Are the Ten Commandments still relevant today?

Did Jesus Abolish the Law?

Many Christians wonder whether Jesus abolished the law when He came to earth. Yet in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ addressed this question directly. His words leave no room for doubt.

Jesus declared, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law… I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). The Savior did not annul the Ten Commandments. Instead, He fulfilled the law by living it out perfectly, revealing its deeper meaning, and showing what obedience looks like when expressed through love.

Jesus Came to Magnify the Law

When Jesus said He came to “fulfill” the law, He did not mean to end it. The biblical meaning of “fulfill” is to fill full-to give the law its complete expression. Isaiah foretold this when he wrote, “He will magnify the law and make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21).

Jesus did this by revealing the spiritual depth behind each commandment. For example, the command “You shall not murder” includes wrongful anger and hatred. Jesus said, “Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:22). The command “You shall not commit adultery” includes impure thoughts. Jesus taught, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

By enlarging the law’s meaning, Jesus showed that obedience involves more than outward actions-it involves purity of heart.

Jesus Taught That the Commandments Are Necessary for Eternal Life

When the rich young ruler asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus answered plainly: “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). When the man asked, “Which ones?” Jesus quoted directly from the Ten Commandments: “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “Honor your father and your mother,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:18-19).

Jesus summarized the last six commandments with the principle, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). He summarized the first four commandments by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… soul… and mind” (Matthew 22:37-38). Love does not replace the commandments-it fulfills them (Romans 13:8-10). True love always leads to obedience.

God’s Law Cannot Change

If the Ten Commandments could be altered or abolished, God would have changed them after Adam and Eve sinned. That would have removed the need for Christ’s sacrifice. But the very fact that God sent His Son to die shows that the law could not be changed. Sin’s penalty had to be paid, and only Christ could do so.

The Ten Commandments are not arbitrary rules. They are a revelation of God’s character, which never changes. Scripture says: “All His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever” (Psalm 111:7-8). “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips” (Psalm 89:34). Jesus said, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail” (Luke 16:17).

The law reflects God’s holiness, justice, and love. Because His character is eternal, His law is unchanging.

Jesus’ Life Demonstrated Perfect Obedience

Christ did more than teach obedience-He lived it. He said, “I have kept My Father’s commandments” (John 15:10). His sinless life is the perfect example of how the law looks when written on the heart. Romans 8:3-4 explains that God sent His Son so “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Christ obeyed the law perfectly so that through the Holy Spirit, believers can also walk in obedience.

Grace Does Not Abolish the Law

Some misunderstand Paul’s words, “You are not under law but under grace,” believing this means Christians no longer need to keep the commandments. But Paul immediately clarified his meaning: “Shall we sin [break the law], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Romans 6:15). Being “under law” means being under its condemnation. Being “under grace” means being forgiven and empowered to obey.

Grace pardons sin, breaks sin’s power, and writes God’s law on the heart (Hebrews 8:10). Grace does not give permission to sin. Instead, it gives the believer a double obligation to obey-both out of gratitude and through divine strength. Paul wrote with clarity, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31). Faith does not nullify obedience-it strengthens it.

The Ten Commandments in the New Testament

Every one of the Ten Commandments appears in the New Testament either quoted directly or reaffirmed through moral teaching. The apostles consistently upheld God’s law as the standard of holy living. Examples include: Romans 7:7 – “You shall not covet,” Romans 13:9 – Paul lists several commandments and says all are “summed up” by loving one’s neighbor, 1 John 3:4 – “Sin is the transgression of the law,” and James 2:10-12 – believers are judged by the “royal law” of the Ten Commandments.

Obedience is not legalism when it is the fruit of a converted heart. Jesus said plainly, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Obedience Through Christ’s Power

God never asks His children to keep the law in their own strength. Human effort alone is insufficient (John 15:5). But the good news is that Jesus enables the believer to obey. Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). The Holy Spirit writes God’s commandments on the heart so that obedience becomes a joyful expression of love (Hebrews 8:10). The law shows what righteousness looks like; grace supplies the power to live it.

Conclusion

Jesus did not abolish the Ten Commandments. He magnified them, fulfilled them, and taught that they remain binding for all time. The law reflects God’s eternal character and cannot be changed. Grace does not cancel the law-it empowers obedience. Through Christ, the very righteousness of the law can be fulfilled in the believer. Those who love Christ will joyfully walk in His commandments, not to earn salvation, but because they are saved.