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Are Christians Under the 10 Commandments?
Desiring God ^ | August 7, 2010 | John Piper

Posted on 04/12/2015 11:16:47 AM PDT by RnMomof7

The following is an edited transcript of the audio.

Are Christians under the 10 commandments?

No. The Bible says we're not under the law.

I love Romans 7:4-6. By way of analogy, it says that you are married to the law. And you better stay married because if you leave this husband and go marry another you are going to be called an adulterer. But if your husband dies, then you can go and remarry.

And then Paul draws the analogy out—a little complex the way he does it—saying that you died to the law. You aren't married anymore, you can have another husband, namely Christ. He's raised from the dead.

So, our approach towards ethics is different. We don't ask the question, "Am I under the law?" We are under grace. The law is already fulfilled perfectly by Jesus. We are in Jesus and as far justification goes, God sees it as completed for you, one-hundred percent. He says, "You've trusted my Son. You've been grafted in him. You are in Christ Jesus and he fulfilled the law perfectly. He covered all your sins." God sees you in and through Christ, therefore, as far as final judgment goes God is 100% for you. That is settled and nothing is going to change it.

Now, shall we sin that grace may abound? Paul says, "Dead men don't sin." If you've died to sin, how can you still live in it? The new birth is the writing of the law on our heart so that we are not under it, it is under us. It is just coming out.

The way we strive towards being obedient, holy and loving people is not by getting up in the morning and pulling the list out of our pocket. No! We get on our knees and we open ourselves to the whole counsel of God in the Bible. We saturate and shape ourselves by everything he has done, he is doing and he will do. We stake our lives in the gospel and then instead of serving the law, we serve one another in love.

Love is the fruit of faith in Jesus—faith working through love. And if you ask, "What does love look like?" First John says, "It keeps the commandments." That brings us back to the question, which commandments? I would say, the ones that are loving.

Love God and do as you please is not bad advice, if you're bent on holiness. If you're bent on love the ten commandments are really important. You should hang them on your wall and you should measure your life by them, but in a very different way than when you were under them, because they have been kept for you.

You are now married to the risen Christ. You are not married to the law and the oldness of the letter, but to the newness of the Spirit. Our whole approach towards transformation, love and life is different than list keeping.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Evangelical Christian; Mainline Protestant; Theology
KEYWORDS: 10commandments; faith; johnpiper; mercy; obedience; salvation
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To: RnMomof7

Ping


21 posted on 04/12/2015 12:06:01 PM PDT by Carbonsteel
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To: Manly Warrior
Me, I m not under law,

You'll have to help me out here a little bit.

So, the do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, etc, no longer apply to you?

22 posted on 04/12/2015 12:14:11 PM PDT by Fido969
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To: RnMomof7; All

How can anyone be under Christ and not obey the Ten Commandments, plus the 11th. That does not compute!


23 posted on 04/12/2015 12:17:10 PM PDT by 1_Of_We
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To: Fido969
So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Opps I was quoting Mark that does not have that in it...

If he had kept all 10 perfectly he would not need a Savior that had kept the law perfectly for him

James tells us that if you break one you have broken them all.. that is why we need a Savior..

Important to note here that the gentiles were never under the 10 commandments..they were given to and applicable to only Israel.. In the OT only the Jews were held subject to the law...

One of the purposes of the Jerusalem Council was to address whether the gentiles had to follow the laws of Moses....

But one more time..it is important to see the gospel reflect the OT as the New Covenant was not yet established

24 posted on 04/12/2015 12:19:53 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: impimp
The church that Jesus founded (the Catholic Church) still accepts the 10 commandments. The Catholic Church can do this because of Matt16, Matt 18, and John 20.

First Jesus founded HIS church not Rome ..That is because Rome has a self salvation of works ..just like the Jews did ...BTW the 10 Commandments were never given to the gentile nations

25 posted on 04/12/2015 12:22:09 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: Manly Warrior

Bump


26 posted on 04/12/2015 12:22:52 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: Rashputin
This sort of Self and Self Alone Protestant derived drivel is why the US and Europe are now exactly like the society described in Romans 1.

Not sure why you're seeing Protestant drivel in the article? In my opinion, the central point in Romans 1 is in verse 17, "... The just shall live by faith". This is contrary to, "the just shall live by keeping the law" - the point being made by the article's author.

Paul's admonition/condemnation in Romans 1 was/is toward pagan culture in general and Christians who have been seduced by that culture. Paul's Roman epistle is just as relevant today to the church in (name your city).

27 posted on 04/12/2015 12:23:18 PM PDT by JesusIsLord
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To: American Constitutionalist

Amen


28 posted on 04/12/2015 12:23:18 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: Carbonsteel
The Ten Commandments are not what is meant in the Bible as “The Law”. Moses delivered the 10 Commandments but gave the Israelite s much more law in how to live life. As time went on Prophets and Scribes, later Rabbi's added to the law which explained how many steps you could take on the Sabbath along with thousands of other things. The Ten Commandments are not considered as part of the Law. The law was given by men but the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and written by the finger of God. The Ten Commandments are most certainly still in effect. Which one of them do you think you can break without consequence unless you repent of it? Can you not love your God? Can you dishonor your parents and expect to go to heaven? What about Lying, or surly you can murder now without consequence. All of the Ten Commandments are still in force, if you disobey them you do it at your own peril and are surely not Christ's.
29 posted on 04/12/2015 12:25:15 PM PDT by JAKraig (SurelTen Commmandments are not what is referred to as "They my religion is at least as good as yours)
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To: JAKraig

I agree with you 100%. How should modern Christians adhere to the 4th Commandment?


30 posted on 04/12/2015 12:28:45 PM PDT by Carbonsteel
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To: RnMomof7

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18”For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19”Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.…

Matthew 7:21”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22”Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23”And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Matthew 15:8-9 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,And[a] honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’


31 posted on 04/12/2015 12:31:27 PM PDT by Mechanicos (Nothing's so small it can't be blown out of proportion.)
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To: JAKraig
The Ten Commandments are not what is meant in the Bible as “The Law”.

You lie. In Romans 7, when Paul spoke of the law, he quoted the 10th Comnamdment, "you shall not covet."

32 posted on 04/12/2015 12:32:08 PM PDT by aimhigh (1 John 3:23)
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To: robert14

They are still GOD’s commandments. Even Jesus followed the 10 commandments.


33 posted on 04/12/2015 12:33:59 PM PDT by Do the math (Doug)
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To: RnMomof7
The 10 commandments, with the sole exception of the commandment to keep the Sabbath, codify natural law. All humans are "under" natural law, in the sense that they are required to obey it, and not to obey it is both sin (that is, offensive to God), and harmful to the person committing the offense (and usually, those around him).

Does this mean that you can earn your way into heaven by keeping the 10 commandments? No! That would be silly. It's like some street urchin expecting to be adopted into the Royal Family on the basis of never being in trouble with the police. It's merely a minimum expectation of behavior, nothing more.

Can you earn your way into hell by breaking the 10 commandments? Most assuredly.

34 posted on 04/12/2015 12:34:00 PM PDT by Campion
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To: aimhigh

But in Romans 3:29, it’s clear that he’s talking about a “Law” that belongs only to the Jews.


35 posted on 04/12/2015 12:37:42 PM PDT by Campion
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To: American Constitutionalist

Well stated.


36 posted on 04/12/2015 12:41:25 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: Fido969; RnMomof7
Good one Fido! How about Romans 3:31:

[NASB version]

"Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."

___

[KJV]

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

___

[CJB, Complete Jewish Bible]

"Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah."

37 posted on 04/12/2015 12:41:44 PM PDT by zipper (In their heart of hearts, all Democrats are communists)
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To: JAKraig
The Ten Commandments are not what is meant in the Bible as “The Law”.

Are we living on the right mountain? The 10 commandments were given on Mount Sinai, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit were presented on Mount Zion. That is why the Bible says that “you have not come to the mountain [Sinai] that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest… But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels”. (Hebrews 12:18, 22)

The Lord blesses us out of Zion (Psalm 128:5), and not Sinai!

By grace we have been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) Let's live on the right mountain!

38 posted on 04/12/2015 12:42:04 PM PDT by JesusIsLord
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To: Fido969

What is the purpose of the Law?

Do you know?


39 posted on 04/12/2015 12:42:09 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: Campion

You got it exactly backwards.


29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:


40 posted on 04/12/2015 12:43:18 PM PDT by zipper (In their heart of hearts, all Democrats are communists)
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