THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – Exodus 20: 1 -17

And God spoke all these words, saying:

“I am the Lord your God, who bought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”.

“You shall have no other gods before Me”

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image”

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain”

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”

“Honour your father and your mother”

“You shall not murder”

“You shall not commit adultery”

“You shall not steal”

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour”

“You shall not covet”

God’s law still reflects His holy will and standard for human conduct.

What is the purpose of the law of God?

1. The Law shows the world its guilt before a holy God.

2. The Law gives us the knowledge of sin.

3. The Law shows us the depth of our sinfulness.

4. The Law is a tutor to lead us to faith in Jesus Christ.

The Law shows the world its guilt before a holy God.

Romans 3: 19 says

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God”.

What Paul is saying is that every unbelieving human being because of the law of God will be accountable to Him in the day of judgement and on that day every mouth will be stopped. Every person, especially religious people make the mistake of comparing themselves with other people. People try and justify themselves by comparing themselves with others who are worse than they are. We all look pretty good when we compare ourselves with people like Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein or Judas Iscariot. If we do this we deceive ourselves. But if we are honest and compare ourselves to a holy God and His law, we all will conclude that “we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3: 23.

Why is the good news of the Gospel such good news to the sinner? Because of the bad news. What is the bad news? Because of the law of God, the unbeliever has sinned against God, the unbeliever stands guilty before God, the unbeliever will be judged and condemned by God for all eternity.

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” Acts 3: 19a

by John Denman