they were still sinners, and who freely offers forgiveness for sins. You have only two choices: you will either die and suffer eternal separation from God, or you can accept that Christ died for you and paid the price for your sins.
