Whoever relaxes one of the commandments

Do you view God's law negatively or positively? Jesus' attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psalm 119: "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day." For the people of Israel the "law" could refer to the ten commandments or to the five Books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which explain the commandments and ordinances of God for his people. The "law" also referred to the whole teaching or way of life which God gave to his people. The Jews in Jesus' time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal law. Needless to say, the scribes added many more things to the law than God intended. That is why Jesus often condemned the scribal law. It placed burdens on people which God had not intended. Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God's law - his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled.

Jesus taught reverence for God's law - reverence for God himself, for the Lord's Day, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person's good name, respect for oneself and for one's neighbor lest wrong or hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect for God's commandments teach us the way of love - love of God and love of neighbor.

The transforming work of the Holy Spirit 

What is impossible to men and women is possible to God and those who put their faith and trust in God. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit the Lord transforms us and makes us like himself. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) because "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts.

The Lord loves justice and goodness and he hates every form of wickedness and sin. He wants to set us free from our unruly desires and sinful habits, so that we can choose to live each day in the peace, joy, and righteousness of his Holy Spirit (Romans 14: 17). To renounce sin is to turn away from what is harmful and destructive for our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As his followers we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. Do you love and revere the commands of the Lord?

Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be according to your Father's law and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help.

source: From the desk of Don Schwager, 

hosted by Kairos Europe and the Middle East

Fear, love and trust in God by living the Ten Commandments

In following the Ten Commandments we show that we fear, love and trust in God.

Exodus 24:12
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

John 14:15
If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:14
You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Mark 3:35
Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17)

1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
Love God more than anyone or anything else; for anything we love more than God becomes our God instead of Him.

2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Do not curse, swear, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon His name at times of trouble, worship, praise, and give thanks.

3. Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day.
God rested on the seventh day after His six days of work when He created the heavens and the earth, therefore God instructed His people not to work and rest on the Sabbath day.

4. Honour your father and your mother.
Do not despise or anger our parents, elders and with higher authority, but honour, serve, obey, love and cherish them.

5. You shall not kill.
No to take someone's life, not only by murdering but also when we anger someone and wish that the person will die.

6. You shall not commit adultery.
Avoid all sexual sins and sexual acts outside of marriage.

7. You shall not steal.
Unjustly taking, using or damaging worldly things belonging to someone else.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
Never say anything about another person that isn't true, or gossip about others.

9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
Do not envy (desire) the living forms (of flesh and blood) that belongs to another.

10. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
Do not envy (desire) the worldly things (goods) that belongs to another.

Revelation 21:8

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Matthew 19:16-17

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 13:9

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Therefore faithfully keep the Commandments, let us often reflect on them, on the duties they impose upon us, and examine our conscience as to how we observe them, in what points we transgress them, and how we may avoid further transgressions. Let us imitate David, who loved the Commandments, because he loved God; who constantly meditated upon them, in order to be guided and ruled by them. He exclaims: "O how have I loved thy law, O Lord!

The Hillbilly ~ Ten Commandments (funny but applies)

A funny take on the 10 commandments, but still just as relevant! Do you live by them?

source:  Walk with Jesus (FB)