The Ten Commandments 1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 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 the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “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. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10but 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, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” – EXODUS 20:1-17 When I was in college, I had a fellow hurdler who was a staunch believer in Jesus. At the time I did not believe in Jesus. At every practice as we were stretching as a team, this fellow hurdler named Bill would try to evangelize me. He would tell me every day that I was going to hell and that I was breaking the commandments. He would list out the ones he felt I was breaking. He may have been speaking truth, but I remember when he would bring up the Ten Commandments I would cringe. This was because I saw them as a list of God’s “do’s and don’ts”. I had a lot to learn. I really thought the Ten Commandments were in place to make me feel guilt and shame. To me they were arbitrary rules, and they had no function in my life. Bill only perpetuated this thought in my mind. Boy, was I wrong and had a lot to learn. I did come to faith later at 23, and through the years of my learning, I now see the Ten Commandments as statements that show me how to love. The first three, the first table of the law, help me learn how to love God. The last 7, the second table of the law, help me learn how to love my neighbor. I first love God through putting Him first, not using His name in wrong ways, and by taking a day of rest focused on Him. Doing this prepares me to then love my neighbor by not murdering, committing adultery, stealing, or bearing false witness. These laws help me to see God and my neighbor as the most significant relationships in my life. It is by following these laws that I show the love of Christ in my life, especially as I worship Him and I am conscious of how my choices and actions impact my neighbors. I am reminded of the words of Jesus when He boils down these Ten Commandments into two, from the Gospel of Mark Chapter 12: “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” So, Bill was speaking truth to me, yet he did not seem that loving! I do believe that the Spirit might have worked a little during those times. But it was the love shown to me by my wife Sherrill and her family that allowed me to come to faith and truly believe. God calls us to love our neighbor. Yes, that means speaking truth — but with gentleness and respect. I am thankful that I now understand what a blessing the Ten Commandments are as they inform my life and actions as I love God and my neighbors. As you reflect on this week’s scripture and these thoughts, respond to the following: 1. What has been your experience with the Ten Commandments? How have they impacted your life and your faith walk? 2. As you think about the impact of God’s Law and the Good News of the Gospel, how can you respond to God in relationship with Him? How can you live it out in your life and share about it with others – with your neighbor? Connect with more information about the Love For All Weekly Devotion and additional resources at SPLDECATUR.ORG/LOVEFORALL and SHARE your thoughts, questions, and prayers with us HERE.