Derek Smith, Lead Pastor LHBC
Exodus 20:1-17
And God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
In Warren Wiersbe’s Meet Yourself in the Psalms, he tells about a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.
Sadly, the child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a very serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before, had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea:
“Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”
So many people see Jesus simply as Savior, but the Bible is clear that He is also the supreme lawgiver and Judge of all mankind. Not long after being rescued from slavery in Egypt by the miraculous hand of God, the people are brought by the Lord to Mt. Sinai and there He gave them his law through Moses. These are the famous 10 commandments, God’s top ten if you will. He reveals to the people of Israel here, and to all mankind, what His standard for living is, His expectations of us. He says we should have no other gods before Him and make no graven images. He says we shouldn’t steal, murder, cheat, covet, or lie. He says we should honor our parents, keep the Sabbath day, and never take His name in vain. What’s the recourse for disobeying these commands….Eternal torment in hell, the second death (Romans 6:23). And, before you and I are tempted to think we have met all these expectations, keep in mind what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7). He said that lust is the same as adultery and hate the same as murder. James even said in James 2:10 that, “whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” It’s clear, we are all guilty of the crime of sin and deserves God’s sentence of death.
However, don’t forget that the word gospel means “good news”! I’ve got some great news! Though we deserve hell, Jesus took hell for us on the cross! That’s what His death on the cross is all about! He who knew no sin became sin for us on the cross so that we could be given Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Righteousness is never earned, it must be given by the grace of God. Also, through Christ’s resurrection from the dead we too can be assured of eternal life and one day a new glorified body fit for heaven, without sin and death! Today, if you don’t know Christ you can receive the free gift of eternal life! How do you receive it? By turning from sin and trusting in Jesus. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Today, if you have never turned from your sin and confessed Christ Jesus as the Lord of your life, do it right now! Then let us know about your decision. Child of God, who needs to hear the gospel today? So many think salvation is about being a good person. Simply ask someone today, “Would you call yourself a good person?” Then as they respond share God’s top ten, how we are all guilty, and how Jesus took our punishment on Calvary’s cross and rose from the dead. Invite your neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates, teammates, and others around you to turn from sin and trust in Jesus! He who is wise wins souls. Today, let’s be soul winners for Jesus!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, I know that I have sinned and fallen short of Your standard of righteousness. But, I also know You made a way for me to be forgiven through Your own Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for the cross and for resurrection life! Today, Lord, give me boldness to share this good news, the greatest news ever, with those closest to me. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.