Beyond Today Daily

The 10 Commandments in the New Testament: Part 10

The Tenth Commandment is mentioned in Romans 7. We get a better understanding of what covetousness is all about because God’s law spells it out. We should not have the wrong desires and lusts that will get us into trouble.

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[Steve Myers] The 10 Commandments can most certainly be found throughout the New Testament. We’ve been looking at quite a few different examples of this, and we’re down to number ten. And of course, number ten speaks to us about not coveting.

So we’re not to desire something that doesn’t belong to us. And there’s a great example of this in Romans 7:7. And it specifically hearkens back to that Tenth Commandment back in Exodus 20. Here’s what it says: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet’.”

And so Paul uses this whole concept of coveting – you know, desiring something that doesn’t belong to us, lusting after things that are someone else’s, or having a wrong desire – he refers to that by recognizing the impact of God’s law, that God’s law is absolutely necessary. God’s law is not done away, because if you tried to do away with the law, we really wouldn’t understand what sin is. And so God’s law is a revealer. God’s law reveals.

And so we can get a better understanding of what covetousness is all about because God’s law spells it out. We shouldn’t have wrong desires, we shouldn’t have lust, we shouldn’t have that self-motivation that will get us into trouble. And so God importantly shows a couple of things here – the importance of the commandments that are continuous throughout time, the Old Testament, New Testament, and of course the significance of God’s law and the part it plays in revealing what sin is all about.

We’ll talk about more examples of this later on on further BT Dailys, but that’ll be it for now. So we’ll see you next time.

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The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 & Deuteronomy 5)

The Ten Commandments

Don't you think it's about time you learned what the 10 Commandments are all about? Sadly, most people know little about the Ten Commandments or where to find them in the Bible (read Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). Few people can name more than three or four of them. Those who take the time to study the commandments find they're not a list of "Do nots," but are in fact God's guide to the good life—a life full of blessings. That's why the Bible calls them "the royal law" and "the law of liberty." There's much more to these commandments than meets the eye. They're not just God's way of preventing us from having a good time. The commandments are relevant to us today and are designed to protect us, our families and our communities. They're a guide to transforming the way we think, what we do and how we live. They truly are ten keys to a successful and happy life! Learn more about God's Commandments and how you can begin having a life full of blessings.

Steve Myers

Steve is the Operation Manager for Ministerial and Member Services of the United Church of God. He is also an instructor at Ambassador Bible College and served as a host on the Beyond Today television program.  Together, he and his wife, Kathe, have served God and His people for over 30 years.