Thou Shalt Not Obey the Ten Commandments?

 

You can find a picture of them in many Sunday school classrooms—the Ten Commandments. We are probably all familiar with most, if not all of these commands, such as: "You shall not murder." In Exodus 34:28, we read where Moses was with God for forty days and nights, "and He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments."  These commandments would be the Jewish law for many generations to come. But remember, God gave this law only to the Israelites. The Gentiles (people who were not Jews) were not under this special covenant with God. It was as if there was a wall separating the Jews and Gentiles, and the laws they were each to obey.

So what has changed since that time? What law are we under today? Are we still supposed to follow the Ten Commandments? Fortunately, the Bible tells us. In Colossians 2:14, we read how Christ "wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Ephesians 2:14-15 goes on to say: "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances." Who is this person that has "wiped out" the old commandments, nailing them to the cross? Who has broken down the wall of separation that used to exist between the Jews and Gentiles? Whose law do we follow today? The answer: Jesus Christ and His New Law!

When Jesus died on the cross, His last will and testament went into effect. So today, everyone is under the New Law! Jesus nailed the Old Law (including the Ten Commandments) to the cross. Now we have a law that is for both Jews and Gentiles. The New Testament provides us with a better covenant. But does this mean we can go out and steal or kill, since we aren't under the Ten Commandments? Absolutely not! Jesus included most of those commandments in His New Law. We obey many of the same rules that the Jews did before Christ was crucified. But some of those laws, like observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy, we no longer are required to keep. Aren't you thankful for the new and better covenant we have today?

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