Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Deuteronomy 5:7 KJV
Thou shalt not make any graven image, or any likeness…Deuteronomy 5:8 KJV
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them…Deuteronomy 5:9 KJV
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;  Deuteronomy 5:11
Thou shalt not kill.   Deuteronomy 5:17 KJV

These are just a few times when the phrase “Thou shalt not…” is used in the Bible. According to answers.com it is used 219 times in both the Old and the New Testament. We recognize these passages from the Ten Commandments which are found in Exodus chapter 20 and in Deuteronomy chapter 5.

I love the way our pastor simplifies this phrase. He says for every time we see this phrase in the Bible, it is God’s way of saying, “Don’t hurt yourselves.” Think of watching a small child. I can still envision my nieces and nephews in their walkers heading toward a hot stove. I can hear my sister or my mom telling them, “No, no!” I can remember pulling their walker away from a hot stove. Often times, I think they were just curious as to what all the fuss was about.

God wants us to stay away from sin as much as a loving mother wants to keep a small child away from hot surfaces. God doesn’t want to see us “get burned” either. This is why He instructs us to avoid sinful behavior. God also is all knowing. He knows we can’t do it on our own. He knows we will sin and fall short (Romans 3:23). This is why He sent Jesus to save us from our sins.

The Ten Commandments serve two purposes. They tell us how we should live. The first four tell us how we should live according to our relationship with God. The last six tell us how we should live in relation to others. The second purpose they serve is to prove to us we need a savior.

If you weren’t sure before, just read the Ten Commandments. It is impossible for us to keep these laws on our own. Just read through them and do a little self-examination. Have you ever put anything before God? Have you ever taken His name in vain? This means using His name without reverence, like “Oh, Jesus!” or “Oh, my God!”

Have you ever failed to keep the Sabbath holy? Have you ever fallen short of honoring your father and your mother? Give these some thought.

The next one is interesting because it tells us we shall not kill. We are told in Matthew 5:22 if we are angry at our brother or sister, we will be subject to judgment. In James 1:19 we are told man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.

Have you ever committed adultery? Before you say no, keep in mind that we are told in Matthew 5:28 everyone who looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery in his heart. Sin begins in the heart. We are told in 1 Samuel 16:7 God does not judge man’s outward appearance but judges his heart.

This is why we so desperately need Jesus. We can’t be righteous on our own. We can’t be saved on our own and we can never get to heaven without Him. John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He sent His son to die for us so that we might have eternal life.

God gave us the Ten Commandments to prove to us how much we need Jesus. Please don’t turn Him away.

Have a great day!