What Part Of "You Shall Not" Don't You Understand?
Sermon
Sermons On The First Readings
Series II, Cycle B
What Part Of "You Shall Not" Don't You Understand?
Ethical relativists have moved into our lives like a horde of invading barbarians threatening to conquer the land. Increasingly, people seem to be succumbing to the enemy. Many today say, "Nothing is absolute, not God, not the Bible, not the Ten Commandments." The only absolute for many people today seems to be the statement, "There are no absolutes." Guess again.
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) are biblical correctives for a society which too easily has been overcome by the ethical relativists who have invaded and permeated our institutions and popular culture with a soul-degrading downgrade in ethics. When someone says, "Everything's relative; nothing is written in stone," we can reply, "Think again." The Ten Commandments (written on stone) are not ten suggestions. The Ten Laws of God place a giant question mark in the margins of our society and our lives: "What part of 'You shall not' don't you understand?"
In the context of the ethical downgrade of our times, Karl Menninger wrote: Whatever became of sin? That's a good question. Menninger pointed out that without a concept of sin against God and his Commandments, there is no repentance. Without repentance there is no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, we spin in endless circles of conflict, reciprocity, and defeat.
Steve Allen, one of the few entertainers of our time who has not succumbed to the invading ethical relativists, wrote a book against what has happened in the entertainment industry and society. The book, Vulgarians At The Gate, was published after Allen's death.
Vulgarians Are At The Gate
The invading force of ethical relativists have knocked down the walls and gates of the entertainment industry. Allen writes, "The business people (in television, radio, movies, music, and recordings, and the print media) are quite happy to market garbage so long as they can make a buck by doing so."
Allen, honorary chairman of the Parents Television Council, wrote, "The coarsening of our entire culture is by no means a simple matter. But oppose it we must, for the consequences of rearing millions of initially innocent children in a social atmosphere characterized by vulgarity, violence, brutish manners, the collapse of the family, and general disrespect for traditional codes of conduct is to chill the blood of even the most tolerant observers." In other words, the vulgarians and ethical relativists are now at the gate of our most sacred institutions: the institutions of family and church.
How shall we fight the vulgarians and ethical relativists? We can fight the good fight of faith by identifying the enemy and using the law and the gospel as our weapons of battle.
We need to identify the enemy. Do you think there is no cause and effect relationship between the permeating force of the vulgarians and increasing promiscuity, illegitimate pregnancy, AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, use of drugs, excessive drinking, and broken homes? Think again. The marketers of sleaze have not won the battle, but they are knocking at the gates of what we Christians hold sacred. Ethical terrorists are working on the home and the church as the last bastions of defense against the invading barbarians.
The Ten Commandments are not only written on stone; they are also written in our hearts. Saint Paul says in Romans 2:15: "... What the law requires is written on their hearts...." In Romans, Paul writes about the wrath of God on all ungodliness. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse ..." (Romans 1:18-20). "Claiming to be wise, they became fools ..." (Romans 1:22). "They know God's decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die -- yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them" (Romans 1:32).
In addition to the wrath of God on all ungodliness, Paul also speaks about the gospel of God. This gospel is the corrective for his times and our times. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith' " (Romans 1:16-17). In other words, the biblical corrective is the law and the gospel.
The Biblical Corrective
The wrath of God is revealed in the Ten Commandments. Space doesn't allow me to go into great detail about the meaning and application of these ten laws of God for his children. I have done that in the book, The Big Ten.1 Here we can only look at an outline of what the Ten Commandments mean for us today.
First, only God is God. The first commandment2 says, "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" (Exodus 20:2). Idolatry, worshiping, and following some god who is not God, is the sin described in this command from God.
The question we face is not "Do you believe in God?" The question we face is, "Which god do you believe in -- the one, true God, or some false god of your own making?" In other words, we have no choice about whether or not we will worship God. The only choice we have is the one between the God who created heaven and earth and the false gods we substitute for the one who made us. Whoever or whatever is in first place in our lives is our god.
The problem with many modern people is that they worship a god of their own making: money, material goods, or self. None of these gods work as the number one thing in our lives. Even love of one's work doesn't work as a first love. Neither does love of one's family. To put anything, even love of one's spouse or children, before love of God is to commit idolatry. Belief in any god other than the God who made us is idolatry. The first commandment flies right in the face of an age of ethical relativism, where people try to live with no absolutes and say, "Any old god will do."
An unbeliever once said to a believer, "I don't believe in God." The believer responded: "Tell me about the god you don't believe in. Chances are, I don't believe in that god either." The god people say they don't believe in is a god who starts wars, runs down children with Mack trucks, and doesn't care when we suffer. The god people say they don't believe in is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The god people say they don't believe in is really an idol, often made in our own image.
Second, God has a name. How we use that name indicates what we think about God. The second commandment is, "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name" (Exodus 20:7). Contrary to popular belief, God's last name is not "Damn." In other words, God's name is to be used in worship and praise, not in cursing, swearing, lying, and deceiving.
Third, God has a day. What we do with that day indicates what we think about God. The third commandment is, "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). Originally God's day was Saturday, the seventh day of the week, the day to remember that God created the world and all that is in it and a day to remember that God redeemed his people by bringing them out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). The early Christians changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday because of Easter. Since Easter, the day of re-creation and redemption, was on Sunday, Christians worship on the first day of the week. For those who have conflicts or who prefer a different style of worship, alternative days of worship are sometimes provided.
Fourth, we are called to respect our parents. The first three Commandments are called the first table of the law. They deal with our relationship with the Lord. Commandments four through ten are called he second table of the law. These commands from God deal with our relationship with one another. The first command in the second table has to do with the home and our parents. We are called to cherish and respect the home and our father and mother. "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12), the fourth commandment says.
As children we learn to believe and trust God by believing in and trusting our parents. That's why parents need to be honorable. They are teaching children what God is like. Children are called upon to honor their parents so that they learn to honor God. But what happens when parents are not honorable? Children grow up with distorted ideas about what God is like. What happens when the modern home is little more than a large telephone booth where arrangements are made to leave? Children grow up without roots and a secure foundation. The importance of this commandment cannot be exaggerated in a society where the home is assaulted by the vulgarians and the relativists.
Fifth, if you murder another person, you are condemned by the fifth commandment. Relatively few people are murderers, but Jesus expands the meaning of the fifth commandment by including hate in it's meaning. "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13), the commandment says. Jesus enlarges the meaning of this command to include everyone. "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder,' and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with your brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire" (Matthew 5:21-22). In other words, hate which lies in the hearts of all people who have been hurt by another, is the motivation for murder. Even when hate doesn't give rise to murder, it still causes us to sin with words and deeds.
Note that in this passage Jesus says, "You have heard ... But I say unto you...." That's quite a statement! If I made that claim, you'd lock me up in a hospital for the mentally ill and throw away the key or at least judge me as a stupid, egocentric man to be avoided. Jesus can say it because he is the Lord. He also says something like this about the sixth commandment.
Sixth, adultery is wrong. So is lust. The sixth commandment is, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Jesus extends the meaning of this command from not having sex with someone else's spouse to even looking with lust at another person. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).
One day, a pastor was explaining to a group of twelve-year-old boys that there is a difference between temptation and sin. "If you are tempted, that doesn't make you sinful," he said. "For example, if you see a pretty girl walk by and you look at her, that's no sin. But if you look too long, that's lust and it is a sin."
A boy in the back row raised his hand and said, "How long is too long?"
We don't know how long is too long, but we know that there is a point when looking becomes lusting. Martin Luther had a brilliant way of putting it. "You can't keep the birds of temptation from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your mind."
Compare these standards to what you see in movies, magazines, and books today! Compare these standards to what you see on television! The vulgarians seem to be winning, don't they? Aren't they trying to knock down the door of our sacred institutions? Aren't our homes and churches being threatened with their smut?
Seventh, stealing is wrong. The seventh commandment says so. "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). Most people think they are at least free from breaking this commandment. Think again. How about stealing another person's answers on a quiz? How about stealing by cheating on a business report? How about stealing someone's good name with gossip or unfair criticism?
The eighth commandment deals with unfair criticism and false judgments. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). Of all the commandments in the second table of the law, this is the one we observe being broken most often. Daily, someone in our hearing says something unkind about another. Too often we fall into this trap ourselves. We are called upon to put the most charitable construction on our neighbor's behavior and motives and put a stern judgment on our own. We too easily put a charitable construction on our behavior and motives and a harsh judgment on our neighbor's. Guilty as charged.
Commandments nine and ten deal with covetousness, desires of the heart to have something that belongs to another. It isn't wrong to want something. It's when that want becomes inordinate desire or envy or jealousy that we get into trouble. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:17). The emphasis is on the word "covet," not so much on the list of items. Few of us covet our neighbor's cattle, although one dairy farmer confessed to his pastor that he lusted after his neighbor's herd on the way to church that day. Envy and jealousy are the themes of many novels and movies precisely because they are so much a part of our fallen nature. While our culture tends to downplay the sinfulness of these twin motivators, there is much evidence that these twins lurk in the minds of all of us.
The Lord asks, "What part of 'You shall not' don't you understand?" On judgment day we all must answer his question. We do well to pay attention before we come to that day when we have no choice but to pay attention. The Ten Commandments are clear. We are guilty before them. Yes, but what of grace? What about the gospel of forgiveness?
The law condemns us, but the gospel saves us. In other words, the Ten Commandments show us that we fall short of what we ought to be. The commands are absolute, not optional or relative. God's "Big Ten" require that we make ethical choices. These choices are not like a choice between Ludefisk and pizza. These choices are between right and wrong. When we break these commands from God, we are broken by them. But God doesn't want us to remain broken. That's why he sends mercy and forgiveness. That's why he sent Jesus into the world. Jesus offers forgiveness and salvation. We have broken the commands of God, but we are not stuck with no place to go. We can return to God through repentance and forgiveness.
Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished" (Matthew 5:17-18). But as he was being crucified for our sins, Jesus also said, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). The good news of Jesus' death and resurrection covers the bad news of our sins.
In our age of ethical relativism, people can pretend that there are no absolute standards for behavior, but the absolutes of God, his word, and Jesus as Savior remain, no matter what people say. God is not up on cloud seventeen, trembling for fear of being voted out of office. The vulgarians may be at the gates of our lives, banging away, sure of themselves, but the Lord promises that his word will prevail. "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). In other words, when we Christians take up the weapons of the Spirit, we fight for the cause that will prevail in the end. We will not just be defending the gates of home and church. In partnership with the unconquerable Lord, we will knock down the gates of the barbarians and demons that threaten us. In the battle with evil, God always wins.
____________
1.ÊRon Lavin, The Big Ten (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Co., 2005).
2.ÊThe numbering of the Ten Commandments used here is that used by Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and some others (with one commandment on idolatry and two on covetousness). Some Protestants use the numbering system with two commandments on idolatry and one on covetousness. There are no numbers assigned to the Ten Commandments in the Bible.
Ethical relativists have moved into our lives like a horde of invading barbarians threatening to conquer the land. Increasingly, people seem to be succumbing to the enemy. Many today say, "Nothing is absolute, not God, not the Bible, not the Ten Commandments." The only absolute for many people today seems to be the statement, "There are no absolutes." Guess again.
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) are biblical correctives for a society which too easily has been overcome by the ethical relativists who have invaded and permeated our institutions and popular culture with a soul-degrading downgrade in ethics. When someone says, "Everything's relative; nothing is written in stone," we can reply, "Think again." The Ten Commandments (written on stone) are not ten suggestions. The Ten Laws of God place a giant question mark in the margins of our society and our lives: "What part of 'You shall not' don't you understand?"
In the context of the ethical downgrade of our times, Karl Menninger wrote: Whatever became of sin? That's a good question. Menninger pointed out that without a concept of sin against God and his Commandments, there is no repentance. Without repentance there is no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, we spin in endless circles of conflict, reciprocity, and defeat.
Steve Allen, one of the few entertainers of our time who has not succumbed to the invading ethical relativists, wrote a book against what has happened in the entertainment industry and society. The book, Vulgarians At The Gate, was published after Allen's death.
Vulgarians Are At The Gate
The invading force of ethical relativists have knocked down the walls and gates of the entertainment industry. Allen writes, "The business people (in television, radio, movies, music, and recordings, and the print media) are quite happy to market garbage so long as they can make a buck by doing so."
Allen, honorary chairman of the Parents Television Council, wrote, "The coarsening of our entire culture is by no means a simple matter. But oppose it we must, for the consequences of rearing millions of initially innocent children in a social atmosphere characterized by vulgarity, violence, brutish manners, the collapse of the family, and general disrespect for traditional codes of conduct is to chill the blood of even the most tolerant observers." In other words, the vulgarians and ethical relativists are now at the gate of our most sacred institutions: the institutions of family and church.
How shall we fight the vulgarians and ethical relativists? We can fight the good fight of faith by identifying the enemy and using the law and the gospel as our weapons of battle.
We need to identify the enemy. Do you think there is no cause and effect relationship between the permeating force of the vulgarians and increasing promiscuity, illegitimate pregnancy, AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, use of drugs, excessive drinking, and broken homes? Think again. The marketers of sleaze have not won the battle, but they are knocking at the gates of what we Christians hold sacred. Ethical terrorists are working on the home and the church as the last bastions of defense against the invading barbarians.
The Ten Commandments are not only written on stone; they are also written in our hearts. Saint Paul says in Romans 2:15: "... What the law requires is written on their hearts...." In Romans, Paul writes about the wrath of God on all ungodliness. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse ..." (Romans 1:18-20). "Claiming to be wise, they became fools ..." (Romans 1:22). "They know God's decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die -- yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them" (Romans 1:32).
In addition to the wrath of God on all ungodliness, Paul also speaks about the gospel of God. This gospel is the corrective for his times and our times. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith' " (Romans 1:16-17). In other words, the biblical corrective is the law and the gospel.
The Biblical Corrective
The wrath of God is revealed in the Ten Commandments. Space doesn't allow me to go into great detail about the meaning and application of these ten laws of God for his children. I have done that in the book, The Big Ten.1 Here we can only look at an outline of what the Ten Commandments mean for us today.
First, only God is God. The first commandment2 says, "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" (Exodus 20:2). Idolatry, worshiping, and following some god who is not God, is the sin described in this command from God.
The question we face is not "Do you believe in God?" The question we face is, "Which god do you believe in -- the one, true God, or some false god of your own making?" In other words, we have no choice about whether or not we will worship God. The only choice we have is the one between the God who created heaven and earth and the false gods we substitute for the one who made us. Whoever or whatever is in first place in our lives is our god.
The problem with many modern people is that they worship a god of their own making: money, material goods, or self. None of these gods work as the number one thing in our lives. Even love of one's work doesn't work as a first love. Neither does love of one's family. To put anything, even love of one's spouse or children, before love of God is to commit idolatry. Belief in any god other than the God who made us is idolatry. The first commandment flies right in the face of an age of ethical relativism, where people try to live with no absolutes and say, "Any old god will do."
An unbeliever once said to a believer, "I don't believe in God." The believer responded: "Tell me about the god you don't believe in. Chances are, I don't believe in that god either." The god people say they don't believe in is a god who starts wars, runs down children with Mack trucks, and doesn't care when we suffer. The god people say they don't believe in is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The god people say they don't believe in is really an idol, often made in our own image.
Second, God has a name. How we use that name indicates what we think about God. The second commandment is, "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name" (Exodus 20:7). Contrary to popular belief, God's last name is not "Damn." In other words, God's name is to be used in worship and praise, not in cursing, swearing, lying, and deceiving.
Third, God has a day. What we do with that day indicates what we think about God. The third commandment is, "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). Originally God's day was Saturday, the seventh day of the week, the day to remember that God created the world and all that is in it and a day to remember that God redeemed his people by bringing them out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). The early Christians changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday because of Easter. Since Easter, the day of re-creation and redemption, was on Sunday, Christians worship on the first day of the week. For those who have conflicts or who prefer a different style of worship, alternative days of worship are sometimes provided.
Fourth, we are called to respect our parents. The first three Commandments are called the first table of the law. They deal with our relationship with the Lord. Commandments four through ten are called he second table of the law. These commands from God deal with our relationship with one another. The first command in the second table has to do with the home and our parents. We are called to cherish and respect the home and our father and mother. "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12), the fourth commandment says.
As children we learn to believe and trust God by believing in and trusting our parents. That's why parents need to be honorable. They are teaching children what God is like. Children are called upon to honor their parents so that they learn to honor God. But what happens when parents are not honorable? Children grow up with distorted ideas about what God is like. What happens when the modern home is little more than a large telephone booth where arrangements are made to leave? Children grow up without roots and a secure foundation. The importance of this commandment cannot be exaggerated in a society where the home is assaulted by the vulgarians and the relativists.
Fifth, if you murder another person, you are condemned by the fifth commandment. Relatively few people are murderers, but Jesus expands the meaning of the fifth commandment by including hate in it's meaning. "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13), the commandment says. Jesus enlarges the meaning of this command to include everyone. "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder,' and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with your brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire" (Matthew 5:21-22). In other words, hate which lies in the hearts of all people who have been hurt by another, is the motivation for murder. Even when hate doesn't give rise to murder, it still causes us to sin with words and deeds.
Note that in this passage Jesus says, "You have heard ... But I say unto you...." That's quite a statement! If I made that claim, you'd lock me up in a hospital for the mentally ill and throw away the key or at least judge me as a stupid, egocentric man to be avoided. Jesus can say it because he is the Lord. He also says something like this about the sixth commandment.
Sixth, adultery is wrong. So is lust. The sixth commandment is, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Jesus extends the meaning of this command from not having sex with someone else's spouse to even looking with lust at another person. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).
One day, a pastor was explaining to a group of twelve-year-old boys that there is a difference between temptation and sin. "If you are tempted, that doesn't make you sinful," he said. "For example, if you see a pretty girl walk by and you look at her, that's no sin. But if you look too long, that's lust and it is a sin."
A boy in the back row raised his hand and said, "How long is too long?"
We don't know how long is too long, but we know that there is a point when looking becomes lusting. Martin Luther had a brilliant way of putting it. "You can't keep the birds of temptation from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your mind."
Compare these standards to what you see in movies, magazines, and books today! Compare these standards to what you see on television! The vulgarians seem to be winning, don't they? Aren't they trying to knock down the door of our sacred institutions? Aren't our homes and churches being threatened with their smut?
Seventh, stealing is wrong. The seventh commandment says so. "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). Most people think they are at least free from breaking this commandment. Think again. How about stealing another person's answers on a quiz? How about stealing by cheating on a business report? How about stealing someone's good name with gossip or unfair criticism?
The eighth commandment deals with unfair criticism and false judgments. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). Of all the commandments in the second table of the law, this is the one we observe being broken most often. Daily, someone in our hearing says something unkind about another. Too often we fall into this trap ourselves. We are called upon to put the most charitable construction on our neighbor's behavior and motives and put a stern judgment on our own. We too easily put a charitable construction on our behavior and motives and a harsh judgment on our neighbor's. Guilty as charged.
Commandments nine and ten deal with covetousness, desires of the heart to have something that belongs to another. It isn't wrong to want something. It's when that want becomes inordinate desire or envy or jealousy that we get into trouble. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:17). The emphasis is on the word "covet," not so much on the list of items. Few of us covet our neighbor's cattle, although one dairy farmer confessed to his pastor that he lusted after his neighbor's herd on the way to church that day. Envy and jealousy are the themes of many novels and movies precisely because they are so much a part of our fallen nature. While our culture tends to downplay the sinfulness of these twin motivators, there is much evidence that these twins lurk in the minds of all of us.
The Lord asks, "What part of 'You shall not' don't you understand?" On judgment day we all must answer his question. We do well to pay attention before we come to that day when we have no choice but to pay attention. The Ten Commandments are clear. We are guilty before them. Yes, but what of grace? What about the gospel of forgiveness?
The law condemns us, but the gospel saves us. In other words, the Ten Commandments show us that we fall short of what we ought to be. The commands are absolute, not optional or relative. God's "Big Ten" require that we make ethical choices. These choices are not like a choice between Ludefisk and pizza. These choices are between right and wrong. When we break these commands from God, we are broken by them. But God doesn't want us to remain broken. That's why he sends mercy and forgiveness. That's why he sent Jesus into the world. Jesus offers forgiveness and salvation. We have broken the commands of God, but we are not stuck with no place to go. We can return to God through repentance and forgiveness.
Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished" (Matthew 5:17-18). But as he was being crucified for our sins, Jesus also said, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). The good news of Jesus' death and resurrection covers the bad news of our sins.
In our age of ethical relativism, people can pretend that there are no absolute standards for behavior, but the absolutes of God, his word, and Jesus as Savior remain, no matter what people say. God is not up on cloud seventeen, trembling for fear of being voted out of office. The vulgarians may be at the gates of our lives, banging away, sure of themselves, but the Lord promises that his word will prevail. "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). In other words, when we Christians take up the weapons of the Spirit, we fight for the cause that will prevail in the end. We will not just be defending the gates of home and church. In partnership with the unconquerable Lord, we will knock down the gates of the barbarians and demons that threaten us. In the battle with evil, God always wins.
____________
1.ÊRon Lavin, The Big Ten (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Co., 2005).
2.ÊThe numbering of the Ten Commandments used here is that used by Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and some others (with one commandment on idolatry and two on covetousness). Some Protestants use the numbering system with two commandments on idolatry and one on covetousness. There are no numbers assigned to the Ten Commandments in the Bible.
