Written in Stone

God is the ruler of the universe ... and as a ruler, He naturally has some rules for His creation.

You're probably already familiar with them. They come in a set of ten and cover how we relate to God and to our neighbor. They began in eternity past and will continue into eternity future, and they are a matter of life and death. With that at stake, take a few minutes to seriously consider your responsibility in this Q&A ...

Q. Where did the Ten Commandments come from?

  • "And he gave unto Moses ... two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18).
  • "And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables" (Exodus 32:16).

Answer: The God of heaven wrote the Ten Commandments on tables of stone with His own finger, and gave them to Moses to deliver to Israel.

Q. Why did God give us the Ten Commandments?

  • "He that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18).
  • "Keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee" (Proverbs 3:1, 2).

Answer: There are several reasons God introduced His law to mankind. One is for our happiness. That's right! Keeping His law promotes peace and joy in our lives.

Q. Do I have to keep God's commandments today?

  • "For sin [breaking God's law, 1 John 3:4] shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin [break the law], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (Romans 6:14, 15).
  • "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Romans 3:31).

Answer: According to the Bible, Christians today are obligated to keep the Ten Commandments—not as a means of saving them, for they are saved by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus—but to promote the peace and joy God desires for all His children.

Grace is like the governor's pardon to a prisoner. It forgives him, but it does not give him freedom to break one single law on the statute books. The forgiven person, living under grace, is under double obligation to keep the law. A person who refuses to keep God's law, saying that he is living under grace, is mistaken. He is living under disgrace.

Q. Is it even possible to keep God's commandments?

  • "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts" (Hebrews 8:10).
  • "I can do all things through Christ" (Philippians 4:13).
  • "God sending his own Son ... That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us" (Romans 8:3, 4).

Answer: We can do it. The Bible says we can through Christ.

Want more? Check out our full Study Guide, for free!

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