Whatever Happened to the Ten Commandments?

Conclusion

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.
But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more
(Rom. 5:20).

We have considered the duties required by the Ten Commandments, and surely all will agree that no person has performed or can perform these duties. There is no power in the commandments to perform the duties required. We have considered the sins forbidden in the Ten Commandments, and must admit that we are guilty! We find no power in the commandments to enable us not to sin. Therefore, again we must say that we are guilty law-breakers and have no hope of being saved by perfectly obeying the Ten Commandments. Likewise, the law of ceremonies was never intended to save anyone. The ceremonies were pictures to set forth the way of salvation; but ceremonies were not themselves the way but a map, a model of the road but not the road itself. When the Ten Commandments were announced by God, he knew that everyone to whom he gave them had already broken them and could not claim justification by keeping them. He never intended the Ten Commandments to be a way of sabration. In fact, He had revealed his covenant of grace and the way of faith hundreds of years earlier to his servant Abraham. The Ten Commandments were not meant to negate, replace, or change the ancient assertion: Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness? (Rom. 4:3). 'The just shall live by faith' (Rom. 1:17).

God sent the commandments into the world and addressed them to every creature so that an offence might be seen to be an offence. The commandments increase the sinfulness of sin by removing all excuses and ignorance of our duty. The commandments do not make us sinful, but they do display our sinfulness. In the presence of this perfect standard we see our imperfections, our shortcomings, yes, our sinfulness.

Thus, the commandments become like a mirror by which we can see the spots of dirt on our face, but we do not wash our face with the mirror. Just so, the commandments do not make us clean; they show us that we need cleansing and prompt us to seek cleansing. Our Saviour is the only one who can change us. He alone can say, 'You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you' (John 15:3). He alone has the water that cleanses. He said to the poor sinful woman at Jacob?s well, 'Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst' (John 4:14). Reader, if you come short of Christ, you miss the intent and design of the Ten Commandments. Romans 5:20 makes it very clear that God gave the law so that the offence might be seen and felt to be an offence, and might abound.

The following statements can be taken as axioms, as things self-evident: There can be no grace where there is no guilt.

There can be no mercy where there is no sin.

There can be just benevolence, but there cannot be mercy L1ttless there is criminality. Conclusion

If you are not a sinner, God cannot have mercy upon you, because where misery is not felt, mercy will not be regarded.

If you have never sinned, God cannot display pardoning mercy toward you for there is nothing to pardon.

It is double-talk to speak of forgiving a man who has done no wrong or of bestowing undeserved favour upon a person who deserves reward.

It would be an insult to innocence to offer it mercy. None will seek mercy until he first pleads guilty Then, only the free, rich, sovereign grace of God can save him.

One of the principal purposes of the Ten Commandments is to show sinners that they have sinned and have need of forgiveness, pardon, grace, and mercy. We can preach forgiveness, mercy, and grace until we are hoarse, but those who think that they have never broken the law and are not guilty will never embrace our message of grace and forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Let me ask, who can lay his own character down side by side with the two tablets of divine precepts without at once being convinced that he has fallen far short of that holy standard of righteousness? Our comeliness utterly fades away when the commandments shine their spiritual light on us. On the other hand, a proper use of the law will make a person always hold tenaciously to salvation by grace alone. The Ten Commandments show every creature that all have sinned and need a Saviour.

Study each commandment separately as to our duty to our Creator and to our fellow creatures and as to our sins against the Judge of all the earth. As you study each precept separately, you will find that in these ten short precepts you have all the moral virtues, the full compass of your accountability to your Maker and your neighbour. The essence of all just decrees and statutes is found in the Ten Commandments.

If the whole human race had kept the Ten Command- ments, not violating one, the law would not stand in so splendid a position of honour as it does today when the man Christ Jesus has rendered satisfaction to it. God incarnate has in his life, and yet more in his death, revealed the supremacy of the law; He has shown that not even sovereignty can set aside justice. Who shall say a word against the law to which the Lawgiver himself submits? God the Father demanded the perfection of the law from His own dear Son.

In a sermon on Galatians 3:24-25 entitled 'The Stern Pedagogue', C. H. Spurgeon made the following statement:

And remember, last of all, that the law which is so sharp and terrible to men when it only deals with them for their good, will, if you and I die without being brought to Christ, be much more terrible to us in eternity, when it deals with us in justice for our punishment. Then it will not be enshrined in the body of Moses, but, terrible to tell, it will be incarnate in the person of the Son of God sitting upon the throne. He will be at once the Lawgiver, the Judge, and the Saviour; and you that have despised him as the Saviour will have to appear before him as your Judge. No such judge as he, his justice will be clear and undiluted now that his mercy has been scorned. Oil is soft, but set it on fire, and see how it burns! Love is sweet, but curdle it to jealousy, and see how sour it is! If you turn the Lamb of Zion into the Lion of the tribe of Judah, beware, for he will tear you in pieces, and there shall be none to deliver. Rejected love will change its hand. The pierced hand was outstretched with invitations of mercy, but if these be rejected - Oh, sirs, I am telling you solemn truth, and hear it, I pray you, ere I send you away' if, from that hand that was pierced, you will not take the perfect salvation which he is prepared to give to all who confess their guilt, you will have to receive from that selfsame hand the blows of that iron rod which shall break you in pieces as a potter's vessel. Fly now and kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him! Amen.

Before I conclude, let me issue a solemn call and invitation to all the poor lawbreakers who read these words. Be sure of this, you will not get to heaven by keeping the commandments; you are a guilty lawbreaker and need pardon, forgiveness, and mercy. Any serious consideration of the Ten Commandments will make every honest person cry out, 'Oh, the load of guilt that is on my soul! My head and my heart are full of sin. Oh, my sins! Every commandment takes hold upon me; how great then is the sum of my guilt!'

The commandments should cause every lawbreaker to cry out, 'Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly to my rescue. Save me, Lord, or I will perish.'

Our Lord's invitations are as wide as the needs of man. Let me quote just one such invitation:

Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price...
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you?
The sure mercies of David (Isa. 55:1, 3).

Only Christ can save you from the hand of justice. He alone will be your protection from the arm of the law. Oh, reader, if you have any pity for your poor, perishing soul, close with the present offers of mercy. Do not shut the doors of mercy against yourself, but rather repent and be converted.