We come now to the second part of the commandments, six of them, that covers man’s relationship with man. Since man owes obedience to God, to man he owes respect. Do unto others as you would be done by! Every man I have met believes that he has never done anything wrong to anybody, yet somebody must be doing wrong since there is such a misery in the whole world. Of course, let’s admit that we all have fallen short and caused pain and suffering to someone, sometime, somewhere sometimes too much and to often! In these days, when divisions amongst nations are tensed, with all the atrocities permeated around the world, in the name of religion. Prejudices of all sorts, the violence and the hatred that have reached a dangerous level, it is refreshing to discover what God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, sets out His will and commands for men to follow and practice for the safety and wellbeing of the whole world! 

Now let me start and write them down, with comments on each of them. Human nature being what it is, man tends to thing that they apply to others, because generally, he always seems to know what the commandments are when he sees someone do what is wrong! In his own eyes he is as white as snow!

5. HONOUR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER, SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG IN THE LAND THE LORD GOD IS GIVING YOU.

Some people like to separate this Commandment from all others because it is the only one with a promise; whereas the remainder deal with man’s relationship with the outside world, this commandment deals with what is closest to man’s heart his happiness and deep fulfilment which is Home, a family that man builds best with God’s guidance and help. This commandment has a special place amongst the others, because after the honour we owe to God, as expressed by the first four, we owe it also to our earthly father and mother. Everybody has a father and a mother, and if we do not owe them worship, we owe them our love and respect and obey, God honours those that honour their parents! The obedience to this one commandment guaranties the strength and the wellbeing of any society. It is in a God-fearing home that rests the whole future of a well-balanced and disciplined society, anywhere in the world! It is opened to every possible blessing from God, who chose to be a Father Himself to his family, made up of born-again people, His divine family alone can say; Jesus said to His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray: ‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (debts or trespasses) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; (The New International Version. Which is the latest translation od thew Bible say: ‘deliver us from the evil onefor thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever. Amen,’ (Matthew 6: 9-13) It is clear that one can only pray to God as his father, if he is actually one of His sons! And no-one can claim to be a son if he is not born again into His family, by faith in Christ. It is written: ‘To all who received Him, (Jesus) to those who believed in His name, (Jesus = Saviour) He gave the right to become Children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (God willed their birth) (John 1: 12-13)

Happy families, where the law of God is respected from the father right down to every child, guarantees success to everyone in it; it is the only way to stability and strength of character. It is also the only commandment with a promise of a long happy life for those that respect and honour their parents. God says: “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour your father and mother ~ which is the first commandment with a promise ~ that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.” It also adds a very important advice for all parents. “Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”(Ephesians 6: 1-4.) Many parents fail to give their children a good godly foundation; to do this is the greatest heritage we can leave for the rest of their days. 

To love God openly, in every aspect of family life, in the ups and downs of every kind of human relationship, is the most important factor in the fulfilment of God’s will, which is to raise children in the fear of God. Fear does not mean trembling and shaking before Him, it means respect and revere Him. Many mothers and fathers have destroyed the life and the future happiness of their child or children, by applying the rod too literally. There is nothing more conducive to true happiness, than homes with obedient children, that respect and love their parents; homes where they are loved and free to express their personalities. The apostle Paul says well when he says to parents, “train and instruct them in the Lord.” Do not drive them or whip them into line but instruct them. Of course, there are unhappy exceptions, where a child who has it all, has not grown to love its parents and having gone its own way has shipwrecked its life and left the rest of the family heartbroken. Sadly, this happens too often in these idolatrous days.

In many countries in the world, people end their working life with a good pension; sadly, it is not so everywhere. But until, not so long ago, even in this affluent western world, it was the duty of children to support their parents in their old age; it still is so in many countries, but in return, older parents and grandparents have been a great blessing to their family, children that respect their parents can expect God to bless them. It is in such a situation that Jesus said to the clergy of his country: “The Pharisees and teachers of the law (The Torah or Mosaic law taught in the synagogues) came to Jesus from Jerusalem. (These men did not like Jesus and they put a question to him, it was to trip Him up) and asked: Why do your disciples break the tradition of the Elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” (It was not demanded of God to wash one’s hands before one eats, but they made it their own rule and it became as important as a commandment from God.

Jesus knowing their heart realised the purpose of their question and replied by another question: “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said ‘Honour your father and your mother, and anyone who curses his father and mother must be put to death’. But you say that if a man says to his father and mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me, is a gift devoted to God’, he is not to honour his father with it. Thus, you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You Hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” (Matthew 15:2-9.) 

The love of money has trapped many people and led them into disaster. Sadly, the love of money and people’s position in the world has corrupted the Church as well. It is not new, for James the apostle writes; “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him: ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (2:1-11) We realise by the reading of this passage, of Holy Scriptures, that it was, and still is, the duty of children to honour their mum and dad, to obey them, and to look after them in time of need. Yet these religious rulers gave themselves the right to change the law of God for the sake of their tradition; this false practice Jesus condemned and said that in no way were they right with God, and by their teachings they were putting the life of children at risk, because God could not look lightly at such behaviour. Now this applies for all the rest of the Scriptures, men have no right to change the commandments or ignore them. False teachers are a great danger to any society, for they are dealing with the eternal future of people, which they are supposed to lead faithfully according to the Gospel. 

This is why Jesus said to them: “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23: 13-14.) Millions of people today think that their eternity is secure by adhering to one religious organisation or another; they listen to priests that teach them anything but the Gospel. They trust their whole life into their hands, because they have grown to believe that these men have some supernatural powers, even to forgive sins. The priest is there at their birth and he will be there at their death, therefore they think that they will do what is right when the end comes, but they shall be surprised. God has never raised a church were priests or pastors have no respect for the pure teaching of Jesus Christ and His disciples. Such men make themselves substitutes for God and change the meaning of the word of God, to suit their big ego. No Church is bigger than Jesus Christ. All those that go to a church, of whatever confession, are not necessarily born-again Christians. They may have been baptised into its membership, but they have not been baptised into Christ. A serious minister will never baptise a person unless he is sure that they have been born again, and confess Christ as their Saviour, Lord and Master!

In the pulpits today the Name of Jesus-Christ is rarely mentioned. It is substituted by the name of any god, because that name does not offend anybody, for everybody has a god. Heretics have convinced the majority of people that all religions worship the same god. In reply to this I say that my God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ His only Son, and My God says that if one dishonours Jesus his Son one dishonours him also. Jesus-Christ “who alone is the way the truth and the life, said that no man comes to God but by Him.” (John 14: 6.) The true God is father to those that have been reconciled to Him by faith in Jesus Christ, and have been born anew by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I was duty bound, by the Majesty of my Saviour, to say plainly from the pulpit what was taught by the Word of God in the love of God. Today, my concern is to do what I can to spread the truth of the Gospel and lead people to Christ, and tell them that by faith in Him they may receive eternal life! When Jesus preached to the crowds, it is said that He was moved with compassion for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Sound teachings from the pulpit create stability and love among God’s children, which make up His family. 

Churches are an integral part of God’s family, and as they grow to know God, according as He reveals Himself in the Bible, and through Jesus Christ His Son, they love Him so much more and they love their brothers and sisters. In return it affects the relationship in every home, and when the love of God is experienced by the head of the house, it will touch his wife, when God and His Son Jesus Christ are loved in return, then when the family meets together for daily Bible reading and prayer, it will flow from the parents to the rest of their family, and all feel more secure and wrongs are quickly put right. I owe an awful lot to my mother, who lived close to Jesus and loved Him. My first experience with Jesus was during a family prayer which we had every evening before going to bed, I have never forgotten it I still visualise the room, the bench I was kneeling on and the feeling of the love of Jesus who touched my heart! Thus, children find it much easier to love their parents, and the commandment is fulfilled in the love of God! Children, not kids, know times of stressed relationship, they get fed up with their parents, in Christian homes just as in any other, they are children and discipline is never easy for anyone, not even for their parents, yet, where love is, the bond of love remains and wrongs are soon forgotten, none are allowed to fester! Pray for your life at home!

We have now arrived at the point where we have to consider the five remaining commandments. Although they belong to the ten yet they differ in their application, for, as already stated, the first four have to do with man’s duty to God, the fifth has to do with the family unit and the duty of children to their parents, and of parents to their children, whereas the remaining five, have to do with man’s duty to the whole family of men. The first four commandments show that sin does not begin with man’s relationship with his equals, but sin is a direct act of wilful rebellion, which dishonours God and breaks man’s relationship with Him. It is a grievous sin to have another god, and not to worship and honour the One who created mankind. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved and safe! 

6. YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. 

Murder is taking away a man’s life illegally, by whatever means, for personal satisfaction and often for pleasure. It is a heinous, horrible crime.

We are living in a very dangerous and violent world, Jesus did say that at the end of the age it will be as it was in the days of Noah. Concerning the days of Noah, the Bible says the following: “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness had become, and that every inclination of the thought of his heart was only evil all the time. The earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.” (Genesis 6: 5.6…11) Jesus said: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of man,”(Matthew 24:37.) So, we cannot expect to see things improve. These are dangerous times and Christians should live with eyes wide opened and hearts ready to meet the Lord.

When evil reigns, life becomes cheap, for the smallest reason men murder each other at will. Although the ‘Ten Commandments’ have been given after the flood, but men knew that it was wrong to take someone’s life. Corruption covers the breaking down of every moral law that men know, God has written His commandments on the tables men’s heart, it is called the conscience, and a crime has been committed it condemns them. Because of all the evil in Noah’s days, God decided to put an end to all of humanity, but one man found grace in God’s eyes, his name was Noah. We read: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. So, God said to Noah: “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.” (Genesis 6: 9 & 13.)  He commanded Noah to build an ark for the saving of him and his family, and Noah believed God and by his faith saved his family. The grace of God is an unmerited favour; happy are they that find favour in His eyes!

A year after the flood the waters began to fall, eight people came out of the ark, and with them God began to people again the whole world. With these eight people God entered into a covenant by which he gave laws to govern their lives and those of all their descendants. The terms of this covenant are as follows: “God said to Noah and to his sons with him; I now establish my covenant with you...Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I have given the green plants, (in the previous Covenant) I now give you everything. You must not eat meat that has its lifeblood in it. And for your lifeblood I will demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man: Whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”(Genesis 9: 1-17.) The rainbow still appears so this covenant still stands! Men today know a lot, but they are ignorant of God’s ways; they don’t know that nothing happens on earth but that he knows all about it; eventually only what He wants or what He allows happens, but men will be judged for every sin they commit!

We see that right from the start of this new humanity, from which we originate; murder was severely dealt with even before God gave any specific laws. When Cain envisaged doing his brother harm God directly warned him, for he knew his thoughts, and said: “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4: 6-7.) Passion drives a merciless intent and Cain did not want to heed God’s warning and he killed Abel his brother. God judged Cain and cast him away from His presence to wander aimlessly for the rest of His life, just as did his descendants, until they all perished in the flood. He was never given an opportunity to return and live in the presence of God. If there is pardon for any murderer is debatable, but Cain stands forever as a warning to mankind. We still live under the rules of this covenant, which says: “Whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” Today, people get away with murder, and if they have few years in prison, they live mainly without remorse, and demands their rights. What rights have the victims? If a man kills wilfully another man, he has wilfully signed his death warrant, what jury, or Judge, has the right to oppose his personal choice and annul God’s commandments? “Whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.’ 

Men have changed divine laws that have governed much of the world for centuries, nowadays murderers do get away with murder, however God has condemned them, and unless they repent and believe in Jesus Christ, if they may, but in the end, they will not escape from eternal damnation. If any born-again Christian reads these statements, I would draw his attention to what God says to his children: “Whosoever hates his brother is in darkness and walks around in darkness; he does not know where he is going, because darkness has blinded him…This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and those of his brother were righteous...We know we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers (in Christ). Anyone who does not love remains in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him” (1John 2:11 &3: 11-15.) The moral standards for Christians are very high, God means what he says. With God where there is no love, there is hate. It does not mean that we go around kissing and hugging everybody, but it means that we shall never do or say anything wrong about a brother, and we shall always stand by him, and if he has fallen, we will restore him if possible! 

These are awesome words and God never says what He does not mean, what He says. I have seen people destroyed by wicked tongues. People that do the devil’s work in churches and cause, untold sufferings, do not know God. Shame on you!! You sinners! Repent quickly, God may still grant you forgiveness if you truly repent and amend publicly your evil deeds. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and He will raise you up. I could quote so many other instances, deeds of evil men that shove their equals as if they were dogs, but every man is created in the image of God, what evil man does to men they will have to answer to their Maker! But there is no room for them in God’s family! Yet repentance is always possible! 

There are many others instances in the Bible that I could quote and comment on them. But this is neither the time nor the place, enough to say that murder does not begin with the shedding of blood. People have committed suicide because of evil tongues in their neighbourhood, even at work or among friends. The Bible says that the tongue is the untamed part of man, capable of much evil, it says: “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3: 3-8) The tongue has been the cause of great evils and sufferings throughout history, but they still are murders and they are more numerous than those committed by the sword. No man has done years in prison for the dreadful deeds of his tongue, but none will escape the Great Judge, all will be punished with hell fire for the evil they have done with the poison of their tongue. Much more could be said but not here and not now.

7. YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY!

Adultery is having sexual relationship illegally. According to the Bible the legal sexual act is only possible in the bond of marriage and never before or outside of it. Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Having said it so directly proves how depraved is the world because this is the most abused commandment. Next to adultery is fornication, which are sexual acts between unmarried people, it is regarded, as a very natural thing anywhere in the world, be it Christian or some other religions, having sex before marriage is practiced by the greatest majority of people. Under the terms of the spiritual law of the people of Israel, given by God, adultery or fornication was punishable by death; the culprits were stoned by the people. 

Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities in Palestine in the days of Abraham. They were depraved in the eyes of God, any sexual relationship was legalised, people even slept with animals, it became so repugnant that God decided to burn them up. In Sodom lived a man called Lot. He was Abraham’s nephew who travelled with him from Ur of the Chaldea. The city life was very attractive to Lot’s wife especially, so much so that to continue life with Abraham, as Lot did since he left his country with him, became difficult and eventually impossible. So, Lot moved to Sodom. God said to Abraham: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” (Genesis 18: 20-21.)

When Abraham learned about God’s intentions to destroy these cities, he pleaded with him for the life of Lot and his family. Abraham’s pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the classics in Bible readings, it reveals clearly the heart of God who will always be entreated for mercy, always waiting for men to repent and return to Him. Abraham started his prayer saying: “What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in the city? The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Step by step, with great fear and a profound respect for God, his sincere pleading went on until ten were mentioned. “Then Abraham said: may the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there? God answered: For the sake of ten I will not destroy it!” All the story of this unique encounter can be read in the book of Genesis chapter 18 verses 16 to 33. The sin had reached such a peak that even ten righteous people were not found in it, all Abraham’s intercession and work was in vain so sudden destruction came on the wicked depraved generation. But God spared Lot and his family in answer to Abraham’s pleadings!

The world today has reached the same peak of immorality, through faith in the Gospel and the sacrifice of Jesus-Christ repentance is offered, one is called to change one’s mind and return under the rule of God, if one does repent then all sins can be washed away by the blood of Christ. There is a command from God that men may have never heard and yet it is given to all men everywhere and it is this: “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone ~ an image made by man’s design and skill.  In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all men to repent. For he has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. (Jesus Christ) He has given proof of this by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30.) 

Before God starts judging the world as predicted in the book of Revelation, just like God took Lot out of the city before destroying it, Jesus will come to take the righteous people, washed in his blood, out of this world, only then he will pour out His wrath on men who have mocked God and have not repented from their sins. When God says: ‘Thou shall not commit adultery’, He incorporates into it all illicit sex such as fornication, paedophilia and homo-sexuality and lesbianism; God abhors all these dreadful sins. Our governments will have to answer to God for changing all his laws to legalise depravity. Such sins always mar the happiness and well- being of any human society. All God’s laws were given to protect men from destroying themselves, for every sin brings forth death.

Nevertheless, I must remind you, that the final purpose of these studies is to bring you to realise, that there is a way that opens access into a better life down here and in eternity. There is therefore forgiveness for all sins, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for anyone that approaches God by Him. There is line that must not be crossed for when it is, God cannot pardon. Therefore, fear the wrath of God and repent from your sins.  Please continue to explore what could be the greatest discovery of true happiness offered to all men as promised by the Gospel for: “Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Gospel, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (Corinthians: 15:3-5.) 

8. YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.

Stealing is not treated seriously enough these days, because of it, more and more people are robbed and often harmed seriously and even brutally murdered, there is a wide complaint, because people see that the offender has more rights that the offended. But whatever man’s attitude is towards stealing it is nonetheless just as much a sin as are all the others, for all disobedience to God is sin. ‘Human rights’ do not change the word of God; it seems that men have lost the sense of right and wrong and that it is right for men to do all sorts of evil. Even paedophiles and violators of women are spared of the judgement they deserve. It is supposedly their human right to bring destruction on the soul of men; they leave jail to murder and violate innocent victims all over again. Life for life is God’s way, whatever right men have by the grace of God is true repentance from sin and faith in Christ. Apart from repentance, if God grants it, there is no way to escape from hell and damnation! 

The Bible teaches that in all cases there has to be, not only a righteous judgement on these awful intrusions into the privacy of descent, law abiding citizens, but in all cases, where no murder has been committed, there has to be a full restitution by the offenders. We could quote many instances from Bible and from history of the great injustices, of sufferings and deaths that have accompanied thefts on a small degree, or robberies on a huge scale, perpetrated by greedy men who, like litchis, feed from the life and work of others. Our prisons are full of people that should have been punished much more severely and radically. Nevertheless, like in the case of murder, after thieves or murderers have paid their debts to society according to the law of men, there remains the judgement throne of Almighty God from which there is no escape. 

The power that drives men to rob or steal is the love of money; mammon, in other words: money! Money is the god of this world. All sentiments of decency are set aside for getting something for nothing, and those that fall in this trap have never enough. God has made all things for all men to enjoy, even gold and silver and the riches of the fruit of the earth belong to all. God says: “Moreover the profit of the earth is for all.” (Ecclesiastes 5: 9.) This commandment was given specifically to safeguard the rights of all men to all the gifts God gives to men. God says clearly: “You shall not steal!” (Exodus 20:15.) And: “You will neither steal nor deal falsely.” (Leviticus 19: 11.) God demands an unscrupulous and rigid honesty towards man. Laziness is often the slippery path to exploitation. Man says: “If you can have it done by someone else, for as little as possible do it.” This is why Jesus said to his disciples: “The poor you will have always with you”. The attitude that causes so much unrighteousness is mentioned in the following verse: (Job 24: 2-4.) “Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen. They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge. They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding…. The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.” (v12.) 

Well faring men may seat as judges condemning those who have broken into houses, destroyed the life work of their neighbour, and marked their mind with memories of their violated soul, not realising that they also shall be judged by God, because they too have worshipped idols of their own making. What they do must be done for magistrates and judges are willed by God, but all men will stand before God in the last day for: “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Having spent their days on a different ‘echelon’ of society, all men shall be condemned by God for not believing in Christ who alone can justify the guilty. The Bible says: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who moved your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of the slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”

Jesus said to a rich young man, a ruler among the people, who came to Him and asked sincerely what he should do to get eternal life. Jesus’ reply: “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.’ ‘All these I have kept since I was a boy,’ replied the young man. When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘You lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.’ (Luke 18:19-27.)  But this man left Jesus very sorrowful for he had great possessions. Turning to his disciples Jesus said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven.” However, you look at this saying, consider it from all angles and you will realise that it is impossible for any man to do it. But listen to what Jesus said to His disciples who were left perplexed and asked of Him: “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. This young man was sincere, but we see that one can be sincerely wrong; his wrong was that God had no room in his life; in His reply to him Jesus did not mention the first four commandments, as already quoted. His possessions were his gods, this man was robbing God of the worship and honour due to Him: “All disobedience is sin! In the book of Proverbs, we find a prayer from a man who said to God: ‘Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only mu daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may be poor and steal and dishonour the name of God!’ (Proverbs 30: 7-9) 

We are living in a world where extortion of the needy by excessive percentage on loans is openly allowed. Elected governments, as any other type of human rule, don’t seem to care and allow what is an abomination to our Creator. But such robbers do not go to jail, they rob with the approval of men that have no clue as to what God requires, and if they do! Who cares? God in the past condemned Israel for the very same thing saying: “You men accept bribes to shed blood; you take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gains from your neighbours by extortion. And you have forgotten me” says the Lord. (Ezekiel 22: 12.) For too long men have lived and managed the world without thought of God, forgetting that He sees and weighs all actions of men. They ignore also that He is at the helm and directs the world as He wills; such ignorance will cost a lot, because there is eventually a price to pay for all disobedience. God rules the whole world by his righteous laws, and yet men without fear of Him and faith in Jesus-Christ ignore His patience. They will be greatly surprised. 

9. YOU SHALL NOT GIVE FALSE TESTIMONY AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOUR.

In this sophisticated world, men think to be wiser than God. Having overcome the greatest obstacles they have finally, through their wisdom, gone beyond the boundaries of earth, and modern science makes great strides into exploiting the heavens. Men have landed on the moon and dream of reaching what is still unknown. This appetite for knowledge has caused men to cross the mighty oceans, and clime the highest mountains, yet no man has thought to discover a way to eliminate the great evil in human nature, such as falsehood, pride, lying! The cleverest scientist is capable to deceive as much as the most illiterate man, and be guilty of this greatest destroying sin, that of bearing false witness against an innocent human being and completely destroy him. The evil power of the tongue has started terrible wars throughout history, and destroyed the lives of millions of people.

Millions of books have been written to entertain the human appetite for drama, subjects that mainly centre on the misery, caused by gossiping that rises from an evil heart! Spreading lies about innocent people, murders and all sorts of evil, entertain millions of people worldwide. To produce the greatest thrills, films makers break every rule of decency! People like it let’s give it to them. The least mishap is amplified and published in our daily papers, to beautify the story the writer does nor mind to add lies without thinking what harm it does to the subject of the story. Thus ‘soaps’, broadcasted on the television, are drawing millions of viewers every day, portraying the passion man has in the misery of his fellowman. Stories that portray vividly innocent folk suffering through lies portray well the falsehood of which man is capable. The destruction of the happiness and the character of anybody and everybody on the screens, are applauded so much so that people impatiently wait for the next episode.

Scripts writers have got the coveted task to write the worst of scenes, and try and undo those of other channels, wanting to attract to their firm as many viewers as possible, thus to win the rewards of their popularity, decided by the votes of viewers and audiences mesmerised by their crudity. Crude vices, brutality, murder and sexual scenes feed relentlessly the mind of people portraying the miseries of others. All these efforts, called fictions, are so true to life, but they only accentuate this evil penchant in the human character, that will always believe the worst in other. There is so much misery caused in every day’s life by gossip, lying, false witness, yet there is never enough, people want more and more drama, that depicts human suffering caused by the crooked tongue of sinners. It appears that it is what people want, and as long as they want it, things on the screens will get worse and worse, and finally influence society to admit that that’s how life is. Rubbish! The worst cases, depicting true life, appear in the courts all over the world. People are judged and sent to prison by lies and wilful false witnesses. The tragedy is that innocent men have been executed, and still are in many parts of the world through bribery. As long as men live on earth there will be no end to falsehood by which even, religious men, priests and elders of the Jewish People, condemned Jesus-Christ to die innocently an awful death, the Son of the living God, was cast out and nailed to an awful CROSS. The worst is that, that spirit, is still present two thousand years later, and falsehood, pride, and apostasy in the pulpits and pews rob people of the truth, so essential to the sinner’s  conversion to Christ, and bars the way to the salvation of souls that desperately need Him. 

What does God think of this habitual sin? The Bible says concerning this absolute evil: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18: 21.)  He that digs a hole for someone will fall in it! To think that men can fall so low as to delight in this kind of activity and get pleasure out of it. Words flow so easily from the mouth of liars not realising that their very words will condemn them before God on judgement day. This is why God says: “You will not bear false witness or testimony, against your neighbour.” We can find God speaking about the evil of a crooked tongue right though the Bible. It says: “You will not raise a false report.” (Exodus 23:1.) “You will not go up and down as a tale bearer.” (Leviticus 19: 16.) The Bible brings statements thousand years old and they depict how life is still today. The results are still the same: “The words of a talebearer are as wounds.” (Proverbs 18:8.) It speaks of people that: “Have sharpened their tongues like serpents; adder’s poison is under their lips.” (Psalm 140: 3.)  I quote a man called Oliver Wendell Holmes who said: “Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.” Sadly, as long as there is man on the earth things will not change! Falsehood will die when God destroys this planet and replace it with a perfect one. His wrath is the guardian of all that is good. Many times, in the Bible, God has proven that if sin is not stopped, it will continue to decay everyone and everything, until all is putrid and rotten, but God never acts without first warning man and call him to repentance, so much so that man is fully aware that He will do what must be done! 

Christians must be prepared and be strong to win this inner war; the passions in a Christians are as potent as in those that do not know Jesus-Christ. The Lord warns us that things will not get better saying: “Know this also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5.) These things have always been rampant in this ungodly world, but in the last days there will be a certain ‘laissez-faire’ to these sins and because men will not have nor seek self-control, evil shall increase.

Only the foolish and the blind people do not see how evil men have become, there is neither respect nor fear of God. All men should know by now, what the end will be like to all this rebellion, God does not hide His hatred of sin and the evil one. To conclude I quote: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters and all liars, shall have the part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8.) The destruction of the world and ungodly men has been foretold, God also warns people through their conscience, and suddenly it will come like labours pains on the pregnant woman and none shall escape. 

10. YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOUR’S HOUSE. YOU SHALL NOT COVER YOUR NEIGHBOURS WIFE, NOR HIS MANSERVANT OR MAIDSERVANT, HIS OX OR DONKEY, OR ANYTHING THAT BELONGS TO YOUR NEIGHBOUR.  

A modern song says: “The other man’s grass is always greener, the sun shine brighter on the other side. The other man’s grass is always greener, some are happy some are not, I’m so thankful for what I’ve got.” How true this is of men, yet how refreshing that Christians at least should be, happy with what they’ve got! King Salomon reached the pinnacle of wisdom and wealth. He ruled during the richest and wealthiest period of Israel’s history, and after David, his father, he was its greatest king. It is He who said: “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it” (Proverbs 10:22.) The King’s James version says it this way: “The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” There is true satisfaction with what God gives. A Christian being son of God, should know, that as long as God is his Father he will never suffer want. He finds his satisfaction in God and the knowledge that He loves Him! The world, on the other hand, loves mammon, it is sad, covetousness is a real evil, because, one can never get enough of it. It is not wrong to be rich, it is not wrong to work hard and do well in life, but with what God gives us, as Christians, are tools for service of His Majesty, and the work of God must always be paramount in the heart and mind of every Christian. Money is not evil, it is a thing, it is the love of it, the lust for it that is evil, God says: “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1Timothy 6: 10.) 

There is story of a king in Israel, whose name was Ahab. Next to his abode a man called Naboth owned a field that Ahab wanted for his own pleasure. So, he contacted Naboth and asked him if he would sell it to him. No doubt Ahab thought: ‘I am his king surely he will not refuse me’! But this field was in Naboth’ family for many generations and he would not dream of selling it, even to His king. It followed that he was upset; his wife Jezebel, saw him brooding with displeasure, hence she asked him the reason for his bad mood, so he told her the whole story. Jezebel was as wicked as Ahab, even more so; they were a right pair; both evil to the core! She said to her husband: “Are you not a King”, meaning to say: Just go and get it. Since the king lingered and did not really want to get rid of Naboth, she took it upon herself to manipulate the rulers of the town where he lived, she wanted to have him killed by false accusation and the poor man was stoned by wicked hands. Jezebel then told Ahab, “go and get your field, Naboth is dead”! That is how Ahab got the field he coveted. This is only one story among many written in the Bible. Covetousness is a dreadful evil, this story shows how far it can take a man, or woman that having all is never enough. It happened then, long ago, but nowadays it still goes on and whilst men will be men, it will never stop, because covetousness is like a virous, it spares no man and destroys as many as it can.

Every person living in the world today, whether it be in the West or the East, North or South of the globe, knows the level of immorality that pollutes humanity everywhere. Adultery, fornication, is completely rampant. It leads to the break-up of homes and all the suffering that it entails, especially on the children. Many families are made up of children of various fathers, children grow up unbalanced in mind and heart. All restraint is gone and in the eyes of the world no-one is guilty, it is the result of this free love that gripped our world in the sixties and seventies, but is it a great evil in the eyes of God, all that love this kind of ‘freedom’ as it is called, are guilty in the eyes of Jehovah-God, this kind of covetousness is due to the ungodliness of the masses. The root of this entire situation starts with wanting what is not yours. Another man’s wife, another man’s husband and to the slide into misery, there is no retinue, it goes down like a sledge on an icy slop of the hill, it is unstoppable. The worst of it is that the majority of the people have become ‘blasé’ about it, that it has become a normal way of life, no one seems to realise that the end of that road is eternal damnation. There is a way out of sin which we shall treat in detail, but unless that way is found and unless there is a deep change of the heart there is no hope! 

Jesus said many things about the end times, the apostles of the Lord wrote about the spiritual and immoral level men will sink into before comes the end, warning them of the eternal consequences, but men have been brain washed, and to believe that the Bible teaches is out of time, so how can they change since it alone reveals what sin is and how destructive it can be, so because of ignorance, nothing is wrong, everything is allowed, do you want it? Then just go and get it! Covetousness is not only in the realm of sexuality, but it touches every fibre of human character. Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said,’ do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’  (Matthew 5: 27-28.) The looks, the lust, and once hooked, like a fish that is hooked and dies so is the outcome of lust, it is potent, and destructive all parts of life, the end of that road is the second death, the lake of fire. 

The commandment mentions the neighbour’s field, donkey, servants or any type of workers. Men lust for money; they will rob left right and centre to get what they covet, and even kill to get it! We read in the Bible: “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. As goods increase so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?” (Ecclesiastes 5: 10-11.) I think we all know what is wrong, there is no need to continue, but the real impact of what covetousness does is never known until someone becomes the victim of crooked deals, or promiscuity. it all leaves a bad taste forever. It seems that everything is fine until it happens to us, or someone close to us, and then we lift our hands in distress. unable to change, what seems so natural to the mentality of a God forsaken world!

We have spent a lot of time on this subject in answer to these questions. A Christ-less Church has stripped Christ of His glory and uniqueness to the point that what is accepted as ‘The Church’ is no more than a human profession of things unreal which have no relation whatsoever to the glorious plan of God, who, by His grace is still calling men to the CROSS, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! God will do so until the last elect has been called in, to take its place in the family of God. Men cannot play about with what the Bible teaches because unless the truth is known, people will end up in hell thinking all the time that heaven awaits them. It is the greatest tragedy!

Well! What have we learned so far?

Firstly, the law, that is the Ten Commandments, reveals what sin is real; it is a wilful act of rebellion against God because sinning is disobeying Him. We reside temporarily in God’s property; the world is His and He has every right to legislate what he expects of us whilst we dwell in His world. Sin cannot be forgiven willy-nilly; in fact, the Bible says: “the soul that sins will die.” (Ezekiel 18:20.) It also says: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16.) There is only one way to be forgiven, and we shall explain this amply later. To detail sins properly, I have taken each Commandment separately and wrote a short comment on each it. I say: short, because there is so much more to say about each of them. Stories of men and their evil ways abound in Holy Scriptures, but they abound also in living experiences we all live in, and we see the outcome. The Ten Commandments do show the intricate way in which sin creeps upon the mind of man and drives his will into action against God mainly and also his neighbour.

Secondly, we must keep in mind that trying to keep the commandments to ensure our place in heaven is basically impossible, this is why men generally select those that they want to keep for their own satisfaction, and the majority of people do not even know all the Ten Commandments. In God’s dealing with men, He reveals His immense patience, to give men ample time to repent and change their ways. One must honour God, obey God, worship God, if one doesn’t do it one is an idolater, anything that keeps God out of one’s life, or a thing that governs one’s life is an idol. You are a law breaker, I was a law breaker, and every man is a law breaker! If you have chosen to get to heaven by obeying the Ten Commandments you must keep them all every moment of your life, that road has been proved to be impossible. This is what is taught in the Bible: “No-one will be declared righteous in the sight of God by observing the law; (The Commandments) rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20.) Nevertheless, if a man does not want to repent from his sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and chooses the way of the Law, he will fall: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it!” (James 2:10.) Thus, such a man is a sinner, for his sins man must die, but there is a better way! Without true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ men are already judged and hell is their true destination. To a man in distress because of what he had done, visibly under deep conviction the apostle Paul said: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your family’. (Acts 17: 31) So he did, with every one under his roof! Then Paul baptised him, and every one under the roof of his house!

Lastly, the commandments were given to analyse sin and portray plainly what it is and where it leads. People today don’t believe in sin. They replace it by faults, “We all have our faults.” Or “We are all human”. Is what is said to cover up the fact that we all know how to obey, so why we find it so hard to choose the positive way? I have found as a Christian, that non-Christians know what sin is, because when they see it done by a Christian, they promptly condemn him right away, and come to a stupid conclusion and say: “They are all a band of hypocrites.” Proving thus that men know what hypocrisy is and none is a bigger hypocrite than the self-righteous sinner. Christians are humans too, and they will fall occasionally, God says: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3: 23.) But a believer goes to his heavenly Father and sincerely asks for forgiveness. To such the Lord says: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from them…The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins.’ (1 John 1)

The law finally has accomplished what it was given for, because all humanity is in the same boat, if a man is a Christian at all, he is a man who knows what a hopeless sinner he was before he became a Christian. None of us can boast or brag about how good one is; this is why the Bible closes the argument by saying: “What shall we conclude then? Are we gentiles better than the Jews who were given the Law? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and gentiles alike are all under sin, as it is written: There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have all become worthless. Therefore, no-one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3: 9-20.)

Nevertheless, there is hope! The Bible teaches extensively that it is possible to be forgiven. The sinner must repent and change his master, he must stop serving Satan, and choose to follow Jesus Christ. It is the narrow road that leads to life! As I have already! So, I ask it: What had God to do to break the power of sin and forgive them?

The first four commandments show that sin does not begin and end with man’s bad relationship with the rest of men, but sins are committed firstly by man’s attitude to God. It is a grievous sin to have another God. If God, our creator has not got his rightful place in man’s heart, that man has obviously another god and is immediately in enmity with God. There is ‘No man’s land’ in the ground of truth; to believe that one can be neutral as far as Jesus Christ is concerned is to be like an ostrich without any sand anywhere to hide its head in! The making of idols, the bowing down to them and worshiping these non-existing gods is a proof that man has not kept the first three commandments. If those are broken the rest are going to be broken. If man’s heart is wrong with God it will be wrong with everything else!

Our duty to man and our relationship with our neighbours is important, but a multitude 

of people have summed up their religion in their relation with men based on these five 

commandments that deal with man’s duty to society at large. Many do not even obey those five, and who can never covet? Unbelievers face the future with some kind of a dream and hope to end up in heaven just because they have never done any harm to anybody, but this belief, is wrong and deadly. The nature of a sinner is such that it is impossible for a him to never wrong somebody. Can you truly say that you have never despised your equals?  But even if it could happen, you are still a lost sinner!Unbelievers tend to think that the state of society is mainly due because they compare themselves to people that call themselves Christians! A true convert to Christ realises that that he can only compare himself to Christ, and to grow, with the constant help of the Holy Spirit to be daily a bit more like Him. A Christian knows that he will disappoint or even sin against other Christians, but confession is opened to him and the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son purifies him from sin (1John 1.)  And when eventually, the Holy Spirit will have finished His work in Him, He will make him to be entirely pure and holy. So, the question still remains? You will find out if you read the next chapter.