Do Christians Need to Follow the Ten Commandments?

Since the ten commandments were given in the Old Testament in Exodus 20–God’s covenant with the nation of Israel–many believers, in relationship with God through the New Covenant of grace, find the ten commandments to be archaic and irrelevant. But a closer look at God’s Word proves this is just not the case.

Ten Commandments – A Matter of the Heart

If anything, Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount imply a deeper and more stringent application of the ten commandments than merely following them on the surface (Matthew 5:21-48). He corroborates these laws of God in His command to love the LORD your God with all your heart, strength, soul, and mind, and to love our fellow man as we love ourselves (Luke 10:27).

Jesus’ words imply a more stringent application of the ten commandments (Mt 5:21-48).
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Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

The New Testament makes it clear that Christ didn’t come come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-20). In other words, He became the sacrifice for our sins once for all, laying aside the need for further shedding of blood for the remission of sin (Hebrews 7:26-27; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 10:10-14).

Ten Commandments – Not Legalism, but Faith

Please don’t get me wrong. I am NOT suggesting that we are capable of perfectly keeping these commands of God or that we should attempt to keep these laws to gain God’s acceptance and entrance to heaven. The Bible is clear that it is by God’s grace that we are saved through faith, and no other way (Ephesians 2:8-9), but God created us for good works that demonstrate our faith in Him (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:20-24; Romans 8:4).

This is true today, and it was true during the Old Testament. Long before God gave these commandments to Moses, He established a covenant of faith with His people beginning with Abraham. Abraham was found to be righteous, or right with God, because of his faith (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4; Genesis 26:5; Hebrews 11:8-12).

Long before God gave the ten commandments, He established a covenant of faith with Abraham.
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Ten Commandments – God’s Standard of Right Living

According to Paul, these commands are a schoolteacher (Galatians 3:24), which reveal God’s standard of right living and the sinful nature inside man that prohibits us from being able to keep the law perfectly. In other words, the law reveals God’s holiness and our sinfulness. And if we break even part of these commands, we’re guilty of breaking God’s standard (James 2:10).

But just because we’re incapable of keeping these commands doesn’t negate our responsibility to try–not in an attempt to win salvation–but out of obedience to the King of Kings to whom we belong.

Just because we can’t perfectly keep the ten commandments doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. #Obedience
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Will we fail from time to time? Of course. So can we sin deliberately and have an out? No way, Jose.

God knows our hearts, and He won’t be mocked. We will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). That’s why we should never take lightly God’s call to holy living. Our behavior has both temporal and eternal ramifications.

Ten Commandments – Foundation For Civil Law

But think about this for a second. The legal workings of most countries are based on the foundation of the ten commandments, with the exception–sadly enough–of man’s relationship to God.

Civil law is based on the ten commandments, except–sadly–man’s relationship to God.
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Ten Commandments – Still the Best Way to Live

Despite our ability to keep the law, it is still the best way to live, not just in relation to our fellow man, but in relation to the one and only true God. And the results are the same. Obedience brings life and blessings; disobedience brings death and cursings (Deuteronomy 30:11-20). Our God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8).

The ten commandments are still the best way to live because they’re God-given and God’s standard.
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It’s important, I believe, for us to remember that this treaty God made with the young nation of Israel wasn’t a negotiation like the treaties between nations today. Instead it was initiated by God as the Supreme King in relation to His servants. The people’s choice back then is the same today. We choose to accept or reject it, with all the positive and negative consequences related to our choice.

Ten Commandments Point to Christ

Even as early in the history of the world as the formation of the nation of Israel, the ten commandments point perfectly to Christ. Despite our ability to keep His standards, He loves us still (John 3:16; 1John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4-5; 1John 4:9-11; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 86:15). He remembers we’re made of dirt and clay (Psalm 103:14). When we confess and turn in repentance to Him through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ to cover our sin, He forgives (1John 1:9) and in His mercy remains faithful (Lamentations 3:22-23).