Exodus 20:1-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

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.

We were given the Ten Commandments. If they were enough to live by then why are there 613 laws in the Torah? It would seem that our understanding of sin is more complicated than we would like to think. Why do we end up with so many laws? Why not simplify the problem into one concise comment that covers everything?

God did that in verse 3 above. Do not put anything before our relationship. Jesus summed it up perfectly when about the greatest commandment.

Mark 12:30 (ESV) 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.

Jesus expanded on the first commandment of the ten to include how to obey that command. Our problem isn’t love, heart, mind, soul or strength. Our problem is with all. There is no room for anything personal or private in this commandment. Any part of your love, heart, mind, soul or strength that is withheld from God is failing to obey the commandment and is therefore sin. That is a tough definition and many will reject it.

Here is a little unspoken truth that might help. Laws are written for the lawless. They are written to act like a mirror so that we can see what we are without Jesus Christ in our lives. The lawless need Jesus.

Mark 2:17 (ESV) And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Remember that Jesus said this before the Cross so it was applied without the atoning work that happened at the Cross of Christ. We are all unrighteous before the Cross. What we acquired after the Cross by faith makes all the difference in the commandment. It removes the demand for all.

Romans 6:11 (ESV) So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

If you call out to a dead person they do not answer. If sin calls out to us we have to consider a number of things in order to decide whether or not to respond. What Paul is saying here in this verse is that you do not have to respond to sin just because it calls to you. It no longer has any power over you and you are free to ignore sin.

The primary definition of consideration is careful thought, typically over a period of time. It is said to be similar to deliberation, reflection, contemplation and cognition. It has a secondary meaning which is payment or reward.

Romans 6:23 (ESV) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do we consider this when sin comes knocking?

1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Do we consider this when sin comes knocking?

Ezekiel 33:31 (ESV) And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Do you consider that others that try and tempt you only want to use you? They have no real love for you. If you see that how do you respond?

Luke 6:28 (ESV) bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Do you consider how the Lord wants you to act on these occasions?

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.