The Ten Commandments were given to people who are redeemed by God as guardrails for their good and God’s glory. They protect us from danger and direct us toward safety and success.
The First Commandment protects us from idolatry and directs us into intimacy with the only true God.
The Second Commandment protects us from the false worship of the true God and directs us in the true worship of the true God.
The Third Commandment protects us from abusing God’s name and directs us into adoring God’s name.
The Fourth Commandment protects us from an unhealthy view of work and directs us to a healthy view of worship.
The Fifth Commandment protects us from becoming a and directs us to becoming a .
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”- Exodus 20:12
The 5th Commandment protects us from dysfunction by:
- Loving your children
- Leading your children
- Limiting your children
- Laughing with your children
- Letting them go
The 5th Commandment directs us to a dynamic family in honor:
- Honor is ultimate respect
- Honor is unqualified respect
- Honor is unlimited respect
The Sixth Commandment protects us from the of human life and directs us to the of human life.
“You shall not murder.” – Exodus 20:13
The 6th Commandment protects us from:
- Premeditated Murder
- Suicide
- Abortion/Euthanasia
- Anger and Hatred
The 6th Commandment directs us to:
- Physical Life
- Spiritual Life
- Eternal Life
The Seventh Commandment protects us from and directs us to a marriage.
“You shall not commit adultery.” – Exodus 20:14
The 7th Commandment protects us from:
- A dismantled covenant
- A defiled consummation
- A damaged community
- A distorted gospel
The 7th Commandment directs us to:
- Fidelity in your covenant
- Fight for your spouse
- Flirt with your spouse
- Feel for your spouse
The 8th Commandment protects us from a lack of and directs us toward and .
“You shall not steal.” – Exodus 20:15
The 8th Commandment protects us from:
- Direct theft
- Employer theft
- Employee theft
- Government theft
- Heavenly theft
The 8th Commandment directs us to:
- Render to God what is God’s
- Render to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s
- Owe no one anything but love
- Let your work be your witness
The 9th Commandment protects us from and directs us to .
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” – Exodus 20:16
The 9th Commandment protects us from:
- Slander
- Gossip
- Flattery
- Half-truths
The 9th Commandment directs us to:
- Speak what is truthful
- Speak what is necessary
- Speak what is helpful
The 10th Commandment protects us from a heart and directs us to a heart.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” – Exodus 20:17
The 10th Commandment protects us from an .
The 10th Commandment directs us to a found.
- A settled disposition in my heart not based upon poverty of prosperity.
- A learned trait.
- Begins where I am, not where I want to be.
3 Takeaways Form the Ten Commandments
- Our God is an amazing Father who desires the very best for his children by giving us clear guardrails to protect us from sin and to direct us toward successful Christian living.
- Jesus is an amazing Savior who is perfect in every way, and has never broken a single of the Ten Commandments, either externally or internally. He alone is qualified as an atoning sacrifice.
- The Holy Spirit is an amazing Helper because he gives us new desires, fresh convictions and power to obediently apply his commands for God’s glory and our good.