The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent David H. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Research - Ten Commandments
God's law requires love. Love must be the root cause and motivating force for all our thoughts, words, and actions. First, the law requires love to God; and secondly, love to our neighbor. God and man are to be the two principal recipients of our love.
These teachings and requirements of God's law are clearly summarized by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 22: 37-40: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
True obedience to God's law must flow from a loving desire of the heart, a desire to please God. Outward obedience motivated by a sense of fear for punishment, obligation for duty, or opportunity for self-improvement, misses the spirit of true obedience. The Apostle John states this clearly: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." (I John 5:3)
In Exodus 20:2 we read God's preface to the Ten Commandment when He declared: "I am the LORD thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." This preface establishes the basis upon which the Ten Commandments have been constructed – God's love; and the motive from which they are to be obeyed – love in return to God.
Each of God's Ten commandments have a negative and a positive aspect to them. Each forbids but also requires certain things. To do that which is forbidden by Gods' law is a sin of commission and to not do that which is required is a sin of omission.
The first commandment states: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3)
The commandment forbids our denying of the true God, but it also requires that we know, acknowledge, love, and serve the true God above all else. The first commandment is foundational: it is called the great commandment.
The second commandment teaches us that God must be worshipped according to His will, not according to man's ideas.
God's third commandment testifies of the need for carefulness in speech. Language is a precious gift of God; it is one of the factors which places man above animals and other lower forms of creation. It forbids all profaning, but requires us to glorify and praise God.
The fourth commandment focuses upon the when we are to specially worship God. It refers to keeping every seventh day, one day a week, as specially consecrated and holy unto God.
The fifth commandment concerns God's gift of authority. It teaches that we may not disobey or disrespect those placed by God in authority over us.
The sixth commandment forbids all unjust killing, wounding, and harming of others or oneself. This commandment also prohibits all causes of it – hatred, anger, and seeking of revenge. It instead requires love, patience, and care for others.
The seventh commandment forbids all forms of sexual impurity and that which promotes or leads to it is forbidden by this commandment. Chastity and purity of life is required. God is a pure and holy Being. He hates all impurity and uncleanness.
The eighth commandment forbids all forms of armed robbery, theft, embezzling, and counterfeiting, which are punishable by civil law. It also forbids, however, all less noticeable, more subtle, forms of stealing in business dealings. At the close of our lives, God shall require each person to give an account of his stewardship -- what he did and didn't do with all the blessings God provided.
The ninth commandment forbids all that distort the truth or damages the reputation of another. It requires love and promotion of the truth and the good name of our neighbor.
And finally the tenth commandment forbids all forms of coveting or grieving over the possessions of others and discontentment with our own estate. The commandment requires a charitable spirit toward others and their talents and belongings, and full contentment with the portion God has given us in His providence.
