The Law

Bible Study

The Law

We typically think of the 10 commandments when we hear the phrase “The Law”, but there are plenty more commandments found in God’s Law, but for sake of time we will only focus on the Ten Commandments.  Now it seems people have many questions about the law, in terms of why the law was given, and can we get to Heaven by keeping the 10 commandments? First let us look at what the 10 commandments are:

God gave the Nation of Israel the 10 commandments through Moses on Mount Sinai.  These are found in the Book of Exodus in Chapter 20:

1.Thou shalt have none other gods before me (vs.3)

2.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (vs’s.4-6)

3.Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (vs.7)

4.Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (vs’s.8-11)

5.Honour thy father and thy mother (vs.12)

6.Thou shalt not kill (vs.13)

7.Thou shalt not commit adultery (vs.14)

8.Thou shalt not steal (vs.15)

9.Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigbour (vs.16)

10.Thou shalt not covet (vs.17)

A) Now let’s look at some of the reasons why God gave us the 10 commandments:

1.To keep sin down {Galatians 3:19} “Wherefore then serveth the law?  It was added because of transgressions…” One of the reasons why God gave us the 10 commandments is to deter us from sinning. Just like when you see that there is a 55 mile an hour speed limit, you are less likely to go 80 miles an hour. Our laws in this nation are based upon the laws of God.  Atheists may tray and deny this, but it is a fact that our founding fathers used God’s commandments as the basis for law in our government, when God is feared and His laws are feared it makes for a great nation.  We as a nation have gone far away from God and His commandments these days.  But look at what some of the founding fathers of the United States of America have said:  James Madison, who had a hand in the Bill of Rights, and was the fourth president of the United States of America said; “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it.  We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”  James McHenry, signer of the Constitution said; “Public utility pleads most forcibly for the general distribution of the Holy Scriptures.  The doctrine they preach, the obligations they impose, the punishment they threaten, the rewards they promise, the stamp and image of divinity they bear, which produces a conviction of their truths, can alone secure, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability and usefulness.  In vain, without the Bible, we increase penal laws and draw entrenchment’s around our institutions.  Bibles are strong entrenchments.  Where they abound, men cannot pursue wicked courses, and at the same time enjoy quiet conscience.” Justice Joseph Story, who was a U.S. Congressman from 1808-1809 and appointed by president James Madison from 1812-1845 said; “I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society.  One of the beautiful boasts of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is a part of the common law…There never has been a period in which the common law did not recognize Christianity as lying its foundations.”  The founding fathers of this nation knew that having God’s laws at the heart and foundation of America would provide a place in which crime would be down to a minimum, just as the Bible says it would, and it’s one of the reasons why God has given the law, to keep transgressions down.

2. To convict you and show you that you are a sinner and guilty before God {Romans 3:19-20), {Romans 7:7-13} “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

3. To be a schoolmaster, showing us that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to Heaven {Galatians 3:21-26} vs 24 says; “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

4. To show you that you cannot go to Heaven by keeping the 10 commandments or by being a good person: {Galatians 2:16,21} “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” {Romans 3:28} “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” {Acts 13:38-39} “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

B) Try and take this test, you will be judged by the law when you die {Hebrews 9:28}, {Romans 2:12} if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, so let’s see how you will do when you stand before God only trusting in keeping the 10 commandments to get you to Heaven.  Don’t forget that God says in {James 2:10} that even if you keep 9 out of the 10 commandments and just break one, in God’s eyes you are guilty of breaking them all!

– Have you ever told a lie?  Even if it is still a small white lie that you tell, it is still a lie.  What does that make you?  It makes you a liar, and it makes you guilty of breaking the 9th commandment.

– Have you ever taken the name of God in vain? Such as using His name as a swear word? If you have then that makes you a blasphemer and makes you guilty of breaking the 3rd commandment.

– Has there ever been a time in your life that you have not honoured your father and mother? Was there a time that you disobeyed your parents, or talked back to them, or went behind their back and did something you knew they would be displeased with?  That means you are disobedient and dishonoring to your parents and it makes you guilty of breaking the 5th commandment.

– Have you ever set your eyes upon something that is not yours and have lusted after it, wishing that it was yours, and desired it?  That makes you covetous and guilty of breaking the 10th commandment.

– Have you ever put something or someone else before God? Have you ever loved yourself, or family, or friends, more than God? Have you spent more time in one day watching tv more than spending time in the Bible or prayer with God?  {Matthew 22:37-38} says;”Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” If there has ever been a time when you have put something before God, then you are guilty of breaking the 1st commandment.

– Have you ever killed someone? Now most of us will say of course not, but God looks not only on the outward actions, but on the inside as well, in your heart. He says in {Matthew 5:21-22} that if you have ever been angry with someone without a cause, then that makes you a murderer at heart and you are guilty of breaking the 6th commandment.

– Have you ever committed adultery? Again most would say no to the physical outward act, but God looks at your heart and says in {Matthew 5:27-28} that if you have looked upon another woman or man and have lusted after that person you have committed adultery with that person in your heart and it makes you guilty of breaking the 7th commandment.

– Have you ever taken something that was someone else’s and haven’t paid for it? Even the smallest things such as a pen or movies and music off of the internet that you did not pay for.  That makes you a thief and makes you guilty of the 8th commandment.

Now if you were honest while you were taking this test you would admit that you are guilty of most of these commandments if not all of them, and because of this you will be judged by God and justly will deserve to go to hell.  But that is the reason why Jesus Christ came to die on the cross here on this earth.  He lived a perfect life down here and kept all of the commandments, something we could never do, and He died on the cross and rose again out of the grave and He now wants to forgive you and wash away all of your sins.  But you need to believe that you are a sinner and deserve hell because of your sins, and that you are truly sorry for your sins and be willing to turn from them, and believe that He rose from the dead and that He can save you.  If you believe all of that with your heart, then go to God in prayer and tell Him all of this, and ask Him to save your soul from hell by His precious son’s blood that he bled on that cross, and He will save you and take to Heaven!  {Romans 10:13} says; “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”