Must Christians obey the Ten Commandments?
The Ten Commandments were part of the Law of Moses, which incorporated 613 commandments in total.
The New Testament says that no-one will be justified by observing the Law
[Galatians 2:16].
Galatians 2:16
... a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Even the apostle Paul said that he could not keep the Ten Commandments. He failed at number ten
[Romans 7:7-8].
Romans 7:7-8
“What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.”
To fail at even one point in the Law is to fail at all the Law
[James 2:10].
James 2:10
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
Christians are not under the Law
[Romans 6:14].
Romans 6:14
“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”
The Law has been nailed to the cross
[Colossians 2:13-14].
Colossians 2:13-14
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.”
Christians live under a higher law – the command to love one another
[John 13:34-35, Romans 13:10, James 2:8].
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
This is a command that we must recognise as being impossible to obey in our own strength. However, the Christian life is one in which we are being changed little by little into the image of Christ. It is a journey. The power of God is available to enable us. We must co-operate with the Holy Spirit in the process.
The Christian life of faith is about relationship with Christ, not about rules and not about ritualistic observances. The imperative is to abide in Him
[John 15:4-5].
John 15:4-5
“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
