The Duty Of Man: A Response Of Love

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” – John 14:15

This lesson is a very important one, for if we are to be saved, we must know just what is expected of us. God’s
word tells us.

1. What is our duty in the light of the judgment?

“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.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, KJV

From the Scriptures we see that if we are to be saved, it is our duty toward God to keep the commandments.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

2. Who wrote the Ten Commandments and where were they placed?

“And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the
Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” – Exodus 31:18

“…The tablets were written on both sides… Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the
writing of God engraved on the tablets.” – Exodus 32:15, 16

“Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone…” – 1 Kings 8:9

So important were the Ten Commandments that God did not entrust any man with the writing of them. They
were written on tablets of stone by the finger of God. Isn’t it wonderful to think that God wrote the Ten
Commandments with His own hand and gave them to man? How sacred they are! How could anyone dare to
change those Ten Commandments? So sacred were the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were
written that they were placed in the ark.

3. How long were the Ten Commandments to be kept?

“Concerning Your testimonies (commandments), I have known of old that You have founded them forever.”
– Psalm 119:152

4. Would the death of Christ on the cross in any way do away with the Ten Commandments?

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For
assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law
till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall
be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:17-19

Who would dare to try to do away with the Ten Commandments after Jesus has spoken such warning? Not the
least part, like the dotting of an i or the crossing of a t can be taken out of God’s law as long as heaven and
earth stand! Many people say that some of the commandments are less important than the others. Jesus, our
example, observed the commandments and He warns that anyone who teaches that any of these
commandments are done away shall be counted by heaven as the very least of all men. How sad that many are
teaching that a part of the commandments is done away.

5. Can anyone expect to be saved who keeps only nine of the Ten Commandments?

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” – James 2:10

The eleventh verse of this chapter makes it clear that the Apostle James is talking about the Ten
Commandments.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The first four commandments show our duty to God. The last six commandments teach about our duty to
fellow men. Jesus said that on these two laws: love to God and love to man – “hang all the Law and the
Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 is quoted from two texts found in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 6:5 and
Leviticus 19:18.)

Would you like to check and see if you believe every one of the Ten Commandments?

1. Do you believe it is wrong to worship other gods?

2. Do you believe it is wrong to worship images?

3. Do you believe it is wrong to swear?

4. Do you believe it is wrong to break the Sabbath?

5. Do you believe it is wrong to disobey your parents?

6. Do you believe it is wrong to kill?

7. Do you believe it is wrong to commit adultery?

8. Do you believe it is wrong to steal?

9. Do you believe it is wrong to lie?

10. Do you believe it is wrong to covet?

As you look over these Ten Commandments, you can see that it is just as wrong to break them now as it was in
the time of Jesus. No one can do away with the holy Ten Commandments written by God’s own finger. It is
just as wrong now to kill, swear, break the Sabbath, steal, etc., as it was before the cross. Jesus said that they
would stand as long as heaven and earth should stand.

6. How do we know our love to Jesus?

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” – John 14:15

If we are going to follow Jesus, then we shall keep His commandments. No one who truly loves Jesus will
worship idols, swear, break the seventh-day Sabbath, dishonor his parents, lie, steal, or break any of the other
commandments. When someone tells you that it is not wrong to break one of these commandments, you know
that he is not speaking for Jesus.

SAVING GRACE AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

7. What is sin and its results?

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” –1 John 3:4

“For the wages of sin is death…” – Romans 6:23

The only way we can know sin is through the law – the Ten Commandments. Lawbreaking is sin and the
wages of sin is death. So, if we want to be saved, we must ask for help from Christ to observe His Ten
Commandments. As we draw nearer and nearer to Jesus, we shall draw closer and closer in keeping His
commandments.

8. When one is obedient to Christ’s law, what does he find then?

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin
because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!... What shall we say then? Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!...” – Romans 6:14-15; 1-2

If we endeavor, by the help of Jesus, to obey the Ten Commandments, we shall not be punished, because Jesus
blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). By obedience, we find grace or mercy in Jesus. Grace is pity or
mercy which we do not deserve. Does it mean that because we are saved by His grace, we may go on breaking
any one of the Ten Commandments? No! The Apostle Paul answers, “Certainly not!”

A man suddenly became angry and committed a terrible murder. He was sentenced to die. Friends pleaded
with the governor to spare his life. They told the governor what a good man the murderer has been before he
committed the crime. They told of his fine family. The governor decided to pardon the man and to set him free.
Did that mean that the pardoned murderer was at liberty then to break the law whenever he felt doing it?
Indeed not! He had to be more careful than ever to keep it. Jesus pardons our sins and with His blood paid our
death penalty. Can we, then, break the Ten Commandments as we choose? Paul says, “God Forbid!” From
now on, we must be more careful than ever to obey His will.

9. How alone we are saved?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8
The Ten Commandments cannot save us. They merely tell us what sin is. Only Jesus’ blood can save us. We
are saved by grace, which is merely that we do not deserve. “It is the gift of God.”

When you look at the mirror, you may see dirt on your face. Can the mirror cleanse your face? No, only soap
and water can do that. The Ten Commandments show us our need but only the blood of Jesus Christ can
cleanse away our sins. Jesus has promised to write His law in our hearts and to help us not to sin.

10. Why should we endeavor to obey God’s commandments each day?

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter
through the gates into the city.” – Revelation 22:14

The end is very near. We have not a day to waste or a moment to lose! The Bible presents that our duty as
Christians is to follow God’s commandments. This obedience must spring from our love to the Law Giver.
Your obedience is your response of love to God’s redemption. We should choose to follow Jesus and we are
given the chance now to do so.