The Ten Commandments (Part 2)

Fred McKinney

Consider that the two greatest commandments which are representative of the essence of the Covenant, the notarized 613 regulation contract, are not included among the famous “Ten Commandments” at all (Matthew 22:37-38). Loving the Lord thy God with all of your heart was not one of the 10 Commandments. Loving one’s neighbor as he loves himself is not one of the 10 Commandments, either. It is found in Leviticus 19:18c. Even though this Law happens to be found in what is not a conspicuous place among the other commandments, it is, nevertheless, of extreme importance. Without it being in the picture, the Old Covenant is broken and thereby SIN rears its ugly head in the ruins of condemnation. Without Deuteronomy 6:5 in the picture, it is impossible to seek God by faith and to please Him; for if any man or woman stands on the judgment scales without LOVE in the picture, he or she is going to come up wanting, short, empty, and without an acceptable excuse.

Consider the all authority or all power given to Christ Jesus in Heaven and on earth. What part of the word “all” constitutes an exception? Where can we find a list of things outside of and beyond His authority? What power is not available to Him (Matthew 28:18)? With regard to “putting on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11), which items could we classify as “ceremonial” in nature and leave out? Luke 13:3 says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” What about coming up with a list folks to whom this rule does not apply? Matthew 11:28 teaches, “Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest!” We can see that the word all is all-inclusive, and that no one is left out. Likewise, all of the commandments found in the Law of Moses were applicable and binding according to the ratified Covenant made with the Hebrews.

The Old Covenant was not made with the Gentiles. It was made only with the Jews. It was imposed until the time of reformation (Hebrews 9:10). “The way unto the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing” (Hebrews 9:8). Was the Lord Jesus Christ the testator of the Old Covenant? When you come up with the Biblical answer to this question, your eyes will open up and you will be enlightened concerning the Old and New Covenants or the Old and New Testaments. Christ Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant. When Christ Jesus gave His life and died on the cross, the Law of the Testator superseded, and His Last Will and Testament was thereupon activated. Hebrews 10:9b states, “He takes away the first that He may establish the second.” If the Old Covenant is taken away, then what about us? “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days; I will put MY LAWS into their hearts” (Hebrews 10:16; see also: Romans 8:2; Galatians 3:23-24). Now, all men, Jews and Gentiles, are to fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). The Apostle John wrote, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God” (2 John 9). He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

Finally, the Ten Commandments were set aside, along with the whole covenant made with the Hebrew people. However, nine of the ten commandments are included in the New Testament, the new contract sealed with the blood of the covenant. We are not bound to keep the Sabbath day, the 7^th day of the week. The Sabbath was given on Mt. Sinai to the Hebrews only. The Sabbath day was not observed before the days of Moses (Nehemiah 10:13, 14). This fact is also seen in Galatians 4:21-31. The religious world at large has never grasped the meaning of the allegorical argument made here. It speaks of two covenants. The one from Mount Sinai was limited to the Hebrews. The other covenant is one from Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above, which is free from bondage. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise, children by faith after Abraham, to whom the promises were made. The two covenants can not and do not find themselves as heirs together. “Cast out the bond-woman, for we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”

Further Biblical evidence of the end of the Old Testament includes such passages as Hebrews 8:7-10, 13; Colossians 2:14; Galatians 5:1; and Matthew 27:51. In addition to this, we known that in A.D. 70, the tribal records were all destroyed making it impossible to carry out the instructions of the Old Covenant/Old Testament.

For Gentiles today to claim that they are living by the 10 Commandments given to Moses is a matter of ignorance that borders on insanity. For to follow Moses, Christ is cast off and the liberty in Christ Jesus is gone. Going back to the Old Covenant comes with a heavy price to pay, for in doing so, you fall from “grace” (Galatians 5:4). Countless millions of religious people claim that it is impossible to fall from grace. But the Apostle Paul declares that this is exactly what happens when a Christian turns their eyes away from Jesus to return to the bondage of the Old Law.