The Ten Commandments
Introduction
Jesus Christ founded the Christian faith on the principle of love— Christians wholeheartedly loving God and each other. John, one of Christ’s disciples and closest friends, penned these words near the end of his life: “And we have known and believed the love that God has
for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16, emphasis added throughout unless otherwise noted).
But what is love?
Ask your friends to explain it to you. See whether they all portray it the same way. Will they describe it as a feeling? Or will they define it as deeply caring for others but leave you to figure out what “caring” means? How many will equate love with some form of sexual attraction?
It quickly becomes clear that the word love doesn’t always mean
the same thing. One person may say, “I love ice cream,” simply mean- ing he enjoys it. Another will say, “Oh, I love your outfit,” meaning she admires—or desires—the clothing you’re wearing.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could use a consistent definition of love, especially when we are speaking about the love God has for us and the love we should have for each other?
Sadly, such consistency is lacking in the world. Most people will acknowledge that love, or at least some degree of respect, is essential for personal relationships. But a great deal of caution is in order as we con- sider the definitions of love. Some are so vague they excuse almost any type of behavior. At times, love is merely a code word to encourage the acceptance of unconventional, destructive patterns of conduct.
Many religious people embrace the idea of loving others as themselves but remain blissfully unaware of how the Bible defines love. As a result, they do not understand the necessity of putting into practice the biblical principles that determine the success or failure of their relationships.
The Ten Commandments define love
For love to be meaningful, it must be accurately defined and understood. That is the purpose of God’s law, especially the Ten Commandments.
Do you know the ultimate purpose of God’s law? Jesus Christ defined the purpose of God’s law as teaching us how to apply the two great princi- ples of loving God and loving each other. He made this clear when some- one asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus responded by quoting from two Old Testament passages, declaring: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:35-40).
With our explosive increase in knowledge, why is it that so few under- stand this fundamental biblical truth? Why can’t everyone grasp that “all the Law and the Prophets,” the Scriptures we know as the Old Testament, first teach us the right way to love, then vividly depict the problems and penalties that arise from a lack of love? Why do so many people believe that godly love is taught only in the New Testament?
