How Moral Are You?
Before we start this lesson, let's take a quick quiz on the Ten Commandments so we have a baseline to measure from.
Test Your 10 Commandments Knowledge?
Some questions have more than one correct answer. This is an open-book test.
1. Which Abrahamic religion has the most Commandments?*1
A. Catholic B. Protestant C. Muslim D. Jewish
2. How many commands are in the Ten Commandments?
A. 10 B. 12 C. 613 D. None, just suggestions
3. Which of the following is not in the Ten Commandments? *2
A. Honor thy father B. Don't kill C. Don't swear D. Don't steal
4. How are we to say God's name?
A. Never use it B. Only in church C. Never in vain D. Only with friends
5. Are Graven images forbidden by the Catholic and Protestant Commandments?
A. Not by the Catholic's B. Yes, by the Protestants C. Yes by both D. Neither in either
6. What day is to be remembered?
A. Sunday, unless Jewish B. Christmas C. Easter D. None of these answers
7. What commandment forbids other Gods?
A. First B. All of them C. None of them D. The last one
8. What are we not to bear?
A. Arms against enemies B. Our bodies C. False witness D. Too much grief
9. Which is the commandment with a promise?*3
A. Third B. Honoring parents C. No promises D. Fifth
10. Beside twice in the Old Testament, where is the list of the 10 Commandments in the New Testament?
A. Exodus B. Matthew C. Luke D. No where
11. Which commandment(s) covers coveting?
A. All of them B. 6 &10 for Catholics C. None D. The Last One
12. Even if you break all the commandments and don't believe in Jesus, will you go to heaven?*4
A. Yes B. No Way Jose C. If I'M Good D. If I believe in god
13. Are all the Commandments righteous?*5
A. Some are B. Mostly C. No D. Yes
14. Why should we keep the Sabbath day holy?
A. It's The Lord's Day B. He worked 6 days then rested. C. So we can rest and Praise God
15. How many commandments do we need to keep to become an angel?
A. None B. All C. Most of them D. Only 1, 4, and 6
16. How many correct answers do you need to qualify to reside in heaven or the new earth for eternity?
A. Most of them B. None C. 50% D. Only the first
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Abbreviated Catholic Ten Commandments
1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day
4. Honor your father and your mother
5. You shall not kill
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods
Abbreviated Protestant Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no other gods but me.
2. You shall not make unto you any graven images
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
4. You shall remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
5. Honor your mother and father
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor
Abbreviated Islam Ten Commandments
1. Allah said: Your God is one God. There is no God but him, the Gracious, the Merciful.
2. Allah said: Do not call upon another god alongside. There is no God but him.
3. Allah said: Unto Allah belong the best names, so call upon him by them and leave those who violate the sanctity of his names.
4. Allah said: O you who believe, when the prayer is announced on Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.
5. Allah said: Worship Allah and associate nothing with him, and be good to parents and relatives.
6. Allah said: The believers are those who do not call upon another god alongside Allah or kill the soul which Allah has made sacred except by right of justice.
7. Allah said: Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is immoral and an evil way.
8. Allah said: Do not consume the wealth of each other in falsehood.
9. Allah said: O you who believe, fear Allah and always speak the truth.
10. Allah said: Do they envy people for what Allah has given them of his bounty?
How many did you answer correctly?
If Jesus did not die for the sins of the world and you missed one answer would God fail you? Imagine arriving at heaven's door with a big “F” on your chest. After all, doesn't the Bible say in James 2:10, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all?” I don't see any possibility Jesus was alluding to a Bell Curve here. Do you?
But guess what? No miss-answered question here will prevent you from staying in heaven.
So if you missed any questions in this quiz, it's no big deal. Even if you have broken every Commandment in the past, your salvation lies in your faith in the promise of Christ Jesus.
Lucky for you, but not so lucky for Adam and Eve who found themselves expelled from the Garden of Paradise because of her and his mistake. They went from an eternal life here on earth to a sentence of death for their one mistake. Yes, God can seem harsh—but God dispenses justice.
Are You Honestly Assessing Yourself?
In the bluntness of all honesty, we have all sinned. I've sinned, you've sinned. Me more than you or you more than me, does not matter one iota. God would know all of our sins but for the sake of Jesus, they remain unnoticed. Have you ever committed a sin? Sure! Have you lied? Sure! Which of the seven deadly sins would you exempt yourself from; Pride, Greed, Wrath, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, or Sloth?
Or how about the other things that are an abomination to God, a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wickedness, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and a person that sows discord. Of that last list, can you tell which one sin causes two abominations? Give up, or did you see it? Maybe you noticed numbers two and six both reflect the sin of lying, except one is lying most of the time and the other is a witness that lies to cause the truth to be disguised and get someone in trouble.
Keep in mind that no matter how you stack up against the virtues of God or other standards, none of those will be your ticket to dwell in heaven. While writing this lesson, I noticed Aristotle listed twelve virtues; Courage, Temperance, Charity, Charisma, Generosity, Ambition, Patience, Friendliness, Truthfulness, Wit (humor), Modesty, and Justice. Yet, most Catholics and Protestants list only seven Heavenly Virtues; Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence. Also, I stumbled across the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, which are a medieval list of things you can do to help others; Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Give shelter to strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, minister to prisoners, and bury the dead. These virtues or mercies are certainly good things and benefit you and our fellow humans—but these do not reflect the standards you will be judged by.
Where Is Your Acceptance, Not Of God, But To God?
The Bible says in Job 19:29, “Be afraid of the sword for yourselves; For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, That you may know there is a judgment.” This is reinforced in Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Romans 2:12 says, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” But many people plead, “I'm a good and generous person, surely, I'll get into heaven. Others plead I go to church several times a year, that makes me a Christian, doesn't it? Still, more might plead, “I've never hurt anyone, so I think I'm good-to-go!
Those folks are wrong. Based on those factors alone, hell is the place they are good-to-go-to. And there, they will find an eternal separation from God. Just being 'good' and going to church isn't your ticket. First Peter 4:17 details, “For the time comes that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” But good deeds, done not for boasting, will lead to treasures stored up in heaven for Christians. Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from our Father in heaven.”
Romans 2:16 relates, “God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” Jesus is coming soon. Hebrews 10:31 rightly says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” What will you say when you kneel before Christ? All excuses will be worth less than dust. If only a list of your deeds are presented before Him, they will provide no foundation for salvation. What hope will you have? There is only one way you can change the fate of judgments. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Bible teaches in Colossians 2:14 that when Jesus died on the cross He was, blotting out the laws that are against us. He was then raised from the dead that we might be raised in the newness of life. When your sins are forgiven by Jesus then your life is His, and you will stand fearless of death and judgment. Take comfort in the spoken Word of Jesus as seen in John 8:31-32. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Are You Moral?
To be good means to be morally honorable. So, what is it that makes you morally honorable or good? Possibly an even better question is this: how good does a person have to be—to be truly good in God's eyes? All must realize that in spite of all the good qualities anyone has, he or she is not good enough for God on their own. Jim Dandy deeds do not erase or make up for sin. The fact that mankind can be caring and charitable does not paint over our sins with an innocent brush.
How about you? You might be asking yourself, “Did I ever kill anyone? No, but maybe, in anger, you thought about it!” Did you know that anger itself condemns? One day Jesus spoke to this very topic. He said, as documented by Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Any person who commits murder will be judged.’ But I tell you, don’t be angry with anyone. If you are angry with others, you will be judged. And if you insult someone, you will be judged by the high court. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fires of hell
With or without cause, have you ever been angry at someone or God? How many good deeds can you accomplish that would erase a single outburst? So Jesus considered unrighteous anger to be the same as breaking the Commandment, thou shall not murder.
One time Jesus was approached by a man who asked, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” I'll paraphrase His response by saying, “Why do you call me good? There is none good but One, that one is God. But if you wish everlasting life, keep the commandments.” Which, in and of themselves, still doesn't work unless your faith is placed on the promises of the Messiah.
How many commandments have you disregarded or shattered? 1 John 3:4 says, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” God's law is perfect. Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” When have you been perfect? God's law tells us not to steal, lie, or even covet. How many times have you lied, stolen, coveted, hated, lusted, or the like? Jesus said, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Break your sinful habits or risk becoming the servant of the serpent Satan.
It does not matter if you have done a million good deeds. It's our sinful deeds that stain our shameful cloaks when we come to be judged. That is why Jesus came to earth and suffered for the sins of the world—to provide a single, narrow path for our absolute forgiveness, past, present, and future. If not for Christ, we are condemned.
Paul wrote in Romans chapter 5, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” That means that He can remove your sin even when you are not good. Admit that you are not worthy and believe in Christ Jesus. Then He will wash away your sins. Once you face the Holy Judge, you will appear righteous and need not fear eternal punishment. Asking Jesus for forgiveness is simple. Anything along the lines of the following will do. “Father God, I have sinned by breaking your commandments. I know you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins, and I'm eternally grateful. I know He died and rose again. I repent my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Jesus, come into my life and make me anew. I want to serve you for the rest of my life here and in heaven. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Becoming holy is the real goal of life here on earth. Do you live a holy life? People often tout that they are "saved." They say they know they are going to go to Heaven when they die, but the real point of concern is has Jesus made you holy?
Spiritual Holiness is the opposite of uncleanness. Romans 6:19 says, "As ye have yielded your member's servants to uncleanness—even so now yield your servants to righteousness unto holiness." 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Have you done that? Can you even do that? Yes, by believing in Jesus. Then you are cleansed from the filthiness of sin. According to 1 John 3:3 every person that is of God must become pure, "And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure." Have you purified yourself as God, Himself, is pure? Have you done that?
The Bible states Holiness is a requirement. Hebrews 12:14 makes that very clear. It says, "Those who are not holy will not see the Lord." Get it? If you aren't holy, you aren't going to be accepted into Heaven. It is one of the wonderful privileges promised in the Bible that people who go to Heaven will see God. 1 John 3:2 says, "We shall see him as he is." If you are not holy, you will not be there to see Him. Therefore, how does one become Holy?
First, you must repent the sins of your life. "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). This does not simply mean telling God you are sorry. This means that you must remove the sin from your life and do everything in your power not to repeat them. Pray incessantly and He will give you the power to do so. Do you socialize with unholy people? I know that there are times when we have little to no choice. There may be an ungodly co-worker who is simply unavoidable. That's not what I am writing about. I am specifying the ungodly people that we choose to allow in our lives. It might be a friend, male or female, or even a family member. If you want to live a more holy life, you must distance yourself from certain people. But before you do, reach out with the Word of God and try to make them disciples until you are rebuked beyond your patience. For that was a commandment from our Lord Jesus.
Examine your life and remove all unclean things. "Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." (2 Corinthians 6:17). This is an amazing promise, but it has a very important responsibility attached to it. Just look around you. What are the unclean things you cling to? What would happen if Jesus looked in your cabinets, closets, or the secret crevices of your mind? Would he find unclean things? What if he checked your internet history? Are your house and body prepared for inspection?
Give yourself completely to God. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is this: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). It isn't enough to simply remove ungodliness from our lives. We should also dedicate ourselves to serve God. Romans 12:1 says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God." Friends, if you do not take the necessary steps now and for the remainder of your earthly life, then you may miss all or most of what God has in store for you. Learn the ways of holiness. You only have one life in which to do so.
Your Future Is Known?
I don't know your past, but your future is known. Whether you are Christian, Catholic, atheist, or agnostic, without Jesus the path trotted is not to death, but into hell's fires for eternity. There is no arguing the fact that death is the end of your path on this earth. After this, you will stand before the Almighty God in judgment. The Bible says, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
When you stand before God, you will be judged based on your works. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). For Christians, the bad is sealed from God, and our good deeds will be rewarded. Make no mistake, this judgment will be thorough. You may get away with things on this earth, but there will be no hiding on that judgment day. Every lie you have told, every profanity loosed from your lips, every time you have slandered or gossiped, every time you have been drunk, and even a detailed record of your thoughts will be played before the judge of the universe.
“God's word slices through us to where the soul and the spirit dwell, then the thoughts and feelings of the unbelievers lay bare. Nothing on earth or heaven above can be concealed from God. Everything is clearly revealed before him. To the unbelievers, know that punishment is certain. Remember, everyone who does wrong will be punished for that wrong. Most likely, you have forgotten the majority of your sins. Your sins are recorded in a heavenly ledger. All of them, as are your good works. If not for Jesus, all sin would be exposed, for Revelation 20:12 reads, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
You may say, “I don't really have to worry about this because I believe in God.” Did you know that the devil believes in God? The Bible says so. "Thou believe that there is one God; thou does well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19). If you believe in God and the devil believes in God, what makes you different from him? I'll speak of one difference. Hopefully, you have placed your trust in Jesus. If you have not surrendered to repent before Christ, then there is definitely one critical similarity between you and the devil, both should fear God's wrath! The devil fears, do you? No Christian will need to if Romans 3 is fulfilled during your life. Therein verse 18 says, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
My advice is to seek God today. Isaiah 55:6-7 says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Most know of the two thieves crucified with Jesus. One of those thieves called on Christ and was promised paradise that very day! The other did not. Don't be like the thief that refused to repent! If you do, all that will be left for you is all of hell's fires and torment. Forever.
Read this prayer for all of us. Father God, we know that we have sinned. We have broken your commandments. We know that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. We believe that He died and rose again. Today we repent of our sins and ask that you please forgive us. Come into our lives and make us anew. I want to serve you for the rest of my life, and I want to go to heaven when I die. Thank you, Lord, for saving us. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
*1 The major Abrahamic religions are monotheistic religions that worship and endorse the God of the Biblical Abraham. These include Christianity (most all denominations), Islam, and Judaism. Less extensive Abrahamic religions are the Bahá'í Faith, the Druze, Samaritanism, and several others.
*2 Older versions of the Bible stated “do not kill” as a commandment. However, the newer versions translate it as “do not Murder” which has a considerably different meaning.
*3 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
*4 Since 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us; “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” This means to me, we all will be judged in Heaven. So everybody, good or bad goes to heaven—your personal situation lets Jesus decide if you stay there or go to hell. There will be no way to hide or skip it. We will all kneel before Christ.
*5 Psalms 119:172, My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
