10 Commandments Part 3- How to Love Others
Commandments five through ten are all about loving others, but we can still see a need for loving God woven throughout.
Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Do not murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus 20:12-17, CSB
Commandment 5
Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12
When I get to this command, I always get a little confused. Is this “honor” like how Mulan was trying to keep the honor for her father when she pretended to be a man and go fight the Huns? (Please note: all of my information about Mulan is directly related to the Disney movie circa 1998.) So, no. We do this by showing respect and love to our parents, even if we do not agree with them all the time. I know as a former teacher, it was always a challenge to teach students what “respect” means. Is it using manners? Is it showing self control when that person angers you? Yes, it is both and so much more. Respect includes learning how to disagree in a way that is more “we agree to disagree” but we still love each other and put others’ needs ahead of our own. This command definitely still exists today!
We show obedience and submission to God by honoring our parents. This does not mean we treat them like they are more important than God or value their opinions and wishes more than God’s Word. But we can respectfully point out to them when we think they are going against God. Our spiritual life goes better when we follow God’s commands, and He often rewards us with spiritual blessings.
I like how Paul expounds upon this commandment in Ephesians 6:1: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right.” The fact that Paul added the “in the Lord” part shows us that we must examine our parents' teachings to be sure they are in line with God’s. Why? “Because this is right.”
Commandment 6
You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13
Well alrighty then, I guess I can check this one off! What a bare minimum request. But actually this commandment can be thought of more deeply.
What does it mean to murder? To murder is to purposefully take the life of a human being unlawfully or sinfully. So is all killing murder? No; first off, murder only occurs if we are discussing the life of a human. Animals are not human; and therefore, they are not murdered. All my animal lovers are asking why? Simple answer- because we have souls and they do not.
The intent behind this command has to do with the cause and the effect of the action.
Jesus takes this command further with his statement in Matthew 5:21-22:
“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.”
But seriously, what’s the big deal? Why is this command so important? Humans have value because we are made in the image of God. Because of this simple fact, we shouldn't hate, insult, or murder each other. We love God by respecting others and we love others by valuing them as image bearers of God.
Commandment 7
You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14
Let’s start with an obvious question. What is adultery? Sex with another person besides your spouse. Simply being unfaithful and breaking your covenant with both your spouse and God.
What are the implications of this command?
For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God. 1 Thes 4:3-5
We are to avoid all sexual immorality, this is anything outside of God’s design for sex. They are just cheap substitutes for God’s plans for us, which are so much more grand than we can imagine.
What did Jesus say about all of this? That sin, even adultery, goes back to the heart.
Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The heart of this commandment is simple. Value and love God and your spouse by not breaking your marriage covenant.
Command 8
You shall not steal. Exodus 20:15
We all pretty much know what this one means. Stealing is taking something that does not belong to you. While we should not be connected to material things, this action shows more about our heart than our desire for “things.” Stealing represents a heart of pride, selfishness, greed, and often untrust in God.
So my mom died when I was 18. Before she passed, she had picked out this beautiful pearl ring at the local jewelry store and had been making payments on it. After she passed, the jewelry store called my dad and let him know. He completed the payments and gave it to me for my 19th birthday. I cherished this ring because it was the last gift from my mom. Fast forward about two years. A man who knew nothing about me broke into my home and stole a handful of my jewelry, including my mom’s wedding band, my high school class ring, and this beautiful pearl ring. I later found out that he had sold some of the jewelry and pawned the remainder- all for money to purchase illegal drugs. Because one of the items he pawned was my class ring, with my name engraved inside, I was able to get the majority of my things back (including my mom’s wedding band thankfully!). But not that pearl ring. While he did go to jail to pay the consequences of stealing, he stole more than my “things.” He stole that item that represented the last gift from my sweet mom. He presumed that he was better than me and “needed” my items more than I did.
Similarly, you can steal from God. You can presume that you are better than God and “need” something more than God does, even though God is the giver of all things. The perfect example of this is what took place in Acts 5:1-11, with Ananias and Sapphira. To quickly summarize, this couple lied to Peter and the church about how much money they sold a piece of property for so that they didn’t need to donate as much in offering to the church. God killed them both for lying and stealing from Him.
Here’s your quick solution to being able to follow this command in three steps!
1.Trust God’s provision. God’s got you. He knows what you need before you do!
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?” Matthew 6:25-27
2. Practice humility against selfishness and pride.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
3. Practice generosity.
“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” Ephesians 4:28
Commandment 9
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16
I’m pretty sure I have never used the phrase “false testimony” in everyday conversation. But it’s not hard to define — Gossip, slander, lying, twisting words, sharing information that is meant to convey something not true.
This is the opposite of truth and Truth is the character of God. Lying and other forms of false testimony is worldly and from what Jesus came to set us free.
Paul tells us in Ephesians:
“Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.” (4:25, 29, 31)
We do see a few examples of lying in the Old Testament where it was beneficial. In Exodus 1 with the Egyptian midwives not killing the Hebrew babies and in Joshua 2:3-6 with the story of Rehab. While lying is not commended or acceptable, God sees our hearts.
We love others by being a person of truth.
Commandment 10
You shall not covet. Exodus 20:17
Coveting is desiring something too much or sinfully wanting something that is not ours. It leads to other types of sins, like stealing and adultery. Coveting also demonstrates a lack of faith in God, never has an end point, and says we do not trust in God. It can lead us to elevate our desires for things more than our desire for God which is blatantly against commandment 1.
So how do we avoid coveting? We simply find contentment rather than covetousness, like 1 Timothy 6:6 says. We must desire God more than anything else.
We love others by putting their desires before our own.
In conclusion I want to leave you with just one final verse.
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” Colossians 3:23
Think of three ways you can love others this week by putting their needs above your own. Make sure you’ve already read Part 1 and Part 2 of our discussion on the Ten Commandments.
