Ten Commandments teach us how to love

1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (1)
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “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. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (2)
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (3)
8 “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (4)
12 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (5)
13 “You shall not murder. (6)
14 “You shall not commit adultery. (7)
15 “You shall not steal. (8)
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (9)
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (10)

Many Christians today say “We are under grace all we have to do is love each other, there is no law.” Most of the time these are the Christians who do whatever they want and treat their fellow brothers and sisters very poorly. They feel they don’t have to be responsible, You just have to love them. What they really mean is “I can act and do whatever I want and you still have to love me”. Yes, we do have to love them, but we do not have to tolerate their poor behavior.

Paul had to discipline many of these same types of Christians at Corinth. Those believers were fornicating, a person was having sexual relations with his stepmother, they were getting drunk at communion, coveting, and extorting others. 1 Corinthians 5 Paul certainly had his hands full with this bunch!

He told them to purge themselves of this type of activity. 1 Cor 5.7 In other words if these believers refuse to clean up their act, do not continue to have fellowship with them. 1 Cor 5:9-11 As believers we are to judge among ourselves and to insist our fellow believers walk righteously. 1 Cor 5:12-13

This is not pleasant business and none of us likes to have to do this, but it is necessary if the situation warrants. If we refuse, we as a group will not receive the blessings of the Lord when we congregate together. Most Christians should understand that we are required to obey the commandments of God. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:10-11). Also see 1 John 3.4-8; 1 John 5.1-5.

If we are loving one another we will be treating each other with respect and will not be living in sin. We will be obeying the Lord’s commandments. That’s why God gave us the ten commandments, to show us how we are to walk in the spirit. “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God….” Deut 28:1-2

Walking in the spirit is obeying God’s word. When we do this we are blessed. When we do this we are expressing love for our fellow believers. We are saved by grace and faith in the blood of the Lord. We are blessed by obeying the word (Torah). This is what James meant when he said, “be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” James 1:19-25

This is how we are blessed. Saved by grace and faith, blessed by walking in the spirit. (Obeying the word)

Our flesh rebels at this. We covet, we lust after things, we fight and war. This is the sin that works in us. James 4:1-10 Now that we are saved by grace and faith in the Jesus, we are empowered to walk out the commandments. We write them upon our hearts and walk it out. When we slip or sin against our brother, we confess and repent and move on. 1 John 1:8-10 This is walking in the spirit. We walk righteously according to the commands and when we slip we go to the Lord (and sometimes our brother), repent and confess - the Lord forgives us and we move on.

If we rebel, refuse to confess and repent when we break the commandments, we are under the curse of the law through our failure to allow the law of grace and faith to operate in us. Jesus has saved us from the curse of the law only as long as we repent or turn from our sinful ways. This is really very simple and is a matter of the heart. This is liberty of the spirit!

We are drawn away by our own lusts. (James 1:13-15 ).We sin because the law of sin and death is working in us. Who can save us from this law of sin and death? (Romans 6:23). The grace of God through Jesus saves us from the law of sin and death. We walk out the commandments by writing them on our hearts and walking them out. When we slip we go to the Lord. (Romans 5:20-21). How beautifully simple!

All the law is fulfilled by loving the Lord and your neighbor as yourself. If you love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might, the commandments are easy. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30

If we love the Lord we keep His commandments. If we keep His commandments we are walking in the spirit and expressing our love for the Lord and our neighbor. Anything else is rebellion. Let’s keep it simple and love the Lord!