I think it would be helpful to understand what the law is, by going through the 10 commandments briefly. In one way or another we have all broken each of the ten, varying in different degrees of course, but none the less even if someone actually did have the ability to abstain from one of these, breaking just one of the ten is enough to be judged and eternally punished for it. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me," (Psalm 51:5). Sin is the seperator of us from God. But back to the 10 Commandments:
1st Commandment
"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 20:2-3)
"The sum of this commandment is, that we should sanctify God in our hearts, and give him a precedence above all created beings." (Thomas Watson)
"I am the Lord your God." Not only that you shall not have any other gods, but there is no other god. According to Jesus this is the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all that you are: "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:29-30) This commandment is a warning against idolatry, which ranges anywhere from pagan worship of other gods or just loving money or celebrities, and looking to that for your fulfillment and guidance. All unbelievers are immediately guilty of this. We all were once consumed with the world and cared nothing for God, worshipping idols that were created by mankind.
2nd Commandment
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (Genesis 20:4)
The first commandment warned against worshipping other gods, or idolatry. The second commandment warns against worshipping God in a false manner.
"[You shall not make for yourself and idol in the form of anything...] All ideas, portraitures, shapes, images of God, whether by effigies or pictures, are here forbidden. ‘Take heed lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make the similitude of any figure.’ Deut 4: 15, 16. God is to be adored in the heart, not painted to the eye." (Watson)
The second commandment forbids the worshipping of God by images, (Deut. 4:15-16) or any other way not appointed in his Word (Col. 2:18). This commandment prohibits image worship basically.
3rd Commandment
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7)
We must not take God’s name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. We also should take care to reverence and honour his name. One interesting way that I have seen this put is this way,
"Using the Lord's name as street language is bad, but the epitome ofThat quote covers "we should not cast any reflections and dishonour on his name." But at the same time there must be a reverence for the name of God. So when people do use the name as "street language", it is just used a common term, and most the time is in a very blaspheming manner.
violating God's name is to claim Christ when He isn't yours. To say, "Lord,
Lord" and then disobey Him is like giving Him a Judas kiss." (John MacArthur)
Thomas Watson lays it out in about 12 categories, I won't go into full detail on each but I'll line them out, "we take the Lord's name in vain,":
1.When we speak slightly and irreverently of his name.
2.When we profess God’s name, but do not live answerably to it, we take it in vain.
3.When we use God’s name in idle discourse.
4.When we worship him with our lips, but not with our hearts.
5.When we pray to him, but do not believe in him.
6.When in any way we profane and abuse his word.
7.When we swear by God’s name.
8.When we prefix God’s name to any wicked action.
9.When we use our tongues any way to the dishonour of God’s name.
10.When we make rash and unlawful vows.
11.When we speak evil of God.
12.When we falsify our promise; as when we say, if God spare our life we will do a certain thing, and never intend it.
Once again all have been guilty of these.
4th Commandment
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8)
The verse continues...
"Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (vv.9-11)
The 7th day was set aside, by God for man, as a holy day. Now, there is so much more to the sabbath day and why it is important. But for the purposes im trying to display, just understand that all are guilty of not keeping the sabbath day holy, and set aside as a day for God, at one point or another.
5th Commandment
"Honor your father and your mother..." (Exodus 20:12)
Catechism question 53: What is required in the fifth commandment?
Cathechism answer 53: The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their various positions and relationships as superiors (Eph. 5:21-22; Eph. 6:1, 5; Rom. 13:1), inferiors (Eph. 6:9), or equals (Rom. 12:10).
Have all fallen short on this? I assume many have.
6th Commandment
"You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)
This forbids the taking away of our own life (Acts 16:28), or the life of our neighbour unjustly (Gen. 9:6), or whatever tends to it (Prov. 24:11-12).
But even this one is broken by many, because Jesus said:
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:21-22)
7th Commandment
"You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14)
The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts (Matt. 5:28; Col. 4:6), words (Eph. 5:4; 2 Tim. 2:22), and actions (Eph. 5:3).
"1. The thing implied is that the ordinance of marriage should be observed. ‘Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.’ (1 Cor 7:2). ‘Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled.’ (Heb 13:4). God instituted marriage in paradise; he brought the woman to the man. (Gen 2:22). He gave them to each other in marriage. Jesus Christ honoured marriage with his presence. (John 2:2). The first miracle he wrought was at a marriage, when he turned the ‘water into wine.’ Marriage is a type and resemblance of the mystical union between Christ and his church. (Eph 5: 32)" (Watson)
8th Commandment
"You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15)
Catechism Question 60: What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
Catechism Answer 60: The eighth commandment forbids whatever does or may unjustly hinder our own (1 Tim. 5:8; Prov. 28:19; Prov. 21:6), or our neighbour's wealth, or outward estate (Eph. 4:28).
This one is pretty self explanatory.
9th Commandment
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)
"The tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God’s praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour." (Watson)
The commandment is one that forbids lying and slandering. Without going into much more detail, you can see how there are not many who might be able to escape this commandment.
10th Commandment
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."(Exodus 20:17)
Covetousness goes pretty much right along with idolatry. It is the wishing for another persons possessions. Wishing for another's "fortune", covetousness is really what leads to the rest of these sins listed in the commandments.
If you covet someones money, that generally can lead to stealing.
Their wife; can lead to adultery or lust.
Their life; murder or anger, jealousy.
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Really just outlining this, can make you see how apart from Christ it is impossible to live up to the standards that God has laid out. If you share this with an unbeliever who thinks that they are a "basically good" person deep down, they will see how absolutely ungood and hopeless they are, apart from the saving grace of the Christ. The law is meant to expose man's sin and hopefully lead to a conviction of sin, and then repentance, and conversion. If a person can even live up to one of these laws, or if they have only broken even one of these laws, that is enough for God to be just in codemning them.
The reason Jesus said the greatest commandment of all was:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Mark 12:29-31)
And John says:
"Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining."(1 John 2:7)
And Paul says:
The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9)
Is because all of the commandments can be summed up as either a love to your God or a love to your neighbor.
And unbelievers simply do not do this. You must confront them with their sin, and not "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." That will not suffice. That tells them nothing.
Citations:
*Thomas Watson (Puritan Theologian)
*Puritan Catechism
*John MacArthur
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