The Ten Commandments-
An insight into God’s Standards
An insight into God’s Standards
You can read the account of when God gave the Israelites the Ten commandments in Exodus chapter 20 in the Bible. Here they are:
1. ‘You shall have no other gods before me’. It says in Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 5 that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength. He is to come first in our lives. Is God first in your life?
2. ‘You shall not make yourself any graven image’. We make a god to suit ourselves when we imagine that God is loving but not just or holy, and when we think that God can somehow overlook sin.
3. ‘You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God’. This means using God’s name as a swear-word, or using His name inappropriately. Have you ever done this? Does your ‘language’ need cleaning up?
4. ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’. The Jews were commanded to rest one day in seven and to have this as a holy day. Although we are not commanded to keep the sabbath in the New Testament it is worth asking the question- do you regularly set aside time to spend with God?
5. ‘Honour your father and mother’. Have you always honoured your parents, from childhood to adulthood?
6. ‘You shall not murder’. Jesus further explained this. He said that when we fume with anger towards people without cause we are also guilty of this sin- murder is the final outworking of uncontrolled anger towards our fellow man- (Matthew chapter 6, verses 21-26). Have you ever ‘lost it’ with someone? If so, you have broken this commandment.
7. ‘You shall not commit adultery’. Jesus further explained this when He said that to even look at someone in a lustful way is to commit the act of adultery in your heart with that person (see Matthew chapter 5 verses 27-30)
8. ‘You shall not steal’. Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how small? If so, even if it happened a long time ago, you have become a thief.
9. ‘You shall not lie’. Have you ever told a lie? Even a ‘white’ lie? If so, you have become a liar.
10. ‘You shall not covet’. This means to want something that belongs to someone else. It is seen in when we are envious of others, or being unsatisfied with what we have, or in greed or materialism. Has that ever been you?