Why the Ten Commandments

1. Hayden 3-27-19

               

                Wednesday night Refueling Bible study has been a wonderful time of fellowshipping with other believers but the study has been absolutely EPIC! We have spent the last couple of months studying the book of Exodus as a continuation of our Genesis study. We finally reached chapter 20 of Exodus, which many of you know is the Ten Commandments chapter. We examined each commandment, one by one, to unpack God’s direction to the Israelites and the meaning for each of us today. Heidi and I will be returning from Australia this week with our regular Wednesday night study of this vital book of the Bible starting back up the first week of April.

As we examined each verse, we were able to see how necessary each verse was to our understanding of God’s holiness and purity and the requirements necessary for a growing relationship with God. However, the more we looked at these Ten Commandments (not 10 suggestions!), the more we saw our inability to keep them. Well if we are completely unable to live up to these commandments, why would God give them to us just to watch us fail in our attempt to be righteous? Now it is true that knowing them is a help to live, while not totally pure, a better, less sinful life than had we not known them. And it is true that the Big Ten God gave us has become a foundation to assist societies and nations from descending into total lawlessness. But the Bible tells us that if we break one, we have become guilty of all (James 2:10) and that there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10). So why give them to us?

The answer is found in Galatians 3:24-25. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” The Ten Commandments were given to us, along with helping people and society itself know what is right, to teach us that we need a Savior, drawing us to Him knowing that without Jesus’ sacrifice, we would have no chance to enter God’s Kingdom. Now we should continue to live with God’s law as our guide, but salvation is only by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. You do not get into heaven by being a good person, attempting to keep the Ten Commandments. It is only through Christ and the Holy Spirit He imparts that we are able to live righteously before God. And entrance to God’s Kingdom, is only by the precious blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross!

 

Be blessed even more and thank you for all you do for God’s Kingdom!!

 

Pastor Chris         

 

Many times, Christians think of anger as a selfish, destructive emotion that is from the heart of the devil and should never be seen displayed in the lives of loving believers. There are times when it is ok to be ticked off about certain situations and circumstances, and to display our anger in a righteous, holy manner. Jesus becomes our example in this matter. When Jesus overthrew the money changers in the temple, the Lord’s anger was on full throttle as He ran out those desecrating His Father’s house of prayer for dishonest gain. Ephesians 4:26 tells us to be anger and do not sin nor allow said anger to linger past the end of the day. We are not instructed to have no angry or eliminate the feelings of anger, but to deal with the emotion in a measured and controlled fashion. Here is how Jesus dealt with anger: 1) The Lord’s anger was not selfish. He was never angry for Himself, but for others, whether for the unrighteous attitudes toward His father or because of the damage sin brought on the sinner and those affected by it. 2) His anger was always directed at the right target. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this age. When Jesus told Peter to get behind Him for his words of opposition to God’s plan, it was Satan that He directed the rebuke at. Jesus’ anger always stemmed from His love and concern for the spiritual condition of others. 3) Jesus was never out of control, even in His wrath. Even in Jesus’ demonstrative actions driving out the moneychangers from the temple He was always in complete control. What He did, was just and measured for the benefit of those who saw (Luke 19:47). 4) Jesus did not allow His anger to fester and continue to make Him bitter. He did not allow the sun to go down upon His wrath (Ephesians 4:26) and was always ready to forgive those of humble heart. 5) Our Savior’s anger was never an act of revenge, but always intended to bring the sinner back to Himself. Our angry, should always have the intention to respond to injustice and bring the lost back to the loving and just Captain of our souls. With these things in mind, when anger rises, be slow to respond to it, remember who the real enemy is (the devil), do not let it linger or make you bitter, be measured in your response so as to keep the door of forgiveness always open, and keep God’s Word at the center of all things. May God bless you even more!!