Why Did God Give the 10 Commandments?
God gave us the 10 Commandments as a shield for us from pain and suffering. The law has very practical value in this world. God’s commandments are good (Romans 7:12). And it will always go better for us and for others in the long run if we obey them.
Consider the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17). What would society be like without these principles? Aren’t you glad that God has commanded that no one is allowed to murder you? Of course, people don’t always obey God’s law. And that always causes problems. In fact, every problem that our society faces can be traced back to disobedience to God’s law.
How different would our world be if everyone obeyed God’s commandments perfectly? Since there would be no theft, there would be no need for locks on doors. You would never have to worry about protecting your home. There would be no police for security, yet everyone would be perfectly safe. Written contracts would be unnecessary since no one would ever lie. The list goes on. Sadly, the world in which we live falls short from God’s ideal standard.
God Gives the Power to Keep the Law
No soul can ever keep one of those 10 Commandments in human power alone, but all of them may be kept through the enabling strength of Jesus. Having conquered the devil, showing that in the flesh the law can be obeyed, Christ now offers to come into our hearts and share His victory with us. Only by His strength and indwelling power can the requirements of the law be fulfilled by anyone.
Paul declares triumphantly, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). In Christ there is power to fulfill duty, energy to resist temptation, patience to endure affliction without complaint. In Him, there is grace to do His will, courage to face the future and love to serve others.
Doing God’s Will Is Easy
Jesus said, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). He who genuinely loves the Lord will be happy to do His will (Psalms 40:8). Those who take the “yoke” of yielding their will to Christ, who “come” to “learn” in His school, will find the “rest” of soul that He has promised. The heavy burden of legalism, of trying to attain salvation by works supposedly earned by one’s own works rather than the merit of Christ blood, and the still heavier burden of sin itself, will all be gone. Christ will do the works of righteousness in the believer’s life (Hebrews 13:21).
All what the believer needs to do is to abide in Christ by daily study of His Word and prayer. And the Lord will do the work of character transformation in his life. Jesus promised, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
