ခရစ္ေတာ္၏ တမန္ျဖစ္ေယာင္ေဆာင္၍ လွည့္ျဖားတတ္ေသာ အမႈေစာင့္ျဖစ္ၾက၏

The Ten Commandments

Today the Decalogue is being forcibly removed from schools, government institutions and other public places. Having no Moral law taught or displayed cannot be without repercussions as we now find sex, pornography, violence and crime have become accepted as normality in television, movies, music and the internet. If all this moral decay isn't disturbing enough, we now observe Christian organizations with their internet sites exhorting that we no longer have to observe the Ten Commandments. Some of these web sites not only attack the validity of God's law of liberty but also condemn other Churches that do teach loving obedience to the law as Jesus Christ instructed. A few decades ago, anyone claiming the law was abolished was accused of antinomianism. Yet today, we see more and more Christians embracing the thought of not having to obey this magnificent law that God personally spoke and wrote in stone at all. To keep or not to keep? This has become the pivotal issue as we approach the closing crisis of Earth's history.

How can we know the Ten Commandments Bible Truth?

Some Christians have been heard saying, “The Holy Spirit told me we don't need to obey the Ten Commandments anymore.” With so many contradictory teachings, how can one possibly know what is true or false anymore? There is of course only one way and that is the Holy Bible. God's Spirit will never tell us anything that is contrary to His Word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8. The Holy Spirit of God will always be in harmony with the Holy Word of God. The Bible is and should always be our final authority. 2 Timothy 3:16. Pushing aside all other areas of confusion for the moment, let's go straight to the end of the story and read the final word on what the Holy Bible says in regards to these ten great laws written in stone by God Himself. Note from these easy to understand eschatological verses who enters the city gates of heaven and eats from the tree of life and who does not.

Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

Many today are no longer looking for truth, but instead are looking for a smooth, easy, comfortable religion that will allow them to live the way they please and still give assurance of salvation. There is indeed no true religion that can do that for them. One will say the Decalogue is a law of love guiding us in how to love God and man. Another will say there is now a new law in Christ and all we have to do is love one another. And yet still others will say it is no longer ten but nine Commandments or they were all nailed to the cross. So much contradiction yet most do not see Satan at work here. Why would anyone who truly loves God and their neighbour want to abolish God's law of liberty anyway? The question to such people should be, “which of the laws that God wrote in stone do you have a problem with and do not want to obey?” Unless there are one or more laws one does not want to obey, then one should have no problem with the law that Paul says reveals what sin is. (Romans 7:7) And if all we have to do is love God with all our heart and our neighbour as ourselves, does this mean we can take the Lord's name in vain, worship idols or even deny God the quality time of praise and worship He wants from us on His Holy day? What about others; does it mean we can lie, steal, murder, disrespect our parents or sleep with another's spouse? If one loves God with all their heart and others as themselves, they will be obeying every single one of them. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 22:40 after quoting these Old Testament words that ALL the law hang on these two Commandments. Some think the words of Jesus here exclude the fourth Commandment but Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 which reads, “And you shall love the LORD your God with all thine heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Did loving God with all thine heart include the fourth then? There can be no doubt as Deuteronomy 6:5 is just seventeen verses after the second reading of the Ten Commandments. See the greatest Commandment for more.

Have the Ten Commandments been changed?

Speaking of the fourth, how many Churches today know that Revelation 13:2 states that Satan through pagan Rome would give power and authority to a Church that changed the Commandments? About 400 years ago every single Protestant Church knew this yet today Satan has succeeded in having almost all lose this truth. Our adversary's primary goal was to have them change the fourth Commandment which Daniel 7:25 informs us would happen. Satan had purpose in this and over 50,000,000 Christian saints were murdered and tortured as heretics during the dark ages and yet most people today have no idea why. See who changed the fourth Commandment.

Jesus while referring to the Ten Commandments used these easy to understand words. Note that in John 14:15, that He is actually quoting from the second Commandment, “If you love me, keep my Commandments.” and in John 15:10, “If you keep my Commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's Commandments, and abide in his love.” Jesus obeyed the Fathers Commandments and He asks us to demonstrate our love for Him by doing the same. We also find in 1 John 2:4, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” The words of this last verse are something to consider very seriously. For example. What are the implications of not observing God's law considering that Jesus and His Word are truth? (John 14:6 and 17:17) The words of Christ in Matthew 7:21-23 come to mind where He says that not every one that called Him Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven. He refers to those who claimed to know Him and even did miracles in His name. But Jesus will profess to them that He never knew them and instruct them to depart from Him because they practiced lawlessness. Very sobering words indeed.

Note that all the above verses use the Greek word entole (pronounced en-tol-ay) that is always used when referring to the Ten Commandments in the New Testament, thus one can see how God feels about our loving obedience to His law. 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments: and his Commandments are not grievous.” Satan is the great deceiver that Jesus said if possible could deceive even the elect (Matthew 24:24) and it is he that desires to keep this world in chaos and disobeying our Lord and Saviour. He began attacking the law of God from the very beginning starting with the Commandment that defines worship of our Creator. Timothy warned us that the time would come when Christians will choose not to endure sound doctrine but instead pursue the lusts of the human heart, seeking after false teachers with itching ears and will turn their ears from the truth in preference of fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) I firmly believe that scripture reveals that we are in those days now. It is my heartfelt prayer that you glean all you can from these pages with a desire for the real truth. (John 14:6 and 17:17)

Do We Have To Obey The Ten Commandments?

What we need is the searchlight of God's Word to shine into our moral darkness so He can reveal His truth to us. Were the Ten Commandments nailed to the cross? Is the very sin that started with Adam and Eve and nailed our loving Saviour to the cross something God no longer cares about? Did Jesus die so we could continue living in lawlessness? Is this what the Bible really says about the Ten Commandments, or are these just lies from our adversary who is determined to keep and steal everyone he can from God's kingdom, especially as we draw closer to this Earths final days? Romans 6:23 says Jesus died to redeem us from the penalty of sin which is death by taking the penalty for our sin upon Himself, not so we could continue living in sin, which is breaking the Ten Commandments. 1 John 3:4.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The author of Hebrews 10:26-29 exhorts that to continue in wilful sin is to tread the Son of God under foot and count the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified as an unholy thing despite God's grace. So how will Jesus respond to those who worship Him and even do miracles in His name but had the opinion they could practice lawlessness by wilfully disobeying the Ten Commandments?

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”

Here Jesus speaks of those who called Him “Lord” but did not do the will of the Father. He then describes those who would seek entrance into the kingdom claiming to be workers of miracles in His name, but He would sorrowfully say, “I never knew you: depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!” These are words we never want to hear Jesus declare because we practiced lawlessness by wilfully disobeying the Ten Commandments, but how many of the Ten Commandments does one have to break to be guilty of sin?

James 2:10-12 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”

Every single person will be judged by the mighty moral code of God's Ten Commandments. To break just one is to be guilty of sin. The Bible demonstrates that the Ten Commandments are like a chain of ten links. When one link is broken, the whole chain is broken. And so it is with the Ten Commandments. Those who stand in the judgment will have to meet the acid test of the Ten Commandments. If a practicing thief should seek entrance into the kingdom, he would be rejected. This is why Paul says thieves will not inherit the heavenly city. Furthermore, the Bible specifically declares that idolaters, adulterers, liars and covetous men will not be in the kingdom. Why? Because the Ten Commandments forbid those things and men will be judged finally by this law. Not one single person will be admitted into heaven who is WILFULLY violating any one of the Ten Commandments because breaking one of the Ten Commandments is breaking them all. We find a good example of this in Exodus 16:4-30. These non-Jews thought that God did not mean what He said when He said the Seventh day. So how did God respond to them? He accused them of breaking ALL His Commandments and laws.

Some may object that this is making works the basis of entering the kingdom. But not so. This is really making love the qualifying factor. Jesus said that the greatest Commandment of all is to love God supremely. Quoting from the second of the Ten Commandments, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my Commandments.” John 14:15. Those who practice any known sin are really confessing that they do not love God with all their heart, soul and mind. So you see it is actually the lack of love that shuts them out and not the act of disobedience that exposes that lack. Only when love is motivating the obedience does it become acceptable to God. Any other work is man's vain attempt to earn salvation and to deny the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

What about those who teach the law is abolished or condemn others that do teach and obey the law? The words of Jesus are not ambiguous. He informs us that He did not come to destroy the law and we are not only to obey the Ten Commandments but TEACH them also. Again we are warned that the consequence is not entering the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:17-29 reads, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (See Jesus fulfilled the law or were the Ten Commandments abolished and the meaning of fulfilling the lawfor more detail on fulfil and Luke 16:17 on the eternal nature of the law) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [by those] in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire…You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.”

Not only are the Ten Commandments to last as long as heaven and earth but did you notice that our Lord and Saviour raises the bar even higher and magnifies the law as prophesied? See Isaiah 42:21. Example: From do not commit adultery to having committed adultery in your heart by looking lustfully at a woman. Jesus also informs us that the result of living in deliberate sin is “Hell Fire” and that it is better that one of your members should perish than for our whole body to be cast into Hell. My question is, “Why would any Christian try to justify disobedience to God's Ten Commandments anyway?” If we do not desire with all our heart to do this now, why would we be any different in the kingdom of heaven? The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and that His Ten Commandments are Ten Royal laws of love. (James 2:8) All the attributes of the Ten Commandments are found in God's very own nature and is why God cannot tolerate sin as it is a defilement of His very own character. To try and abolish or attack the Ten Commandments is to also attack God and His character. Does this mean being perfect as Christ was perfect? Of course not. This is where repentance, faith and God's grace are required which covers our failures in the flesh. See Romans 7:14-25. God's grace however, does not and cannot cover deliberate and wilful sin. See also FAQ 2.

Hebrews 10:26-29 says, “For if we sin WILFULLY after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth NO more sacrifice for sins, … He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?”

The Bible tells us how much sorer the punishment shall be for wilful sin and it is my heartfelt prayer that no one takes that path. Some may exhort that it is not possible to keep the Ten Commandments. Because we are sinners this is impossible to do on our own, but God's love changes us and enables us to obey His Commandments. God's Holy Spirit can pour into your heart an abundance of self denying love so that you will be able to love God most of all and your neighbour as yourself. The Bible also informs us that all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us and renews our hearts and minds making us a new creature. See 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Philippians

Saved By Grace Through Faith Not Of Works

Why was Jesus Christ condemned to die? What is the real purpose of the Ten Commandments and the reason for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the real truth on how we are saved? Multitudes have heard emotional discourses on sin and salvation but they still do not understand the logic and reason that require a blood sacrifice. So let's push aside all the rubbish and confusion that has obscured the truth on how men are saved and see what the Bible really says.

Just imagine the horror of standing before a judge and hearing the sentence of death pronounced against you. Can you imagine how you would feel? Probably not. But you have felt the driving guilt and fear when God's Word stabs you with this sentence: “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. So why do we feel fear and guilt? Because “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

The words are there and the meaning cannot be misunderstood. The word “all” might just as well be spelled John Jones or Mary Smith or whatever your name may be. The shocking fact is that you are under the sentence of death! You have been found guilty before the law and there is no court of appeal in the world that can reverse the sentence and find you not guilty. The fact is you are guilty as sin. According to 1 John 3:4, “sin is the transgression of the law,” and you must plead guilty to breaking the law. Whose law did you break? Paul answers quickly, “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Romans 7:7. There's the answer! The Ten Commandments is the law that was broken and it demands death for the transgressor. In desperation the sinner searches for a way to be justified in the sight of that broken Ten Commandment law. How can the sentence of death be turned aside? Can man atone for his own sins by obeying the Ten Commandments of God for the rest of his life? Back comes the answer in language that no person can possibly misinterpret: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” Romans 3:20.

There is a reason why works will not justify a soul. If a man is found guilty of stealing and is sentenced to ten years in jail, he can indeed justify himself by works. By serving his ten year sentence, the man may satisfy the claims of the law. He is considered perfectly justified and innocent because he has worked out his deliverance by fulfilling the pronounced sentence. In the same manner, a murderer can be justified by works if he serves the twenty five years of his sentence. But suppose the sentence is death instead of twenty five years. Can the prisoner still justify himself by works? Not a chance! Even if he should work for one hundred years at hard labour, the law would still demand death. The truth is that “without shedding of blood is no remission. … So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” Hebrews 9:22-28.

This is why works can never save the sinner. The penalty for sin is not ten years in prison or twenty five years of hard labour. The sentence is death and the law cannot be satisfied except by the shedding of blood. That unchangeable law with its unrelenting death sentence could no more be removed than the throne of God could be toppled. The guilt of the past cannot be erased by resolutions of good behaviour in the future. The sinner is forced to confess that he owes something that he cannot pay. The law demands death and he cannot satisfy it without forfeiting his own life for eternity. Now we come to that question that has created confusion for multitudes of Christians: If the works of the law cannot save a person, is it therefore necessary to keep the Ten Commandments law? Apparently this was a burning issue in the early Church, because Paul asked the same question in Romans 6:1. “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” In other words, does grace give us a license to disobey the Ten Commandments of God? His answer is: “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

It is interesting how Christians in this age of relativism can invent their own definitions that condone lawbreaking. The Bible says sin is violating the Ten Commandments; the law which has been described as irrelevant by many modern theologians. Do not be deceived. Every one of those great moral precepts is just as timely and needful today as they were when God wrote them on those imperishable tables of stone. Nothing has ever happened to make them less binding than they were when God gave them. In fact, we have already seen how Jesus came to magnify the law and open up its spiritual application, making it more comprehensive than the legalistic Pharisees ever imagined. Under the distilling influence of Jesus Christ's perfect life of obedience, we can see the spiritual details of law keeping which are neither recognized nor made possible apart from Him. At this point we must be very careful to designate also what the Ten Commandments cannot do. Even though it points out sin, it has no power to save from sin. There is no justifying, cleansing grace in it. All the works of the law cannot save a single soul. Why? For the simple reason that we are saved by grace through faith, as a free gift. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20.

Do not stumble over this crucial point. We cannot earn forgiveness by working hard to obey. No sinner can gain favour and acceptance with God because he keeps the law. The Ten Commandments were not made for the purpose of saving or justifying. They were made to show us our need of cleansing and to point us to the great source of cleansing, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Bible speaks of the law as a mirror to show us what kind of persons we really are. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:23-25.

Looking into the mirror all day or rubbing the mirror all over your face will never provide any cleansing. The work of the mirror is to reveal the spot and to point the dirty one to the sink for actual cleansing. The Ten Commandments law in like manner can only condemn the sinner by giving him knowledge of his or her condition and then pointing them to the cross for true cleansing. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. Paul further emphasizes this point in Romans 3:20-28“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin....Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

So Paul states that we are not saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, but as we have seen, we cannot be saved if we do not desire to keep them either. This confuses many people so let's put this yet another way. If we did have to rely on keeping the law to be saved, we would be eternally lost as there was only One who could and did keep them perfectly. This is why we are saved though FAITH in Christ's redeeming sacrifice and the GRACE of God. So does this mean the Ten Commandments are made null and void through faith? We would certainly have a large amount of contradictory scripture if this were so. Using the NKJV, Paul leaves no room for misunderstanding and finalizes Romans chapter three stating, “Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31. See also saved by faith alone.

God's grace is His unmerited, undeserved favour that is preceded by the act of genuine repentance of our sin. If there were no law, there would be no need for God's grace. See Romans 6:1-2; 14-15. Note also the Biblical definition of sin. 1 John 3:4. As one can see, for sin to exist there has to be law because “sin is lawlessness.” Paul is therefore saying that the concept of God's “grace” or forgiveness establishes that the Ten Commandments are still in effect as sin is breaking His law. God's grace through faith requires a law that defines the sins to be forgiven. Without the law we would have no way of understanding what sin is or is not because “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20. So repeating Paul, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” See also not under law but under grace.

4:13.

Are We Saved By Grace Or Works?

The issue of grace, works and faith is no doubt one of the most misunderstood topics in scripture. Works is commonly understood as trying to earn your salvation by keeping the law, which would require one to keep it perfectly and hence why it is called works. Thus works can never get one into the kingdom and also because it is not motivated by love, which is the reason why we shoulddesire to keep the law. (John 14:15) When we unintentionally break God's law, we repent and by faith in Christ's redeeming sacrifice we receive God's grace. So reading Paul's writings, one would conclude that we are not saved by works but by faith which results in God's grace, which is true but here is where the confusion comes in. James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Thus many have concluded that Paul is contradicting James. But Paul is referring to not being saved by the works of the law but by faith in Christ's redeeming sacrifice. James on the other hand is showing that in addition to faith itself comes the fruit of faith, which is that of good works. Hence James is not referring to the works of the law but to that of good works which comes from faith in Christ. Faith and works in this context go hand in hand as you cannot have one without the other.

The Ten Commandments truth in relation to faith and grace is so simple and obvious that it should require no repetition, but despite this you still often hear the argument in an effort to belittle the law of God: “Well, since we are not under the law but under grace, we do not need to keep the Ten Commandments any longer.” Is this a valid point? The Bible certainly does say that we are not under the law, but does that imply that we are free from the obligation to obey it? The text is found in Romans 6:14-15. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

How easily one could prevent confusion if we just accepted exactly what the Bible says. After stating that we are not under the law but under grace, Paul gives his own explanation. He says, “What then?” This simply means, “How are we to understand this?” Then notice his answer. In anticipation that some would misconstrue his words to mean that you can break the law because you are under grace, he says, “Shall we sin (break the Ten Commandments law) because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.” In the strongest possible language, Paul states that being under grace does not give a license to break the Ten Commandments. Yet this is exactly what so many believe today despite Paul's specific warning.

Since being under grace does not exempt us from keeping the Ten Commandments, then what does Paul mean by saying that Christians are not under the law? He gives that answer in Romans 3:19. “Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Here Paul equates being under the law with “being guilty before God.” In other words, those who are under the law are guilty of breaking it and are under the condemnation of it. This is why Christians are not under the law. They are not breaking it; not guilty and condemned by it. Therefore, they are not under it but are under the power of grace instead. Later in his argument, Paul points out that the power of grace is greater than the power of sin. This is why he states so emphatically, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Grace overrules the authority of sin giving power to obey the Ten Commandments. This is the effective reason that we are not under the law's guilt and condemnation and also why Paul states that we will not continue to sin.

Suppose a murderer has been sentenced to death in the electric chair. Waiting for the execution the man would truly be under the law in every sense of the word; under the guilt, under the condemnation, under the sentence of death, etc. Just before the execution date the governor reviews the condemned man's case and decides to pardon him. In the light of extenuating circumstances the governor exercises his prerogative and sends a full pardon to the prisoner. Now he is no longer under the law but under grace. The law no longer condemns him. He is considered totally justified as far as the charges of the law are concerned. He is free to walk out of the prison and no policeman can lay hands upon him. But now that he is under grace and no longer under the law, can we say that he is free to break the law? Indeed not! In fact, that pardoned man will be doubly obligated to obey the law because he has found grace from the governor. In gratitude and love he will be very careful to honour the law of that state which granted him grace.

Now for one of the most fallacious propositions ever set forth relating to the Ten Commandments law. Countless sincere Christians have accepted the idea that the Old Testament encompasses the dispensation of works and that the New Testament provides for a dispensation of grace. Under this garbled plan, people were saved by works in the Old Testament and by grace in the New Testament. This is simply not true. The Bible holds forth only one beautiful, perfect plan for anybody to be saved, and that is by grace through faith. Heaven will not be divided between those who got there by works and those who got there by faith. Every single soul among the redeemed will be a sinner saved by grace. Those who entered into salvation in the Old Testament were those who trusted the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ, and they demonstrated their faith by bringing a lamb and slaying it. They looked forward in faith to the atoning death of Jesus. We look back in faith to the same death and are saved in exactly the same way. Be sure that the entire redeemed host throughout eternity will be singing the same song of deliverance and exalting the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Jesus exhorts again and again to “let no man deceive you.” We are also explicitly warned that in the end days Satan will have false prophets doing many signs and wonders and miracles and if possible even the elect will be deceived. Satan can and does counterfeit most miracles of God including healing and tongues and more and more Christians are seeking aimlessly after these signs and wonders without testing the source.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:4, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”

If your Church teaches that the Ten Commandments are abolished and has a large emphasis on miracles, how do you know that Satan is not responsible for any of these miracles in an attempt to keep one sidetracked and deceived on the real important issues such as truth about obedience to God in love regarding the Ten Commandments? If Satan's grand finale is to deceive the multitudes by signs and wonders as explained in Revelation, wouldn't he be working on the lusts of the human heart now to get us thinking in this manner so his final master deception will be like lambs to the slaughter for those who do not diligently study the Word like the Bereans and know what to expect?

Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures EVERY DAY to see if what Paul said was true.”

The eternal nature of the Ten Commandments can also be seen from John's vision of the time of the end where he sees the temple in heaven open and very particularly he sees “the ark of his testament.” This is the true ark of which the earthly one was only a copy and where in the sanctuary is the depository for the original Ten Commandments, God's immutable moral law for all men of all ages. This is very significant when you consider that God's Ten Commandments are still in place in the heavenly sanctuary. They have not been discarded, destroyed or rewritten.

Revelation 11:19 “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”

What is the Mark of the Beast?

One of the most severe warnings found in the Bible is sandwiched between the two following verses that describe those who do not get the mark of the beast which is Satan's counterfeit for the Seal of God being God's mark. So many people have missed a very crucial point in that those who do not get the mark worship God only and very significantly keep all Ten Commandments while enduring tribulation by having the faith of Jesus. Note that verse seven references the second and primarily the fourth Commandment which is to do with who we do and do not worship.

Revelation 14:7 “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Greek Lexicons state this verse is a reference to the fourth Commandment), “…for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea…”

Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience [endurance] of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Parenthesis added

The word patience in Revelation 14:12 above more accurately translates to endurance according to Greek dictionaries and means those who endure tribulation because they do not accept the mark of the beast. We also know this from the phrase “Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” in Revelation 13:10, which refers to the Christian saints that endured persecution through the dark ages. So understanding Revelation 13:10 also reveals that Revelation 14:12 is referring to those who are going through tribulation, and so are in opposition to the beast, and hence are those who do not get the mark of the beast. The rest of the verse tells us why and how they manage to endure while doing this. This group that does not get the mark “are they that keep the Commandments of God” and manage to endure tribulation while doing so because they have “the faith of Jesus.”

Many words in blue on this page are tool tips so please hover your mouse over them to read them such as the following one. Revelation 14:12 is one of the biggest clues we have on what the mark of the beast is and yet all those speculating on what the mark is have never stated why those who do not get the mark are those who are keeping the Ten Commandments of God through Christ like faith. It cannot be debated that this apocalyptic mark is associated with the Ten Commandments and yet this crucial fact is always very conveniently ignored. Why? Could it be because the majority are also ignoring an important Commandment of God?

A beast in the Bible represents a kingdom. (Daniel 7:17; 7:23) So who is this antichrist power and what do they say their mark is? This issue has to be a free will decision as God gives us free will. But what if the beast's mark was some kind of computer microchip or some other form of technology? It would not be possible to stop this from being forced upon us against our will. Would God pronounce the severest punishment found in the Bible for this? Why would He? That makes no sense no matter how you contemplate it. You will see later from scripture why technology is impossible anyway. So what does the Bible reveal as almost the only reason you find God punishing His children for in the Old Testament and something that cannot be forced upon anyone even if it means being threatened with death? Our loving obedience! Like any good Father, God punished His children for their sin which is transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) The entire Biblical picture is the plan of salvation because we transgressed God's Ten Commandment law and why Jesus had to die on the cross for us. God cannot tolerate sin and disobedience! So what do we find from Genesis to Revelation that has always been really important to God and why He gave His only Son?

1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments: and his Commandments are not grievous.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

It is also very importantly about who we give our allegiance to. Do we worship according to the beast power that Satan gave “his power and his seat and great authority” (Revelation 13:2), or do we Worship according to how God instructs us? If we worshipped according to the power that Satan gave authority to instead of following God's Ten Commandments, and once the truth was fully known, would this incur the full wrath of God? This would be in total rebellion to God and His law as one would effectively be giving their allegiance to the devil himself being the supporting agent. So if the love of God is for us to obey His Ten Commandments and the mark of the beast goes upon your hand or forehead, i.e. between your eyes, what is this mark? Could it possibly symbolize something as is so often the case in the Bible and especially in Revelation? You will note in the following verses that the Ten Commandments are being referenced and that this immediately follows the second reading of the Ten Commandments as that is what is being referred to.

Deuteronomy 6:5-8 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a SIGN on your HAND and they shall be as frontals on your FOREHEAD.”

Note: The King James Version says “they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes” which simply means your forehead. The NIV, NASB, MSG, NIRV, NLT, NLV and many other Bibles translate “frontlets between thine eyes” correctly to “on your foreheads.” So God said the Ten Commandments were to be a sign upon our hands and foreheads. Where does the mark of the beast go? What about the Seal of God? What is the symbolism behind your hands and forehead? And what is behind your forehead? Here is another verse that sheds some light on this question.

Deuteronomy 11:18 NIV “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your HANDS and bind them on your FOREHEADS.”

Where does God now write His Ten Commandment law with the New Covenant which we are under and why?

Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”

Behind your FOREHEAD is the part of your MIND that makes free will decisions and the Bible shows many times that HANDS symbolically represents your actions. If you choose to follow the beast and worship according to their rules and traditions and against the law of God, then you symbolically receive their mark in your forehead representing your mind as it was a free will choice. If you buckle under the pressure of tribulation and due to not being able to buy or sell, then you symbolically receive their mark in your hand representing your actions. So does the antichrist power enforcing the mark have anything to do with God's laws? Very much so and we know this for a fact through Bible prophecy and history. There can be no doubt that Revelation 14:12 states that those who keep the Ten Commandments are those who DO NOT get the mark of the beast. This is not speculation. After the mind set you probably now have from all the speculation that has been fed to you regarding this mark, this no doubt on the surface sounds understandably strange. But on close examination and careful consideration you will find it is not. The following verse from Daniel is referring to the fourth beast that has the eyes of a man at its head that persecutes Christians through the dark ages for 1260 years.

Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to CHANGE TIMES and LAWS: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”

So we find the following very relevant points:

• Satan gave power and position to the beast to obtain worship by representation because he wanted to be worshipped like the most high. Revelation 13:2; Isaiah 14:12-14
• Reading Revelation chapters 13 and 14 reveals the mark of the beast is about worship. We either worship the beast or worship God but how do you worship the beast?
  There are two Commandments about worship and the beast deleted the second on what we should not worship and changed the fourth that is about who we do worship.
• God has a specific day of worship being His Sabbath that we are told is a sign that He is our God that we worship and a sign that it is God that sanctifies us making us His children.
  The beast through Satan has a specific day of worship being Sunday which came from idolatrous Sun worship that originated from Satan worship 2000 B.C.
• The beast power changed the Ten Commandments of God and most significantly the Commandment that defines that it is God we worship.
• Now do not forget this very significant fact. Those who do not get the mark of the beast endure tribulation because they are keeping all Ten Commandments of God. Revelation 14:12
• So is it a coincidence that the Ten Commandments of God are a sign upon the exact same location that the mark of the beast goes? Not a chance!
• Those who do not get the mark “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Greek Lexicons say this is fourth Commandment reference)
• The Seal of God is found in the middle of the Ten Commandments of God and His disciples are sealed with His law in the forehead with the mark of God being His Seal.
  Satan counterfeits all things of God and the mark of the beast is the counterfeit for the seal of God being His mark. See Catholic Quotes.

Here are some more points to consider that will help this become even clearer. Remember that the mark of the beast is Satan’s counterfeit to the mark of God and that the mark of the beast is in opposition to the seal of God being His mark. See if the following five points are a counterfeit and in opposition.

1. God’s cycle and pattern is always 6:1. See origin of sun worship for more detail on this pattern.
   Satan through the beast uses 1:6 so the beast has the occult counterfeit.
2. The fourth Commandment the Sabbath is based on God and His Word and hence is pro-law.
   Sunday is based on the traditions of man and hence is anti-law. Mark 7:6-9.
3. The true day of worship comes from the worship of the Son of God and hence is pro-law.
   The false day of worship comes from the worship of the Sun god and hence is anti-law.
4. The Seal of God is found in His law and His disciples are sealed with His law.
   The beast says that their mark was their authority to change the law of God and have the entire Protestant world follow her. See Catholic Quotes.
5. The Ten Commandments are a sign upon our hands and forehead. Deuteronomy 6:5-8; 11:18
   The mark of the beast is on the same locations. Our hands and forehead! Revelation 13:16; Revelation 14:9

Points 4 and 5 alone reveal the mark is about the law of God. And again for confirmation: Those who do not get the mark of the beast endure tribulation and keep the Commandments of God. Revelation 14:12

Some may say this all sounds too obvious to be true and why have the majority not seen this? The simple answer is because our adversary was very successful in nearly wiping out the fourth Commandment during the dark ages through the death of millions. Even today Satan continues to keep Christians in the dark on the fourth Commandment truth and so most do not see what is right under their nose. Christians would have to acknowledge this Commandment to see the obvious truth, but sadly, most do not want to do this or have been led astray by one of a million and one different perpetuated excuses over the last few centuries. Remember that the fourth Commandment was nearly lost by the time the Protestant reformation began and thus all the new Protestant Churches continued keeping Sunday in ignorance and this is why it has such a stronghold today. It is always hard to restore a lost truth and even more so when people do not want to know because it would disrupt their Church or lifestyle. God gave His one and only Son and yet so many respond this way. How God must grieve when people do this. Watch this short video of a true story of an example on how the fourth Commandment was nearly lost. You can now watch for free online here the history of the Sabbath that is an utterly brilliant five DVD production from many historical experts.

Now regardless of what you currently believe, please consider if the following scenario makes sense if the fourth Commandment is very important and relevant to God.

The Sabbath is a sign that it is God that sanctifies us and a sign that it is God we love and worship. Now Satan wanted to be worshipped as God, (Isaiah 14:12-14) so he slowly went about attacking the law of God and after many centuries succeeded in changing the fourth Commandment, and hence this Sabbath keeping sign was no longer relevant to His children either. As a result God would be deprived of the worship He desired on His Holy day that He blessed and sanctified and instead Satan gets worship by representation in place of God. Now would this make God angry enough to incur His full wrath if we did this knowingly? It sure would! With this being the case what do you think God would do at the very end just before His Son returns as the final climactic event? How about the final choice where the whole world has to choose who they are going to worship? If you worship God on His holy day than you get His seal and hence His mark. And if you worship according to the beasts tradition in place of His fourth Commandment then you get the mark from the beast. This of course is all symbolic as is the Seal of God. God is not going to implant anyone with computer chips or anything else like that. However, it is not to say that biochips or verichips or something similar may not be used in the end times and I can imagine Satan doing this as it would be a great deception to keep people away from the real truth, and especially when so many Christians are expecting this because of all the speculation that continues to spread on this with the help of our adversary of course.

And if you think that all this information here is not possible because most would see it. Then think again. Revelation 19:20 states, “He deceived them that had received the mark of the beast.” Satan is not a fool and this is going to be his greatest end time deception and why those who get the mark are deceived. And since the entire world is deceived, then this must be something the majority are already deceived on. So if all Ten Commandments are relevant, could this apply to the Lord's Sabbath? Absolutely! How much of the world fights with dozens of excuses that are even contradictory as to why they do not have to keep the fourth Commandment? Today you hear it is either Ten Commandments, nine Commandments or they were all nailed the cross. And not forgetting those who say it is Ten Commandments but the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the Bible based on incorrect assumptions. Read is Sunday the Sabbath for the brief version. This alone should tell the wise that something is very wrong but how many even notice? And how many people do you know would actually let the government implant something inside their heads? And how could you call this deceptive and especially when this is what most of the world blindly believes anyway?

Another reason why most of the world is deceived as Revelation 19:20 states is because most of the world just speculates on this issue and really have no idea and Satan of course spreads this speculation and most just blindly believe it. For example: Have you noticed that when you ask most people what the mark of the beast is they will tell you it is the number 666. But again this is wrong as it is the number of the beast that is 666 which is a number of a man that heads the beast power and is not the mark which is separate. (Revelation 13:18) How many Christians have read the Book of Revelation and understood it? Or how many Christians have even read their Bibles from cover to cover even once? And how many just read what sounds good on the net that tickles their itching ears or just blindly believe what others tell them with no idea if it is truth or fable? (2 Timothy 4:3-4) Note also the solar seal to the right with the number 666 on it that comes from sun worship and the real origin of Sunday worship in the Church and how this number relates.

Many have also missed that you cannot buy or sell unless you have one of three different things and so if the mark was technology then you could just choose one of the other two options and you could still buy or sell. Hence the mark cannot be technology and those who understand this issue know that it is not relevant or possible. Now note carefully Revelation 13:17 and think about it for a moment and you will know technology is impossible. Some will now ask how could buying and selling be controlled if it is about who we give our allegiance to. The fact is that it could still be controlled by technology which would be a brilliant deception even though it would not be the mark as such. And what about things like Facebook that most of the world uses and the government monitors. The NSA now has the ability to monitor just about anything. They could get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards and more and would give them all they need to know about you. How did Hitler find the millions of Jews that he murdered? With technology the way it is today, that task has just been made a whole lot more simple and would give them far more to work with then what Hitler had and yet no one seems to stop and think about this either.

Some denominations like the Seventh day Adventist Church say that the mark of the beast is Sunday worship, and while they are technically correct and know Bible prophecy better than most, it does not explain what the real issue is as we can worship God any day. It is about giving our allegiance to God to the point of death as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were prepared to do rather than disobey the Commandments of God. Acts 5:29 says, “…We ought to obey God rather than men.” It is about worshipping on a day commanded by man in place of worshipping on the day Commanded by God. Hence it is also about keeping manmade traditions in place of God’s Commandments. Jesus said that those who keep manmade traditions in place of the Commandments of God are hypocrites. Mark 7:6-9. This is what it is all about. Obeying God rather than man and especially when Satan is behind it. It is about giving our allegiance to our heavenly Father and obeying only Him when it comes to His Commandments. God has been deprived of worship on His Holy day and he is not one bit happy about it and the time is coming when this issue will be made clear and that is when we need to be strong and have Christ like faith and be in the group that keeps all Ten of the Commandments of God. Revelation 14:12 And not just then but now!

Read what is the mark of the beast carefully and prayerfully for the real truth. See also who is the Antichrist, the Catholic version of the Ten Commandments, who changed the Sabbath to Sunday or the Sabbath to Sunday change and select the solar seal image with the number 666 on it to discover the real origin of this number. More should know this truth on the origin of 666 but our adversary has being keeping this truth quiet also.

Living Under Grace Not Law

A dramatic illustration of the law and grace doctrine can be seen in the story of the slave auctions in old New Orleans a long time ago. Two planters were bidding for an old Negro slave who constantly shouted his rebellion from the auction block. One of the planters finally won the bid and took the slave in his wagon back to the farm. Throughout the journey the defiant Negro slave declared that he would not work for his new owner. On arrival at the plantation, the planter dropped the shackles from the newly bought slave and said, “You are free to go. You are no longer a slave. I bought you in order to give you your liberty.” According to the story, the old man fell at the feet of the planter and said, “Master, I will serve you forever.”

In the same manner, we were all held in the bondage of sin, condemnation and death. Christ then paid the price to secure our freedom from that hopeless slavery. Lovingly He tells us that the reason He made the sacrifice was to set us free. So what should our response to Jesus Christ be? Every ransomed child of God should fall at His feet and say, “Master, I love you for what you did for me. I will serve you the rest of my life.”

Think it through for just a moment. Jesus had to die because the Ten Commandments law had been broken and sin demanded death. If the law could have been abrogated, the penalty of sin would have been set aside also. “For where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15. So strong is the authority of that unchangeable Ten Commandments law that God Himself could not abolish it; not even to save His own Son from death.

Another old story of two brothers is almost a perfect illustration of both law and grace in operation. The older brother was a judge and his younger brother was brought before him as a transgressor of the law. From all the evidence it was clear to everyone that he was guilty and the court atmosphere was tense. Would the judge mete out justice in such a case? The judge looked at his brother and sternly declared him guilty. Then he stunned the court by imposing the maximum fine. But immediately he left the bench and threw his arms around his brother and said, “I had to do it because you are guilty. I know you cannot pay the fine, but I will pay it for you.”

The point of the story is dramatic in its impact. The brother was forgiven but the penalty was not. It had to be paid. But by paying the maximum penalty, the judge not only did not abolish the law, but he greatly magnified it. He demonstrated that its binding claims could never be voided. In the same sense, God would not and could not abolish the Ten Commandments law to save His own beloved Son. It cost something to uphold the law and pay the maximum penalty. No one will ever know how much it cost the Son of God. But how thankful we should be that His love was as perfect as His justice. In His own body He bore the penalty, satisfied the law and justified the transgressor.

Can you see that no greater demonstration could have been made to prove the permanence of the Ten Commandments? In the entire universe God could not have displayed a more convincing and irrefutable argument in favour of His Ten Commandment law. Yet, in the face of this tremendous exhibition, misguided millions of poor, feeble men belittle the government of God by belittling His law. They seem not to understand that the Ten Commandments are only a reflection of His holiness and righteousness. To speak of the abolition of the Ten Commandments is to border on treason against the divine government of heaven.

Look into that holy law right now for a divine revelation of what God wants your life to be. Confess that you have no strength to live up to that perfect standard. Then turn your eyes to the only One who has kept that Ten Commandments law perfectly and who desires this very moment to enter your life with enabling power. He will fulfil the righteousness of the law; the just requirements of the law in you, so that you can say with Paul, “Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

The Ten Commandments - Conclusion

In the past, Christians have quietly said that there seems to be a hidden agenda to remove God and the Ten Commandments from the government but now the agenda does not seem quite so hidden. The recent purging of the Ten Commandments from public institutions has aroused a passionate outcry from many groups. Why? We have witnessed the grim results of our silence. In the world today we have murder, suicide, rape, adultery, fornication, thefts, muggings, idolatry, pornography, child abuse and classmates shooting classmates. There are even elderly men and woman being beaten in their homes for a few dollars. Cars are not just stolen secretly anymore; they are stolen right out from under you. It is not even safe in your own home. You can understand those belonging to this world not wanting to have any law to follow and the results are catastrophic as we can see by just looking at the world around us. But what sort of message does it send to the world when Christians start teaching that God's great moral standards, the Ten Commandments are abolished?

So again, what are the consequences and whose kingdom benefits from this teaching? God's or Satan's? The answers to these questions should be pretty obvious and also which spirit one is listening to when one teaches that these glorious Ten Commandments written on sapphire stone are now history.

The main area of confusion with the Ten Commandments is misinterpretation between the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law and should be studied by all. Galatians and the law is also a huge stumbling block for many in regards to the Ten Commandments and is also recommended reading. The Catholic change to the Ten Commandments explains why most Churches today worship on Sunday and these fifty thought provoking questions on Sabbath Bible Prophecy explain how the fourth Commandment relates to Antichrist. Was the Sabbath changed to Sunday in the Bible? See who changed the Sabbath to Sunday for the full story on this much attacked truth.

Many today are looking for any excuse to say the Ten Commandments are abolished but look why God said David was a man after His own heart. See also this one Bible passage that conclusively says all Ten Commandments are eternal but many do not understand this passage because of misunderstandings on Jesus fulfilling the law. See also the following page for the truth on the Old and New Covenants and are all Ten Commandments in the New Testament. Alternatively you can also browse the blue menu bar.

Much of the information on the previous pages is in brief detail and is intended to get one thinking about these many issues. If you would like to know more, then you will find thumbnails to more than 120 web sites which will answer all the unanswered questions and give full information on these topics and others by careful exegesis. If you would prefer, you can also watch excellent Bible Prophecy Seminars online.

Select the example thumbnail image to the right to view all of the thumbnails to this large variety of web sites covering a multitude of topics and on the Ten Commandments and topics related to God's Ten Commandment Law such as the fourth Commandment the Sabbath, the Ceremonial law and that very misunderstood passage Colossians 2:16. There are also many other excellent web sites on end time prophecy such as “What is the battle of Armageddon”, “who or what is the Antichrist”, “Secret rapture”, “What is the mark of the beast”, “Number of the beast and the origin of 666”, “1000 year millennium reign”, “Mystery Babylon, “What is the abomination that causes desolation” and many other topics such as “Ecstatic bible tongues”, “Truth about Hades and hell fire”, “What happens to you when you die”, “Gospel parallels”, “Does God always heal today”, “Generational curses”, “Wednesday Crucifixion theory”, “Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy”, “Prophecy of weeks”, “Revelations two witnesses” and much more. You may find the FAQ page on the Ten Commandments or the fourth Commandment very enlightening also. See also what are the Ten Commandments or this page for the purpose and meaning of the Ten Commandments.

Note to Web masters: Links to the index page on the Ten Commandments and others that you consider worthwhile would be very much appreciated.