Introduction To The Ten Commandments: Law And Grace Series

Romans 2:14-16 (NKJV) 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

1. Every human being is responsible to the Law of God and will be held accountable.

Romans 2:17-20 (NKJV) 17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.

2. The Law functions as a light to show people the way to grace.

Romans 3:20 (NKJV) Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

3. The Law helps us understand what is right and wrong. It is the core of morality or the lack thereof.

Romans 8:2-4 (NKJV) 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 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.

4. The Law cannot save.

Romans 10:4 (NKJV) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

5. The Law leads us to our need for Jesus Christ and his grace that saves.

Romans 7:23 (NKJV) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

6. After salvation The Law begins to help us in our spiritual growth.

Romans 8:2 (NKJV) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

7. We have made the transition from being responsible to the Law to being responsible to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ Raised the Expectation of The Ten Commandments

Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus made the hardwire connection between the Law and Prophets with his two Great Commandments when he stated that they summarize both. Consider what I call the Ten Commandments Cross: Again, the first three commandments are symbolized by the vertical part of the cross representing an individual's relationship with God. The last six commandments are symbolized by the horizontal part of the cross representing an individual's relationship with people. However, returning to the fourth commandment, it is symbolized by the intersection of the vertical and horizontal parts of the cross representing God's greatest desire for mankind: to worship God together in harmony and restorative relationships.