Frequently Asked Bible Questions

Do I need to obey the Ten Commandments?

Has God's law changed? What does Jesus Christ expect Christians to do about the Ten Commandments?

Jesus explicitly shows that our obedience must include obeying the Ten Commandments.

"Now behold, one came and said to Him, 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?' 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.'

"He said to Him, 'Which ones?'"

In answer Jesus listed a number of the Ten Commandments as well as a summary statement:

• "You shall not murder."
• "You shall not commit adultery."
• "You shall not steal."
• "You shall not bear false witness."
• "Honor your father and your mother."
• "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 19:16-19).

Obedience to God begins with accepting the Ten Commandments as the permanent standard for our values and behavior. But our obedience must extend beyond just keeping the Ten Commandments.

Jesus also said: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill [from the Greek pleroo, meaning to 'fill to the full']. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled [from a different Greek word, ginomai, used in the sense of 'come to pass'].

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-19).

Sin is disregarding, refusing to do, what God tells us to do. Jesus tells us He had no intention of annulling or abolishing God's commands and that anyone who presumes to teach that is in grave spiritual danger.

Related Online Resources

Does the New Covenant Abolish the Commandments? from the booklet The Ten Commandments
The popular belief that the New Covenant does away with God's law reflects a misunderstanding of both covenants.

Was God's Law Abolished in the New Testament? from the booklet Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest
The intent of God's law from the beginning was love, as Jesus Christ taught: "This is love, that we walk according to His commandments" (2 John 6).

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