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Answer to: Does The Ten Commandments Apply To New Testament Christians?
We are living in the age of Grace. We are saved by Grace and not by works (Eph 2:8-9). The only way to heaven is thru belief in Jesus and calling upon Him with a repentant heart to save you (Acts 3:19,John 3:16, Romans 10:10-13). Once you are saved you can and will make mistakes and slip up from time to time. You still carry that old sin nature with you after you are saved. That is why a Christian will sometimes covet, and when he does he is breaking one of the Ten Commandments. You cannot loose your salvation (John 6:37). If you have to work to get it or keep it, then it is no more by grace and you would get the glory and not God. So it is clear that keeping the Ten Commandments will not save you in the first place, and breaking one after you are saved will not send you to hell.
The Question then becomes, are Christians to obey the Ten Commandments and if so which ones? That is a fair question. I think we should let the Bible speak for itself in this matter. Below is a chart. The Ten Commandments will be listed on the left column and the New Testament reinforcement in the right column.
| Commandment #1 | Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. | 1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; |
| Commandment #2 | Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: | 1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as [were] some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. |
| Commandment #3 | Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. | Jam 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. |
| Commandment #4 | Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. | |
| Commandment #5 | Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. | Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) |
| Commandment #6 | Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. | 1Jo 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. |
| Commandment #7 | Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. | Heb 13:4 Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. |
| Commandment #8 | Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. | Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. |
| Commandment #9 | Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. | Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; |
| Commandment #10 | Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's. | Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; |
As you can see in the above chart most of the 10 Commandments are reinforced in the New Testament. They are still in effect for New Testament believers. But not in order to get saved. The reason that we are to obey them is because they are good, honorable, and just. Not stealing or lying for example are good ways to love your neighbor in a very practical way. Adultery hurts everyone involved as well as your families and friends. It is a very destructive sin. Coveting will destroy your peace as you fill your heart with lust. Obeying the Ten Commandments is best for us and best for our neighbor. Keeping the Ten Commandments also helps put forth a better testimony to a lost world. I think it is a terrible thing when I hear someone who professes Christ to take God's name in vain. We should not do that, EVER. It shows a total disrespect for our Lord.
We see that the New Testament teaches that Christians are expected to keep the Ten Commandments. However, if you will notice there is one commandment that is not reinforced in the New Testament. In fact you cannot find it mentioned anywhere. New Testament Christians are NEVER instructed to keep the Sabbath.
Why? Why are Christians not to keep the Sabbath?
First - The Sabbath was a sign given specifically to the Jews. Exo 31:17 It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Second - It was specifically Israel that was commanded to keep it. It was a covenant with Israel and not with Christians. Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant.
Third - We are not to keep the Sabbath today for the same reason that we don't have to take lambs to church and sacrifice them. All the sign ceremonies and laws pointed to the coming Messiah. The lambs pointed to The Lamb of God that would come and take away the sins of the world. When Jesus came there was no more need to show forth the picture. The Sabbath pointed to the perfect rest that would be found in Christ when He came. Again no need to show forth the picture. The type is not needed when the real thing has come.
Forth - The Sabbath is on Saturday and is considered the last day of the week. Sunday is the first day of the week. The last day symbolized an end, the first day a new beginning. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. We worship on Sunday and not on the Sabbath to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Fifth - Sunday worship is the New Testament pattern in the Bible. Act 20:7 And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Sixth - The New Testament tells Christians to give to the work of God on Sunday. 1Co 16:2 Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Seventh - worshiping on the Sabbath is not reinforced in the New Testament like the other 9 of the Ten Commandments.
Those that teach a Sabbath worship for New Testament Christians are teaching contrary to the Word of God.
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