Commandments, The Ten

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
The divine role of life for man in the flesh, or fallen man, as is seen in the frequent, “Thou shalt not.” Outwardly, in the letter, they were kept by many blamelessly (Phil. 3:66Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:6); Luke 1:66And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (Luke 1:6), &c.) In the spirit none could keep them (Rom. 7:77What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7), &c. 8:7; 4:15. Gal. 3:10, 1110For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (Galatians 3:10‑11), &c.); “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,” and Thou shalt not covet,’ being alone sufficient to convict every one. The law, therefore, because of the weakness of the flesh, failed in leading man to God; it only condemned him to death for breaking it (Gen. 3:1010And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Genesis 3:10)). The Christian has paid this righteous penalty in the death of Christ, and now is free, in the power of a new nature, born of God, to fulfill the law (Rom. 7:6; 8:46But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)
4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)), not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of spirit, no longer as a means of life, but because we have life (see LAW). These Ten Commandments were written on two tables, the first four or five (man’s duty to God) on the one, and the remainder (man’s duty to his neighbor) on: the other. The tables are thus summarized by the Lord (Mark 12:29-3129And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29‑31)). The first tables were brokers in spirit by the people, and literally by Moses, as soon as given, the second set were hidden in the ark.