The Importance of the 10 Commandments

[01:40]

Before I go into chapter five, I went to ChatGPT and typed in this question - How many words are there in the Bible from Deuteronomy chapter five to Deuteronomy chapter 26? Usually ChatGPT is very smart, it tells me the answer almost within one or two seconds but for the first time, I see that word “Analysing”, dot, dot, dot…, dot, dot, dot…, dot, dot, dot… I waited for it. So, I suppose no one has really asked that question before so there is no available data on the internet, but ChatGPT is analysing because it's calculating the number of words throughout the book and at the end of it, they gave me an estimation. There are some 16,000 words in chapter five all the way to chapter 26, that’s a lot there. Why?

Well, Deuteronomy is a book where we attend the living funeral of Moses. He is not yet dead but he will soon die in about 40 days. But before that he gave his last speech, gave his final words to the people of Israel urging them to obey God and he does so in a three-part sermon. They are chapters one to four, chapters five to 26 and chapters 27 to 30. And chapters five to 26 focuses on what they are to obey God in. So, the laws, the rules, the statutes are found right here, that's the bulk. And chapters one to four and chapters 27 to 30 are the motivations why they should obey.

Understanding the 10 Commandments

So, ChatGPT tells us that there are some 16,000 words but don't you worry, I think there's an easy way to understand them. Just as we may see there are 22 chapters, that's a lot, there's an easier way to understand them. There are more than 200 commands in these chapters, there's an easier way to understand them because we can all summarize 22 chapters into one chapter, 16,000 words into 376 words, 200 over commands into 10 commands. We begin in Deuteronomy chapter five where we are given the summary of all these rules and statutes in this one chapter and it is all found in these 10 Commandments.

Now, before I go any further, I'd like you to turn to the person beside you and list out at least five of the 10 Commandments. Try... Five... Even if you cannot remember, you're not a Christian, you’ve never been to church, this is the first time, at least you try imagining what the five would be, the 10 would be. How about asking you to list them in the right order also?

Well, I think this is the reason why I did not get Jonathan to read us scripture reading. I wanted to wait till this moment, and so Jon can you come and read for us, Deuteronomy chapter five, and the 10 Commandments really start in verse seven but let's read from verse one all the way to verse 21.

Scripture Reading by Jonanthan Chong – Deuteronomy 5:1-21

[05:29]

Right, I'm here to give you the model answer, all right, Deuteronomy five, one to 21. Let's go through this together.

¹ And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, [and] you shall learn them and be careful to do them. ² The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. ³ Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. ⁴ The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, ⁵ awhile I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:

⁶ “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

⁷ “‘You shall have no other gods before me.

⁸ “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth

 ⁹ You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ¹⁰ but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

¹¹ “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

¹² “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. ¹³ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. ¹⁵ You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

¹⁶ “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

¹⁷ “‘You shall not murder.

¹⁸ “‘[And] you shall not commit adultery.

 ¹⁹ “‘[And] you shall not steal.

 ²⁰ “‘[And] you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

 ²¹ “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

[08:08] Thank you, Jon.

So those are the 10 Commandments and let me help you with an easier way to remember. If there's a poem, I don't think you remember the poem but it may help a little. It goes…

1. You shall have no more gods but me.

2. Before no idol bend your knee.

3. Take not the name of God in vain.

4. Dare not the Sabbath day profane.

5. Give both your parents honor due.

6. Take heed that you no murder do.

7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean.

8. Steal not, though you be poor and mean.

9. Make not a willful lie, nor love it.

10. What is your neighbor's, dare not covet.

So, these are the 10 Commandments and when I think about it, I think about a sparrow because there's a Chinese saying that goes… Má Què Suī Xiǎo, Wǔ Zàng Jù Quán [麻雀虽小,五脏俱全], which means though a sparrow is very small all the necessary five organs are there. So even though the 10 Commandments are pretty short, summarized here, everything that pertains to life and righteousness is found here within.

A Sunday school teacher was teaching her students about the 10 Commandments and asked them, what is the commandment that you need to know when it relates with your parents? And the children all say, “Honour your father and your mother”. Then the teacher asked, “What is the commandment that governs how you should relate with your siblings?” A little boy shot his hand up and said, “Thou shalt not kill”.

The Relevance of the 10 Commandments

Everything you need to know about the 10 Commandments or everything you need to know about life and righteousness is found somewhere here in the 10 Commandments. However, not everybody agrees with it. There are some who think that the Bible or the 10 Commandments at least is outdated, irrelevant. One such man is called Ted Turner. He is the founder of CNN in US and he said, “We are living with outdated rules. The rules we’re living under are the Ten Commandments, and I bet nobody here even pays much attention to them because they’re too old. When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Nobody around likes to be commanded. Commandments are out!”

Well, the Lord Jesus Christ held a different view. Years ago, on a sermon on the mount, he said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” [Matthew 5:17]. So, Jesus did not minimize the 10 Commandments, did not set it aside. He said this is his mission to come and to fulfil the Law. In fact, he says the Law is here to stay because in the next verse, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” [Matthew 5:18]. He establishes the permanence of the Law, the relevance of the Law till heaven and earth pass away. It's relevant for us today.

 Overview of the 10 Commandments

So, we are going to take a deep look at the 10 Commandments in these next few weeks. And for this sermon, I just want to give an overview of the 10 Commandments so that we have a framework by which we may better approach each and every commandment. So, we’re going to do a series within a series, we’re going to have a 10 Commandment series even as we are looking at the Deuteronomy series. So, I’m going to share with you three things at least, maybe four in this sermon to help you have a better approach to the 10 Commandments.

 1.Placements

Number one, I'd like to just have a very simple chat about the placements of the 10 Commandments. Why these 10 and why in this order? I think there's a simple realization that may be helpful for all of us.

 2. Principles

Number two, I like us to look at the principles by which you may approach the 10 Commandments. What is the right way to understand the 10 Commandments?

3. Purposes

And number three, why does God give us the 10 Commandments? What are the reasons? What are the purposes? What are the benefits to you and to me? So, this is my suggested approach to our message today.

 1. The Placements of the Law

So, let's begin number one at placements. Why are the 10 Commandments arranged as they are?

Some time ago, a university professor asked his students if they were to reorder the 10 Commandments, how would they reorder them in terms of importance or significance? And most of them came up with a list that is very similar to this. It is in such an order. Now without going into great detail I think you can see quite quickly, according to these students, what is most important are the Laws that govern relationships with others, with men, with people. Somehow, we value our interactions with people. Don't murder. Don't steal. Don't lie. But when it comes to God-kind of commandments they are relegated, especially the Sabbath right at the end, totally irrelevant to a lot of people today. But I'd like you to know that when God gave Moses the 10 Commandments, it is said that he gave the Laws in two tablets of stone, and I don't think the Bible tells us exactly which Laws go to tablet one or which Laws go to tablet two, but there are many who would think that the split will be right down the middle like this.

At least according to Jewish tradition, the first five commandments are in the first tablet or table of the Law. Now you may find it strange that honour your father and mother is in the God side, the first tablet but there is good reason because the fifth commandment is like a hinge commandment turning from Godward to manward, and they view that parents play a role like God in their children's life. They bring them to life; they teach them about God and His Laws. And when a child needs to understand God, he needs to understand his parents first. It's from their parents that they can understand what it means to submit to God. So, there's good reason why it may be in the first tablet but even if you think that it should go to the second, it's fine.

The principle remains because Jesus later on would say the first and great commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength and with that we say that is likely the first table, and the second is to love your neighbour as yourself, the second table. So, I think it is important for us to grasp that even in the 10 Commandments there is a priority. The most important thing is to have a right vertical relationship with God. Then only you can have a right horizontal relationship with people. And I say to you today, what's most important in your life is a right relationship with God.

A lot of people think IQ is most important but actually I think EQ may be even more important. But perhaps more important than IQ and EQ may be SQ, not Singapore Airlines, but a spiritual coach and a right relationship with God. If you are today looking for a spouse, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, maybe you're looking for something, like looks or finances or so and so forth. But I say perhaps the most important thing is that this man or woman must be rightly related with God. Only if you have a right relationship with God will your horizontal relationships be made right. So that's what I want to say about the placements of the Law. The priority is Godward contrary to fallen human thinking, now that's easy.

 2. The Principles of the Law

Let's go to second point that I like to approach and that is the principles of the Law. How should I understand the Law? There are three things I'd like you to know. Starts with a simple one and then goes… I think the other two are not difficult as well but the first one is easy.

a. Package

The first one is that when we understand the Law, we must understand them together as a package. God doesn't give us the 10 Commandments so that you can pick and choose what you like. No, you obey all because James tells us, “[For] whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all [of it].” [James 2:10]. God sees the 10 as one package. And then we see also in Deuteronomy chapter four, “You shall not add [to the word that I command you,] nor take [from it,] but that you may keep the commandments of the Lord…” [Deuteronomy 4:2]. So, there is [17:51] no way any one of us can say, “God, I've been a good boy. I did not kill; I did not steal. Yes, I've lied a bit in my life. I've scolded my parents a bit in my life but I'm still a good man, right?” Well, no, if you break one you break all because God sees the 10 Commandments as one whole package.

 b. Positive too

A second thing I'd like you to notice about the 10 Commandments is that this 10 Commandments are not just spoken of in a negative form, like you shall not kill, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, but that we should see that they are positive too. In other words, we are to see them not just withholding bad things but also giving good things. I think that's the right way to approach it because Jesus summarised the 10 Commandments here saying that, “You shall love [the Lord your] God…” and “You shall love your neighbour [as yourself…] [Matthew 22:37-40]. Now when you say, “I love my son or I love my daughter”. Surely, you're not just saying I'm avoiding doing bad things to him or her but I also want to do beneficial things to him or her. Love is not just withholding bad but also giving good. So, when we understand the 10 Commandments, it's not just don't kill, don't steal but also doing good to the other party.

Moreover, Jesus said the golden rule in the Bible, “[So] whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…” [Matthew 7:12]. Now notice it's not retribution or retaliation. It's not saying whatever others do to you, do to them. It's not. Read that carefully, whatever you or whatever others do to you. No, it's whatever you wish others do to you. In other words, others may rebuke you but treat them the way you wish they had treated you, meaning you do good to them regardless of how they have treated you and that's very difficult, but that's what the Laws demand, that's what love looks like. You do good to them even though they have done bad to you.

This is a picture of… Who?... Confucius, Kǒngzǐ [孔] and he said, “Jǐ Suǒ Bù Yù , Wù Shī Yú Rén [己所不欲，勿施於人 ]”, meaning Jǐ is yourself. You do not want one, don't give to others. Very simple translation, right? What you do not want, “Do not do to others what you do not want done to you”. So that Confucianistic ethos. He is not alone because there is another rabbi called Hillel in ancient times, who said, “What is hateful to yourself do not to someone else”, very similar to Confucius. But not just the Jewish intellects, the Greeks also in Socrates, he said, “What stirs your anger when done to you by others, that do not do to others”. So, all these three men say pretty much the same thing and the thing that they are saying is “Do NOT” so their height of their ethics is just don't retaliate. But do you realize God's Laws and Jesus' teaching is higher than that because it's not just “Do NOT” but go and do what you wish others would do to you.

So let me try to help you understand this with the particulars here in the 10 Commandments. Honor your father and mother, I think this is already spoken of in a positive form. No challenge here but what about this? You shall not kill. On the surface, don't kill someone lah, that's obvious but if you understand more deeply, what would it be? Don't kill someone… Let me put it this way, kill yourself. Why? Because instead of wishing he is dead, you sacrifice yourself for him or for her. The 10 Commandments is saying real love takes sacrifice. In the New Testament we are told that just as Jesus laid down his life for us, we are to lay down our lives for our brethren. So, the real understanding of this six Commandment is not just to withhold or hold back from anger and bitterness but to proactively do good, and that means you have to kill yourself, put down your pride, put down your ego, put down whatever you have. Die to yourself in order to bless the other. You say, I can't believe what you're saying but that's what it is.

How about the next one? You shall not commit adultery. Well, I guess the positive side is that we should be fiercely loyal in the relationships that God has called us to. Loyalty in your marriage, your parents, your children, your community, your friends. I think that's what loyalty is called…That's what this commandment calls for.

You shall not steal. What's the flip side? What's the positive side? You shall not steal but you shall give, and isn't this again a New Testament ethos. Paul says in Ephesians, let him who stole, steal no more but rather let him labour, working with his hands that which is good, so that he may have to give to him that has need [Ephesians 4:28]. So instead of just being a thief, don't steal but don't just don't steal, but go and work. Why? So that you may have in order to give. The Gospel turns our life 180 degrees around from a grabber and a robber, you become a generous giver. Thou shall not steal is reminding us, we should be generous.

That's what love looks like. Love is generous. Love is truthful. You do not speak lies. Love does not covet my neighbour’s wife or goods. But I long for the flourishing and the betterment of the people around me, that's what love looks like. Love when it comes to God means that I honour the Sabbath day, I remember him on this special day. We will look more into this [in] four weeks’ time. Real love means I not only do not take God's name in vain but I revere it, I set it apart, I speak well of it. I praise God's name and I live a life that represents God well so that his name may be praised not just with my lips but in my life. To love God means I will not allow wrong understanding about God in my life. I will not misrepresent God in the form of idols but I fight for a right and pure theology and understanding of God. That's what I strive for because I want to worship him correctly and it means that I have no other gods but I'm loyal to Jehovah, to this God who gave His Son for me.

So, the 10 Commandments are not just prohibitive but they are meant to be understood in the positive light that these are the things we do out of love, love for God and love for men. So back track, we are looking at the principles on how we should understand the 10 Commandments. They are to be seen as a package, cannot pick and choose. They are to be seen in a positive as well not just a withholding but an active doing.

c. Penetrating

And number three, I may not find a very good word but I think it does convey the idea that the commandments are not just to be kept on external behaviours or external actions, but they also govern internal attitudes. The 10 Commandments are extremely penetrating. You see, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, …” so the Jewish religious leaders in his time had been saying, “You shall not commit adultery”. They understood it as don't get caught in a bit with someone else who is not your spouse. But Jesus says that's not quite what the commandment is about. It's not just that because he went on to explain, whoever “looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery in his heart.” [Matthew 5:27-28]

[27:30] So, you see, the commandments are not just something we keep on the outside, it should govern what is going on, on the inside. It's penetrating. It's not just outward actions but inward attitudes. And I think that's why you can also understand, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder…”. Oh, they understood it as don't just slash people or chop people up. Don't do that! But Jesus says is more than that, it's when you're ‘angry’ and when you ‘insult’ or when you say, ‘You fool’ [Matthew 5:21-22]. You have already broken the six commandments.

Can anyone of us today look at these 10 short simple statements and say, “I am righteous, I have never sinned, I am a good man”. Can any one of us really do that? Well, you may do that if you don’t understand that the 10 Commandments are to be seen as one package. You may do that if you think it's all about prohibitions. All I need to do is to stay in a cave, live like a hermit, don't interact with people. I'm righteous and pure. No, it's about loving people that God wants you to love in your life and we fail to do that. And none of us can really stand before God and say, I've never lusted, I've never hated, I've never been jealous, I've never coveted. The 10 Commandments are to be understood in this light and when one stands before God on the final day, it will all be made clear.

3. The Purposes of the Law

So, we have looked at the placements of the law, the order tells us that the priority of man is to love God, vertical relationship. We've looked at the principles of how we should approach the Law. Finally, I'm going to share with you the purposes, the functions, the reasons or the benefits why God gave us the 10.

a. Reflects the Sovereign King

The first reason I like to share is that the Laws reflect who God is. It reflects our Sovereign King.

In Singapore, we ban chewing gum sale, right? People will say, “Oh, Singapore is so boring, so restrictive”. That's one way you can say that the laws reflect the lawgiver. But others may say, “Oh, this law tells us that Singapore values orderliness, cleanliness”. We want efficiency. We don't want disruptions to our public transport system. Therefore, we ban the sale of chewing gum. The law tells you something about the country or the law tells you something about the lawgiver.

There's another law in France you may not know about but it's really interesting, and it is that you cannot name a pig, Napoleon. This is a law in France. Now why? Well, it communicates the value that they value the dignity or the honour their leaders in history. That's the law. The law tells you something about France, right?

Now, it's the same when it comes to the 10 Commandments because God is the Judge, because God is our King and God is our Lawgiver [Isaiah 33:22], the Law reflects him.

In Psalm 119, we are told that God is righteous, “Righteous are you, O, Lord, and right are your rules…” You see, God's Laws are righteous because God is righteous. Rather than the other way round because God is righteous, He chooses righteous laws. No, because God is righteous, therefore all His Laws are righteous. “Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness.” [Psalm 119:137-138]. And when God's people keep these Laws, we will be seen as a people with wisdom and understanding, and we will be righteous.

So, when today you look at the 10 Commandments, you could say God is a right God… a righteous God, a just God, a God who is faithful, a God who is kind, a God who is loving. I think those are the things that when we live out bring glory to God. God's people living out God's Laws reflect the righteousness, the kindness, the loveliness of who God is. So, God gives us the Law so that they tell us something about God and they allow us to live in a way that glorifies God. It reflects the Sovereign King.

b. Reveals our Sins / Sinfulness

But there's a second reason and this second reason is probably the most obvious to us all here in this church, and it is that the Laws are given to reveal our sins and our sinfulness. Now this is very plain and simple in the Bible from… because the Bible says, “…through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” [Romans 3:20]. God gives us the Law so that we have no excuse, so that we see very clearly how broken and sinful we really are. Romans five says, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass…” [Romans 5:20]. I think the idea here is putting the spotlight on man's sin.

I think there's a logic that goes, the more expensive a dinner is, the darker the room will be. Do you believe that? That if you go to a nice restaurant, a romantic dinner usually the lights are very dim, sometimes even no lights, just candle. You know, why? I mean, you pay it a lot, right? Can't they spend some for electricity? Well, the reason why I think they do that is because if the room is paved with surgical theatre lights, super bright, then the dinner not so romantic, because you start to see his face with all its pores and pimples and pigments. So, in order for it to be romantic turn down the lights. Don't see very much. Wow, she looks so handsome… ehm… She looks so beautiful. He looks so handsome, whoa... But when you turn on the lights, the spell is broken. Well, we all think we look very good before God, I'm not such a bad guy, compared with my friends I'm not so evil, compared to Saddam Hussein I'm quite good. But when God turns on the lights with His Law, there's no running away. All our flaws and brokenness, and evil are shown up.

So, “[Now] the law is given [came in] to increase the trespass…” [Romans 5:20]. “…if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.” [Romans 7:7]. And Galatians tells us. “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions…” [Galatians 3:19]. So why did God give the 10 Commandments? Well, the 10 Commandments tell us something about God. The 10 Commandments tell us something about ourselves, that God is good because His Law is good but we are bad because we keep breaking them.

(Not Remove Sins)

But I rush right here to tell you that though the Law reveals our sins, it can never remove our sins. Let's be very, very clear about this, the Law can reveal our sins but it cannot remove your sins. It is said that, “…you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” [Acts 13:38-39]. Obeying the 10 Commandments is not the way for you to be set free from your sins because you can't. Why can't you? Because if you break one, you break all. And you don't just break it in your actions; you break it in your attitudes. It's mission impossible so don't try to be freed from sin by your own works of the law. “For [we] you hold that…” a man is justified or “…one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” [Romans 3:28] and “…if righteousness were through the law, …” [Galatians 2:21] ha… this is the logic, if you could really get right with God by obeying the law then Jesus don't need to die, but he died precisely because you cannot do it. “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; …” You try to draw near to God in your own strength, Paul, the writer, says you are cursed. You jialat [means in trouble in Singlish].  You are barking up the wrong tree because “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and to do them.” [Galatians 3:10-11].

A man was talking to his friend, pouring his heart out saying, “Oh, my wife wanted to divorce me.” And the friend asked why? It's all because of one message I sent her. What did you send her? Oh, he showed him the phone the message and it wrote, “I'm having a wonderful time. I wish you were her.” He forgot the letter “e”, [37:33] one little mistake and that's it. One break of the law and that's it, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things…” [Galatians 3:10-11]. So, the Law can never justify anyone or rather trying to keep the Law on your own in order to get a righteous standing before God is impossible for everyone. The Law reveals your sin like a big X-ray machine but it cannot remove your sin just like X-ray machines are not designed to remove your cancers.

c. Redirects us to the Saviour

But the X-ray machine is helpful in treating cancer. Why? Because the Xray machine having revealed to you your sin is now going to redirect you to the doctor, to the surgeon, to the physician, Jesus Christ. So, the Law is intended by God to redirect us from our self-righteous deeds to the grace to the free gift of salvation available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I'm not the one who talks about this redirection, it is Paul. “So, then the law was our guardian until Christ came, …” [Galatians 3:2]. The word “guardian” here is not from the pharmacy company. It's the word “Pedagogos” which means child’s leader or teacher. There's no good equivalent word today, tutor, some people say, custodian, some people say, disciplined master, some people say but there's no similar word now, because it refers to a role a servant takes up in a rich Roman household. His only job is to take care of this son, this heir from the age of six to 16, teaching him everything so that when he reaches 16 years old, he is ready to go into the world learn other things. So, this “Pedagogos” prepares him for the life that is to come. And so, the Law is our “Pedagogos” preparing us for the life that is found in Jesus Christ. It is not meant to be permanent. It's meant to lead us somewhere. The Law does not save you, does not remove your sins but it leads you to life in Jesus Christ.

So, it is Luther who says, “With its whippings, the law draws us to Christ.” The Law whips us, shows us our pain, our sin, our rebellion, our ugliness so that we may say, I have this great deep spiritual cancer, I need Jesus to be my doctor.

John Stott, a preacher in our time, says “We cannot come to Christ to be justified until we have first been to Moses, to be condemned. But once we have been to Moses, and acknowledged our sin, our guilt and condemnation, we must not stay there. We must then let Moses send us to Christ.” My job here today is to lead you to Jesus, that's the mission of our church, “Leading generations into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ”. But we can't do it without telling you the Law. We can't do it without telling you about sin and about your inability to save yourself, because in Singapore there are many rich successful people, maybe you're one and you're saying to yourself, “Why do I bother about the gospel? Why do I bother about God and Jesus?” For the reason is because the Law condemns us. God is holy. And on that final day of judgment, we will all have to give an account of the way we live our lives before this God. And sinners will be damned in hell, in fiery hell forever for their sins. And so, I tell you about the Law, I tell you about sin, I tell you about God, but I tell you about Jesus so that you today may be sent by the Law to Jesus Christ and find salvation in him, who died and rose again to pay for all your sins.

It was said of Jonathan Edwards, some view him, many actually view him as the greatest pastor who has ever lived, saying that Edwards was “A fiery preacher of the law, but on the dark background of its awful penalties he raised the luminous cross of Christ”. Actually, a pastor's job is not complicated, preach the law and preach Christ, the grace, the favour, the love that is found at the cross.

John Wesley puts it even more simply, “I cannot preach grace until I preach law.” because people need to know why they need grace. So, the law is given so that we may understand God, reflect Him, so that we may see our sin and so that we may return to Jesus.

d. Ringfences our Souls

But finally, I want to address Christians here today because some of you say, “Okay, I think that's it. I am already a Christian so I don't need the Law anymore”. I know… I think that the Bible tells us that the Law is good for us because the Law is meant for our protection, for our blessing. And if I may use the same letters, it means that the Law is given to ringfence us, to protect us, to protect our soul. Many people think that, “Oh, now that I come to Jesus, I can live any way I want. I'm now saved that I can sin and I still go to heaven.” Well, I think that's a very bad way to think because we are not saved to sin. We are saved from sin. We need to understand that this obedience against God never pays but obedience to God is always the blessed path.

Deuteronomy reminds us that God said to Israel, obey so “…that you may live, and go in and possess the land…” [Deuteronomy 4:1]. The flip side is if you don't, you will die. You will perish from the land, remember that? In chapter five, we read that when you obey, it will “be well with you [them], and with your [their] children for ever!” [Deuteronomy 5:29]. And in chapter 10, we are reminded that this is all “…for your good?” [Deuteronomy 10:13].

A Baptist preacher, Vance Havner says “You cannot break the laws of God - you break yourself against them. You jump off a skyscraper and you do not break the law of gravitation. You break your neck, but not the law of gravitation.”

The Psalmist would say, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!” [Psalm 119:1]. It's a blessed path. It's a blessed life. He goes on to say, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” [Psalm 119:105]. It leads me in a right path I do not stumble and trip and fall.

And James the New Testament would tell us “…he will be blessed in his doing.” [James 1:25] as he obeys the law. Disregard God's Word, commit adultery, harbour bitterness, lie and cheat, and steal, and you will stumble and fall. Honor God, believe His wisdom, obey Him, and you will be blessed in your doing, you protect your life that way. I think it is a wonderful blessing that God would give us His Word. It is a blessing for you. It's a blessing for me.

Maybe some of you are not Christians and you say, “All right, I get all this. I get that the Law is good but I can't. There's no way I can break free of my porn addiction. There's no way I can break free from my unforgiving spirit. I can't do it. I know it's good but I've been struggling my whole life”, and I say to you, what you are experiencing is totally normal because even the apostle Paul, he says, “For we know that the law is spiritual, …” it's good, it's from God “…but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” [Romans 7:14]. So, Paul is lamenting this dilemma. I know that the Bible is good, the [46:43] Word is good but I can't do it.

4. The Power for the Law

[46:49]

If you're at this stage. Let me tell you the good news, because not only did Jesus die to pay for the penalty of sin, he died so that God's power to obey the Law will come into your life. So, what is the power for fulfilling the Law? Well, I think Moses kind of hinted about it in chapter five when he says, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, …” [Deuteronomy 5:29]. It's all about a heart. Oh, if only you have this heart and the good news in Deuteronomy right at the end is that God will give you this heart. When you know that you can't obey God's Laws but you need this heart, you can come to God and “…God will circumcise your heart…”, clean out the sins of your life, clean out the rebellion of your life, give you a new heart so that you will “…love [the LORD your] God…” and that you may “…obey the voice of the LORD” [Deuteronomy 30:6-8]. So, this is the wonderful promise in the Bible that when we just humble ourselves, look to Jesus, repent of our sins. God gives you that forgiveness from the cross and God by His sovereign might makes you a new creation, gives you a new heart that you may obey and walk in way in a life everlasting. There's so much to say but we have 10 weeks to go. We'll look at each commandment one by one and I hope by the end of it all these principles would be written in your heart and life.

Closing Prayer

Let's bow for a word of prayer, Father, we pray today for a genuine spirit given delight and dedication to the Law. It is not a burden. It is not restrictive. It is life giving. We pray that you will give us a new mind to appreciate all these things. We ask for people to repent and believe in Jesus to be saved, and we pray for forgiveness for your church and for grace to walk in obedience to your praise. Thank you. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen.