Reaching Hurting Women Ministries
A Journey of Victory in Christ™
The 10 Commandments are more relevant than ever before. If every human being would follow these simple laws, we would have no need for any manmade laws.
If you haven’t taken the time to study the 10 Commandments, I highly recommend you do so. You will have a new appreciation for God’s Word.
“You must not want to take your neighbor’s house. You must not want his wife or his men or women slaves. You must not want his ox or his donkey. You must not want to take anything that belongs to your neighbor.”~ Exodus 20:17
The tenth commandment could possibly be the most important of them all. If all mankind would simply follow the commandment to not covet, which is to desire something that belongs to someone else to the point of taking it from that other person, this world would definitely be a better place to live.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught on several lessons that were focused on how our thoughts can lead us to sin. Thoughts of anger can lead to murder. Improper thoughts about another person’s body can lead to adultery.
Guarding our thought life is critical if we want to live a victorious life in Christ!
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. ~ Exodus 20:16
As Jesus taught us, honesty is at its root an issue of the heart. And whatever we have in our heart is going to come out eventually.
Deceit is rampant in our modern culture today. Whether it is in academia, personal relationships, political leaders or the public media dishonesty is a huge problem in our world. And not just among unbelievers. Sadly, you will even find dishonesty in the Christian community.
As a reformed and healed liar, this commandment is close to my heart. I lived most of my life as a liar which ended up nearly destroying my life, marriage and family.
We will never be at peace with ourselves, God or others unless and until we are fully an unequivocally committed to God’s Word and we must keep it as a mirror before our hearts in examination each day. Only then can we have the power to be a truly honest person. By the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. ~ Proverbs 12:22
Our memory aid for the Ninth Commandment shows us the image of a number 9 lying on its side, reminding us not to not lie about anything!
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
You shall not steal.~ Exodus 20:15
The eighth commandment is about more than just taking possessions from another person. There are multiple ways and things that people steal. In the long run, we are ultimately stealing from the God of the Universe!
A person with the mindset of taking from others had that habit formed in them from their early childhood by parents who were either totally oblivious or were too lazy to train their child in godly ways.
God requires obedience to His law because it is what is best for the individual as well as a community. Partial obedience is still disobedience.
Let’s strive to be trustworthy. To live a life honoring God and all He has for us!
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
Do not commit adultery. ~ Exodus 20:14
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.” From the ground God formed every wild animal and every bird in the sky. He brought them to the man so the man could name them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name. The man gave names to all the tame animals, to the birds in the sky and to all the wild animals. But Adam did not find a helper that was right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While the man was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man’s body. Then God closed the man’s skin at the place where he took the rib. The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then the Lord brought the woman to the man. And the man said,
“Now, this is someone whose bones came from my bones.
Her body came from my body.
I will call her ‘woman,’
because she was taken out of man.”So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife. And the two people will become one body. ~ Genesis 2:18-24
In Genesis when God created marriage, He created a covenant relationship between a man and a woman that was to be sacred, exclusive, binding and life-lasting between them alone. The sanctity of marriage provides joy, safety and comfort for those who protect it. Our goal in marriage should be more than just a loving friendship but oneness in the Lord.
As with all the other Commandments, this rule is designed to protect us from the potential harm we can bring on ourselves, our community and ultimately our civilization.
“Marriage is not an accidental but a purposeful, essential element of creation. It is not a convention to be adopted as a humanly devised experiment, nor is it a consequence to be absorbed. It is a divine institution providing the cornerstone of civil society. It is, if you like, quite simply, God’s idea.” ~ Alistair Begg (Pathway to Freedom)
My child, pay attention to my words.
Listen closely to what I say.
Don’t ever forget my words.
Keep them deep within your heart.
These words are the secret to life for those who find them.
They bring health to the whole body.
Be very careful about what you think.
Your thoughts run your life.
Don’t use your mouth to tell lies.
Don’t ever say things that are not true.
Keep your eyes focused on what is right. ~ Proverbs 4:20-25
Those of us who are married, or planning to be married, should look at this commitment very seriously. Not only taking the time to get to know each other but committing high and strong boundaries to protect the precious gift we have been given in our husband.
We need to be on guard at all times, watching for the enemy who will try and trick us. One of the biggest challenges in marriage is the power of the human sex drive. And I believe the best way to manage that is to guard our senses and our thoughts. If we keep watch on who we are friends with, what we look at, listen to, and especially where we go and what we do. We will have greater success with marital fidelity if we do.
“We need to appoint moral sentries to guard our hearts, because losing the battle there is often the first step on the road to disaster. ” ~ Alistair Begg (Pathway to Freedom)
When I say I have high boundaries on my life, I don’t mean white picket fence type boundaries. No. I have tall cement barrier boundaries, the ones like you see on the side of freeways. I learned a long time ago, I must with all diligence protect who I am influenced by, what goes in my mind and heart. Because what I let in there may try to build a nest that can destroy my marriage and possibly my life.
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. ~ Psalm 119:11
Last but certainly not least is keeping God’s Word in first place. Read God’s Word often and put it to memory to protect your mind and your marriage. It literally is your life-line! The more of God’s Word we keep in, the better chance we have of keeping out the evil messages floating around the world today.
I pray you will take this message to heart. All of these things will protect you from the potential for temptation that the enemy will definitely put in your path.
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible*
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
“Do not murder.” ~ Exodus 20:13
Many people mistakenly believe the Sixth Commandment says “Do Not Kill.” This Commandment isn’t about accidental killing or for the purpose of self-defense. Neither is it about the defense of the nation in wartime or capital punishment. Both of which are sanctioned to government authority by God.
The sixth Commandment is specifically focused on the sacredness of human life in God’s eyes. Since man is made in God’s image, humans are the only one of His creations which would be considered to have the sanctity of life.
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!” ~ Matthew 5:22
Unless we seek to understand why God made the Commandments in the first place, we miss their deeper meaning. Jesus expanded on the Commandments by bringing them down to what’s at the root of a person’s attitude. Rather than focusing on the outward actions, Jesus is teaching us to guard our heart.
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. ~ James 1:19-21
In the verses above, James, the half brother of Christ, teaches us that anger doesn’t develop the righteous life God wants for us. We must intentionally purge our heart of all evil and plant God’s Word in our hearts. That is the only power that will save our souls!
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible*
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you. ~ Exodus 20:12 (AMPC)
HONOR: to revere; to respect; to treat with deference and submission and perform relative duties to. ~ Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary
From the beginning God had a plan for His People. He designed a family to have two parents: a man and a woman. Together, with God’s blessing to be fruitful and multiply, they would create the human race. The responsibility of the children fell to the parents. The responsibility of the children was to obediently submit to the authority of their parents.
It’s no secret in today’s world, the destruction of many nations began with the breakdown of the family. With Biblical values declining in our schools and homes and out of control divorce rates, the majority of children no longer have both parental figures in their lives. The concept of honoring anyone, much less your parents is almost unheard of. And we wonder why our world is in the state it is.
“As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.”~ Pope St. John Paul II
The fifth commandment teaches us that God designed our parents to be honored and obeyed in the same way that we would honor and obey God, our heavenly Father. But this commandment is about more than just how we treat our parents. It flows to all areas of community life. When a child knows how to honor their parents, they will be able to respect others in authority as well: teachers, police and other officials.
While this commandment has often been taught as the only one with a promise. I would agree with Dennis Prager in the video below and Alistair Begg who wrote that the fifth commandment is given as a promise not just to individuals but to a society in general.
“So the principle in the promise is this: children who are taught to obey God by honoring their parents will grow up to be responsible citizens, and responsible citizens make for a strong nation, which in turns helps to provide a context in which life can flourish.” ~ Alistair Begg
There are many who would say our world is a lost cause, that it’s too late to teach these principles to make serious changes. However, scripture teaches us God will keep all His promises. I believe with the Holy Spirit’s power backing up our obedience, God will honor that obedience and keep His promises to achieve what He desired them to accomplish.
My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow.
It will not come back to me without results.
It will accomplish whatever I want
and achieve whatever I send it to do.” ~ Isaiah 55:11
The prophet Isaiah made it clear that when God spoke a Word it would not return to God until it had accomplished the purpose He sent it to achieve. This assures us that even the fifth commandment’s promised reward has the same backing. God’s Word always finishes what He calls it to finish to the glory of His Name.
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible*
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” ~ Exodus 20:8-11
God knew what kind of life He wanted us to have. He also knew that we couldn’t do that on our own. The Law was given to show us that no matter how hard we try we can’t do life without God and be happy, healthy or successful. If He didn’t love us, God wouldn’t have give us rules to live by. Just like a good human parent puts rules in place to guide and protect their children, God gave us the law to help us.
God’s grace is seen through all the commandments. Here we see the grace of rest bestowed on us as a blessing from being obedient. In Genesis chapter 2 we see the first six days of creation showed God separating light out of the darkness and water from the dry land. When God rested He separated what was ordinary from what is holy. This would later be the foundation for Israel’s worship and pave the way for the ultimate rest in Christ taught in the New Testament book of Hebrews.*
When we honor the Sabbath by resting from our ordinary duties, chores, activities and the sort, we free ourselves from the cares of life so that we can freely focus on time to be with our Creator and Lord Jesus. This allows us to bring ourselves fully to a sweet place of worship in the Holy Spirit, where God can minister to us, energize and renew us for our upcoming week. If we fail to do this, not only are we dishonoring what God has put in place for us out of His ultimate best for us. But we are setting ourselves up for unnecessary stress and possibly potential illness. Certainly our marriages and families are happier and healthier when we take a full day to be with God and with them.
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible*
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. ~ Exodus 20:7 NLT
In the Hebrew tradition a person’s name describes their character. When we casually use God’s name we are not respecting His nature and Who God is. Whether we’re taking an oath that we have no intention of keeping or more importantly doing evil in God’s name, we bring shame on God’s name.
When we misuse God’s name we are representing God as being worthless. Not only are we disrespecting God’s name, but we are making other people believe wrong ideas about God. We don’t know how the words we use affect those who hear them.
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. ~ Ephesians 4:29 NLT
How we use God’s name shows what we really believe about Him. If we show respect and honor to His name that shows the state of our faith and heart toward Him. We must remember God’s name is connected to Who God is as a person. It is also connected to His presence and power. We cannot separate God’s name from Who He is.
The Third Commandment deals with honoring God’s name but it also deals with how holy our language is and the use of profanity. Interestingly, the root of the word profanity means “to take out of the temple.” So when we use God’s name in profanity we are dishonoring God rather than worshiping Him. And with that dishonor comes judgement.
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. ~ Matthew 12:35-37 NLT
Our memory aid for the Third Commandment shows us the image of lips. Reminding us not to misuse God’s name with our words.
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. ~ Exodus 20:4-5 (NLT)
Among other reasons God’s laws are designed to protect us. What is God protecting us from? I believe He is trying to protect us from ourselves. Like little children, we think God is trying to keep us from having fun. When actually it’s the opposite.
Scripture tells us that sin is fun for a season. God knows how easily we’re deceived by the sparkling pleasures of this world. Faith in God, His laws and His love for us will help us see beyond the temporary thrills of this world to the true satisfaction of God’s eternal Kingdom.
Another purpose of the law is to show us our need to be made right before God. The law tried to teach the children of Israel rules for living that would help them live in right standing with God. But there is no one who can keep all the laws. That is why Jesus came… to complete the law and allow us to be made right in God’s eyes by grace.
The law is required to define our sins. When we know what our sins are, we will more easily recognize our need for faith in Jesus. That faith in Jesus will bring the gifts of salvation and grace. Therefore, faith and grace are also wrapped up in the law.
The Apostle Paul in Romans asks if we can now do away with the law because of our faith in Christ. He answers an emphatic, no. In fact, because of Jesus and His grace, the purpose of the law has been completed.
There was a time in my life that I walked away from the Lord. I lost faith in God and God’s people. When I removed God from His place of honor I allowed myself to get caught up in wrong activities, people and behaviors. Overtime they gained a place of importance they didn’t deserve.
By taking God out of first place in my life, I removed myself from under His umbrella of protection. I set myself up for Satan to get a foothold in my life. When that happened I no longer walked in the freedom I had with God. I was now in bondage to the devil.
Like Eve in the Garden, this trap began with thoughts that doubted God’s love for me. Followed by my eyes looking at something I shouldn’t have been looking at. I might not have bowed down to an idol on my knees. But I certainly devoted too much time and money in pursuit of them. So much that they became the central focus of my thoughts and ultimately controlled my life.
If we can keep God holding first place in our lives we protect ourselves from Satan’s traps and other things from turning into idols. When we keep the first commandment it’s easier to keep the second. The more we keep God’s commandments, the free-er we will be. The law and grace bring us freedom!
Our memory aid for the second commandment shows us the image of a person bowing down before burning incense. This reminds us that we should not bow down before anyone or anything but God!
The Evidence Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
New Living Parallel Study Bible
Spirit-Filled Life Bible
The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager
The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager
The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung
Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg
The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody
The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid