Are the 10 Commandments still valid for today?

The Ten Commandments are still valid and necessary in our lives today. Jesus did emphasize particular ones when asked what was the "great commandment" in Matthew 22:36-40. He said, "…’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’" In the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, for which Pastor Hayford served as General Editor, the footnotes under Exodus 20:1 says: These 10 words (the Ten Commandments) are absolute law, principles that are all-encompassing and allow for no exception. Jesus confirms their timeless application (Matthew 5:21-37)."

The Hayford’s Bible Handbook says (page 573):

the ten laws given by God as guidelines for practical, fruitful, daily living. They are part of a covenant between God and His people (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 14:4).

…Although God gave the Ten Commandments to His people through Moses at Mount Sinai more than three thousand years ago, they are still relevant today. They have an abiding significance, for God’s character is unchangeable. These laws originate from God and from His eternal character; therefore, their moral value cannot change.

…Jesus actually placed these laws on a higher plane by demanding that the spirit as well as the legal aspects of the law be kept. Jesus placed His eternal stamp of approval on the law by declaring, ‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill’ (Matthew 5:17-19).

…God never intended for the Ten Commandments to be a set of regulations by which the people of Israel would earn salvation. God’s favor had already been freely granted, as overwhelmingly demonstrated by His deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 4:37). Thus, at the heart of this covenant relationship, even within the Law, lay an act of divine grace. God even prefaced the Ten Commandments with a reminder of His deliverance (Ex. 20:2).

The Ten Commandments are still relevant today. The world desperately needs to see the name and character of God displayed in the lives of Christians who still take His Word seriously. These Commandments, particularly coupled with the teachings of Christ, are still the best guidelines for practical daily living known to man.

Jesus enlarged on the ideas prevalent in the Ten Commandments by emphasizing the heart attitude: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). The Christian has blessed joy on earth when his priorities are straight, and a knowledge and application of the Ten Commandments is a wholesome and desirable practice for spiritually-minded New Testament believers in Christ.

"Brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He consecrated for us..." Hebrews 10:19-20

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Last updated on: 7/09/03