We received the Ten Commandments, sometimes called the Decalogue (“ten words” in Greek), in Exodus 20, when Moses ascended up Mt. Sinai to meet God, who “descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.”        (Exodus 19: 18)

The Ten Commandments with Explanations

First Four Commandments Pertain to Our Relationship With God

I

Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)

“You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshiping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods.

II

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images (Exodus 20:4-6)

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making an idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol to represent God is to worship a false god.

III

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (Exodus 20:7)

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain. We are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways.

IV

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11)

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is a command to set aside the Sabbath (Saturday, the last day of the week) as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.

V

Honour thy father and thy mother (Exodus 20:12)

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is a command to always treat one’s parents with honor and respect.

VI

Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13)

“You shall not murder.” This is a command against the premeditated murder of another human being.

VII

Thou shalt not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)

“You shall not commit adultery.” This is a command against having sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse.

VIII

Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:15)

“You shall not steal.” This is a command against taking anything that is not one’s own, without the permission of the person to whom it belongs.

IX

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (Exodus 20:16)

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is a command prohibiting testifying against another person falsely. It is essentially a command against lying.

X

Thou shalt not covet (Exodus 20:17)

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This is a command against desiring anything that is not one’s own. Coveting can lead to breaking one of the commandments listed above: murder, adultery, and theft. If it is wrong to do something, it is wrong to desire to do that same something.

The Lesson

Many people mistakenly look at the Ten Commandments as a set of rules that, if followed, will guarantee entrance into heaven after death.

 In contrast, the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to force people to realize that they cannot perfectly obey the Law (Romans 7:7-11), and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace. Despite the claims of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16, no one can perfectly obey the Ten Commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20). 

The Ten Commandments demonstrate that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace, available only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now may I ask you a question?

What is stopping YOU from accepting God's free gift of salvation right now?

Nothing, I'm Ready to Talk to God about it.

GREAT! Here is an easy way to make sure you cover everything when you pray (talk to God). These are called the ABC's of Salvation:

A. ADMIT


B. BELIEVE


C. COMMIT

Tell God that you admit that you are a sinner, and that you're sorry for breaking His Law.

Tell Him that you believe that Jesus Christ died to pay the price for your sin.

Tell God that you commit to stop living your life for yourself, and to start living it for Him.

I'm Ready, But I'm Not Sure How To Pray     

NOT TO WORRY. 

Everyone is a little intimidated at the thought of talking to God at first. Thankfully, there is no wrong way to pray. You're really just pouring your heart out to God. If you still want a little help, the video below has a sample prayer. If you truly believe what you pray, then you CAN receive salvation today. Click the video to see if this sample prayer is helpful to you.

I'm Still Really Confused.                             

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

FEELING SHY?

Use the on the right to contact us. We would consider it a privilege to help you find answers to your questions, to pray with you and for you. We will respond as soon as possible. 

We get it. If you'd rather do some research on your own we understand. Below is a trustworthy resource that Christians all over the globe visit to get their questions answered. You can still reach out to us as well any time you once you are ready.