12/14/17 – Eph 6:2-3
The Ten Commandments, Pt.
36
Conclusion, Pt 2 - Jesus' Application of the Commandments.
Lesson # 17-133
Conclusion, Pt 2 - Jesus' Application of the Commandments.
Lesson # 17-133
Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard
Grace Fellowship Church
Before we
begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, (If You have - Trusted
in Him for Eternal Life), it is important to prepare yourself to: Take-in God’s
Word and/or Participate in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite,
or acknowledge your sins privately, directly to God the Father. This will
assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father & the Holy Spirit’s
convicting ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the
real teacher.
1 John 1:9 says— “If we confess [simply
name, cite, or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
[all unknown & forgotten sins].”
For those of you who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior, please see: The Salvation Message @ the
end of this document.
2 Pet 3:9, “The Lord is
not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward
you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
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The Doctrine of the Ten Commandments Related to the Church Age,
Part XXXVI.
Jesus
Christ’s Application of the Commandments.
In conclusion to our summary of this doctrine where we are looking
at the forest of God’s great plan for our lives, taking a step back from the
trees of His Ten Commandments, we conclude by reviewing Jesus’ application of
these commandments in the Gospels.
At the end of the giving of the Ten Commandments, the people stood
in fear and trembling, Ex 20:18-21.
They had a sense of awe toward God. And from reading the rest of the OT, we
know that they also failed repeatedly. Even their mediator, Moses, would fail.
However, there is a greater mediator who did not fail; the Lord Jesus Christ.
These Ten Commandments point us to the Savior.
1. Christ was “born under the law, to redeem those under the law,”
Gal 4:4-5.
2. He fulfilled the law in every respect, Mat 5:17-18.
3. He paid the penalty of the law and bore the curse of the law on
the Cross, Gal 3:10-14; Col 2:13-14.
We cannot keep God’s law perfectly. We need another to do this for
us. The law drives us to Jesus for forgiveness and a new heart, and the Spirit
then empowers for obedience. While in this life, we cannot keep the law
perfectly and are always in need of grace; we are never crushed by the law, because there is no condemnation for those in Christ
Jesus, Rom 8:1, because the weight
has been lifted. Therefore, we are able to delight in God’s law, and we do not
see His commandments as burdensome, 1
John 5:3.
Our hope and power does not come from our law keeping but from His
law keeping. He lived the life we could not live, (keeping the law), then died
the death we should have died, (for our law breaking). That is why we love
Jesus.
In studying these Ten Commandments, we noted how Jesus applied
them during His ministry at His First Advent. They tell us about His love for
us, and the blessings we have received through Him.
The 1st Commandment, Ex 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Jesus applied this and the 2nd Commandment to rebuke
Satan after his third temptation in Mat
4:10; Luke 4:8.
Mat 4:10, “Then
Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD
YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY'.”
This is the positive response to the command of negation given in
the Decalogue. The first half of this phrase speaks to the “object” of our
worship; God. Jesus reminded Satan and us all that there is only one God in the
words, “the Lord your God” and “Him only.”
Therefore, there is only One God.
The 2nd Commandment, Ex 20:4-6, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness…5You
shall not worship them or serve them.”
In Mat 4:10; Luke 4:8, we also see the 2nd
Commandment being applied by Jesus that speaks of the “mode” of our veneration
towards the God; we are to worship and serve Him
Jesus said of the Church Age in, John 4:23-24, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people
the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24God is spirit, and those
who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (As opposed to an image
that is formed by man’s hands and worshipped).
This speaks to how we worship and serve God; utilizing our new
regenerated human spirit, (empowered by God the Holy Spirit), and by means of
the Word of God resident within our soul.
Jesus also reminded us in Mat
6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God
and mammon.”
Therefore, we are to worship and serve Him only. We worship and
serve God by means of the Holy Spirit through our human spirit and His Word /
Bible Doctrine resident within our souls.
The 3rd Commandment, Ex 20:7, “You shall not
take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”
In Mat 5:33-37, Jesus
talks about making “false oaths.” God
is the greatest being in the universe. His name is the greatest name and must
be honored as such. That is why the first petition in the Lord’s template prayer
is, “Hallowed be Your name,” Mat 6:9. It is to be honored, venerated,
and glorified. Making it worthless through a false oath or in vulgarity,
cheapens His name, which blasphemes God, cf. Mat 23:16-22; Lev 19:12.
Therefore, we are to honor and glorify Him in our personal
relationship with Him. We are to hold God in the highest regard in our lives.
The 4th Commandment, Ex 20:8-11, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
This Commandment emphasizes our relationship with God and the rest
we have in Him. Jesus performed several acts on the Sabbath to make the point
that He was, “the Lord of the Sabbath,”
Mat 12:1f. Through Him we have the
forgiveness of sins, a relationship with God and peace within our souls. He is
the Creator of the heavens and earth who rested on the 7th day and established
the 7th day Sabbath rest for Israel. In other words, He is God Himself, the
Sovereign over the Sabbath and not controlled by it, cf. Mark 2:27-28; cf.
John 1:3.
Mark 2:27-28, “Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made
for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord
even of the Sabbath’.” Cf. Luke 6:6.
Jesus’ healings on the Sabbath, Mark 3:1-5; Luke 6:6-10, reflect His work as God to free the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt and all of us from the slave market of sin. Deut 5:15, “by a mighty hand and by an
outstretched arm.”
Observance of the Sabbath was not about the act of resting, but
the relationship they had with God that they were supposed to enjoy on that
day.
In Summary, the Sabbath in relation to Jesus’ activities tells of
God’s Plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ:
a. His healings, Mat 12:9-13; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-5; John
5:1-17; 7:22-23; 9:14-16.
b. His teachings, Mat 24:20; Mark 1:21; Luke 4:31.
c. His Messiahship proclaimed, Luke 4:16f.
d. His death, as the
hypocritical Pharisees requested to kill Him while on the Cross by breaking His
legs, because of the impending Sabbath,
Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31, (this is not the 7th day
Sabbath, but the Sabbath related to the Feast of Passover.)
e. His burial, Mark 15:42-47 (cf. 16:1); John 19:31.
f. His resurrection, Mat 28:1;
Luke 23:56.
Jesus said in Mat 11:28,
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Therefore, we have rest in Him, i.e., been saved from our sins
through Him.
The 5th Commandment, Ex 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother.”
Five times it is used in the Gospels describing two events of
Jesus Christ.
1. Rebuking human works, traditions, and religion, Mat 15:4; Mark 7:10.
2. Regarding the way for salvation; not by keeping the Law, Mat 19:19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20,
(rich young ruler).
To the rich young ruler, Jesus mentioned 5 of the last 6 of the
Ten Commandments, because they all related to the horizontal relationships of
life; behavior toward others. The issue was salvation, eternal life. Rather
than having faith in God and Christ for salvation, this man trusted in his own
works. Human works can only take you so far, and human works will only let you go
so far. They will never take you all the way to salvation and eternal life.
Only by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone is anyone saved, Eph 2:8-9.
Therefore, we are not saved by our human good works.
The 6th Commandment, Ex 20:13; Deut 5:17, “You shall not murder.”
This commandment is first used in Mat 5:21f, in the Sermon on the Mount, to emphasize the inner man,
where sin and human good works emanate from.
This too was used by Jesus speaking
to the rich young man to refute human good works for salvation. Mat 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20.
Jesus also stated that murder has a father, (and lying, 10th).
His name is Satan / the devil who brought death to all of mankind and wants to
steal their eternal life, John 8:44.
John 8:44, “You
are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your
father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth
because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Then Jesus noted the first account of death in the human race,
which highlights what human good works and sin bring to mankind; death, Mat 23:35; Luke 11:51. Cf. Gen 4:5-8.
Therefore, human good works and sin emanate from the inner man and
bring death to mankind.
The 7th Commandment, Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18, “You shall not commit adultery.”
The first time “adultery,” is used in the NT is by Jesus in the
Sermon on the Mount, Mat 5:27-28,
telling us of the genesis of sin being in the mentality of our souls.
Mat 15:19, “For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, slanders.”
In Mat 19:18; Mark 10:19;
Luke 18:20, the episode of the rich young ruler again emphasized that
salvation is not based on works.
In John 8:3-4, Jesus
taught about love and forgiveness, as well as the sin of self-righteous
arrogance, when the Pharisees were trying to entrap Him using the Law regarding
adultery. This is when Jesus responded, “he
who is without sin cast the first stone.”
In Mat 12:39; 16:4, our
Lord rebukes the Pharisees who were looking for Him to perform a sign or
miracle. Because they did not believe in Him through faith, they are classed, “an evil and adulterous generation,”
meaning they trusted in other things, (their eyes, their emotions, etc.) rather
than God, which made them idolaters.
In Mark 8:38, Jesus
commanded that we put aside the things of this world and take up our Cross and
follow Him. If we do not, we are an adulterer towards God, (idolater).
In Luke 18:11, Jesus told a parable about a self-righteous
Pharisee who thanked God in his prayer at the Temple that he was not a MOICHOS, (adulterer), like all the others,
yet his pride caused God to reject him.
That is why in Mat 5:32;
Luke 16:18, Jesus taught on divorce where adultery is a bona fide basis for
divorce. Yet, the spiritual analogy is our adultery / idolatry against God that
causes Him to reject us.
Therefore, God’s love and forgiveness gives us salvation; those
who reject Him are adulterers to God – idolaters, rejected by Him.
The 8th Commandment, Ex 20:15, “You shall not steal.”
The Commandment is given in the listing to the rich young ruler to
show that no one is saved by the Law / human good works, Mat 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20.
The heart issue continues, as it is first used by Jesus to exhort
men to not store up the treasures of this world, but to store up treasures in
heaven, Mat 6:19-20. Vs. 21, “For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In other word, produce
Divine good / the fruit of the Spirit to receive blessings for both time and
eternity, 1 Cor 3:10-15.
The next two verses give the negative / sinful aspect of a man’s
heart that is focused on the world.
Mat 15:19, “For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, (KLOPE), false witness, slanders.”
Mark 7:21-23, “For
from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, (KLOPE), murders, adulteries, 22deeds
of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy,
slander, pride and foolishness. 23All
these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
In John 10:10, our Lord
used it to compare Himself to the false teachers / Pharisees who were robbing
people of salvation and eternal life; whereas, Jesus came to “give life” so
that they could “have it abundantly.”
John
10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they
may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Finally, the hypocritical Pharisees used it in Mat 27:64, regarding the Lord’s tomb
where His body was laid, which the Pharisee thought Jesus’ disciples would rob
to falsify His resurrection, cf. Mat
28:13.
Therefore, Jesus gives life abundantly and with it we are to
produce Divine good, the fruit of the Spirit, from the inner man.
The 9th Commandment, Ex 20:16, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
The commandment is first used in the story of the rich young ruler
in Mat 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke
18:18-25, refuting human good works for salvation.
Also, once again, in Mat
15:19, the false witness is used as one of the evil emanations of the human
heart that defile an individual.
Mat 15:19-20, “For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, slanders. 20These are the things which defile
the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
The concept is first used by Jesus in Mat 5:11, “Blessed are you when men cast
insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely, on account of Me.” Here those who are persecuted via lies on
account of their relationship with Jesus are blessed.
Jesus Himself became the object of persecution by “false
witnesses,” Mark 14:56-57; Mat 26:59,
by those who desired to have Jesus executed. They purposefully sought out false
testimony that could be used to build a case against Him.
Mat 26:59, “Now
the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony
against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death.”
Mark 14:56-57, “For
many were giving false testimony against Him, and yet their testimony
was not consistent. 57And some stood up and began to give
false testimony against Him.”
Like murder, the 6th Commandment, the one who lies is
of his father the devil and practices lying, John 8:44.
John 8:44, “You
are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your
father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks
from his own nature; for he is a liar (PSEUSTES), and the father of it, (lies).”
Therefore, when we are falsely persecuted on account of Jesus, we
are blessed, (suffering for blessing).
The 10th Commandment, Ex 20:17, “You shall not covet…”
In the first NT utilization of the
principle of “coveting,” Jesus enlarged on all of the commandments utilizing
“coveting / lusting” in reference to being the genesis of all sins, because
they emanate from within a man’s heart, Mat 5:21-48.
Mat 5:28, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman
with lust (EPITHUMEO) for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.”
It too is used in the list of Mat
15:19, regarding where sin emanates from, “evil thoughts.”
Mat 15:19, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”
Jesus made the point that the
sins that defile a person are sins coming from untamed desires in the heart, Mark 7:20-22; Luke 12:15.
Mark 7:20-23, “And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of
the man, that is what defiles the man. 21For from within, out of the
heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders,
adulteries, 22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as
well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23All
these evil things proceed from within and defile the man".”
Jesus warned that covetousness destroys
Bible Doctrine in the soul and leads to a lack of Divine good production, Mark
4:19.
Mark 4:19, “The worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it
becomes unfruitful.”
Jesus also warns us to guard our hearts against covetousness and
the false hope of the riches of this world, Luke 12:15.
Luke 12:15, “Then
He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of
greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of
his possessions".”
Therefore, we are warned to not allow the lust pattern of the sin
nature control our souls, and trust in the false hope of the things of this
world.
So in summary, Jesus’ application of the Ten Commandments tells
us:
1st There is only One God.
2nd We are to worship and serve Him only.
3rd We are to honor and glorify Him in our personal
relationship with Him.
4th We have rest in Him, i.e., been saved from our sins
through Him.
5th We are not saved by our human good works.
6th Human good works and sin emanate from the inner man
and bring death to mankind.
7th God’s love and forgiveness gives us salvation;
those who reject Him are adulterers to God – idolaters, rejected by Him.
8th Jesus gives life abundantly and with it we are to
produce Divine good, the fruit of the Spirit, from the inner man.
9th When we are falsely persecuted on account to Jesus,
we are blessed, (suffering for blessing).
10th We are warned to not allow the lust pattern of the
sin nature control our souls and trust in the false hope of the things of this
world.
Therefore, rejoice that you have a Savior who lived for you and
died for you. And by the power of the Spirit, as a new creation, live out these
commands to the glory of our great and awesome God.
Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone. (Augustus Toplady, “Rock of Ages”)
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A
PERSONAL NOTE FOR YOU
John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.”
Notice again
what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have;” it says,
“has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of
everlasting life, you have it, and it can never be lost or taken away from you [John 10:28-29]. Furthermore, the gift
of everlasting life [also called eternal life in Scripture] is available to
every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but
he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any
man should boast.”
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell
you that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you.
God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only Son
for you by sending Him to the Cross. At the Cross Jesus died in your place.
Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of my sins. He was judged for our
sins and paid the price for our sins. Therefore, our sins will never be held
against us.
Right
where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest decision in
your life. To accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life by truly
believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised on the third day
as the proof of the promise of eternal life. So right now, you can pause and
reflect on what Christ has done for you and say to the Father:
"Yes
Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ,
died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."
If you have done that, I Welcome You to the Eternal
Family of God !!!
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Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762
Copyright © 2001 - 2017.
Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
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