Concerning the Law - of which the decalogue is at the heart - and Grace, St. Augustine stated that God gave the Law so that we would see the need for Grace. God gave us Grace so that we could now fulfill the Law.
The decalogue contains so many "do not's" because, like most laws, they give us a minimum below which "we aren't making it". However, merely keeping the external precepts doesn't necessarily mean virtue for us. In the life of Grace, we all should be soaring well above the minimum requirements. The decalogue is a foundation, but the beatitudes through grace are the edifice that God wants us to build on it. The edifice will crumble without the foundation.
**St. Augustine stated that God gave the Law so that we would see the need for Grace. God gave us Grace so that we could now fulfill the Law.**
What a fantastic quote!