A few weeks ago, we studied the 10 Commandments in BSF. Since I have been a Christian for a long time, I am pretty familiar with the 10 Commandments. I have also studied Jesus’ explanation of some of the commandments in Matthew 5, which points out that these commandments are not just about our external behavior, but also about our heart attitudes. But this time around, I was even more convicted about different ways in which I break the 10 Commandments, and how meditating on the 10 Commandments at this time of year emphasizes the importance of the work Christ came to do for me.
I would challenge anyone to convince me that they have kept the 10 Commandments. I’ve certainly broken all of them: I have put other people and things before God, I have failed to worship God rightly, I have misused His name, I have failed to keep the Sabbath day holy, I have definitely dishonored my father and mother (hello, adolescence!–and beyond), I have hated others, lusted, taken what does not belong to me, lied, and coveted. Even if you set aside Jesus’ discussion of some of these commandments and take them all purely at face value (e.g., believing that if you have not murdered someone or bowed down to a golden idol, you have not broken those 2 commandments), you have admit–that 10th commandment about not coveting anything that belongs to your neighbor has got you, doesn’t it?
I have heard some Christians say that the 10 Commandments do not apply to us. They are from the Old Testament, the old covenant–now we are under grace, not under the law. I disagree. 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” (Matthew 5:17). And so if God requires us to keep the 10 Commandments, and if we all have to admit we haven’t done it, then we have a problem.
However, God, in His goodness and grace, not only gives us His law, but He is the one to remedy the situation when we fail to keep it. God became man and dwelt among us, not only to teach us and heal us, but to live the perfect life that we could not live. We cannot keep these commandments; Jesus Christ kept them perfectly, and He bore the punishment for our law-breaking on our behalf. This truth gives us just one more reason to rejoice this Christmas! Christ came to die for us, and He also came to live for us, to keep the law perfectly for us.
I think this is also an important point to teach our children. When they sin, we can remind them of the One who was without sin. Jesus obeyed His parents perfectly. Jesus did not sin in His anger. (I wish the Bible told us that Jesus ate his peas, it would really help me out!) His perfection qualified Him to pay the penalty for our children’s disobedience, and it is important for them to understand that. The baby Jesus was born to die for them, and also to live for them. Their obedience should not be motivated by Santa’s list or by an elf on the shelf (no offense to those of you with elves on your shelves), but by gratitude to God for what He has done for us in Christ Jesus. O come let us adore Him!
The Bible readings with our older two children has just reached the point that the people worshipped a golden calf after receiving the ten commandments. I see the commandments as wisdom from God, because when we break them, they cause such sorrow for those around us….