Reasons For a Blood-Bought Believer’s Obedience Of

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments reveal the need of salvation to the lost and serve as a reminder of sin. In Romans 7:7 Paul wrote, "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." In verse 8 he says, "For without the law sin was dead." Verses 12 and 13 say:

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

If God’s people do not obey, respect, and teach God’s Ten Commandments, who will? The world in general will disregard them. False religionists may teach them with a perverted version of the gospel. Proverbs 28:4 says, "They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them." Should God’s people live their lives in such a way as to "praise the wicked," or in a manner so as to earnestly "contend with them"?

In Psalm 19:7-14, speaking of God’s commandments and all Bible doctrine, verse 11 says, "Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Psalm 119:6 says, "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments." Evidently it is something of which to be ashamed if one does not have respect unto "all" God’s commandments.

Obedience is a result and evidence of the work of Christ which was so "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:4).

In John 17:17 Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Saved members of the Lord's churches are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). Ephesians 5:25-27 teaches that Jesus has chosen to "sanctify and cleanse" those that He has saved and placed in His churches "with the washing of water by the word."

Obedience to God’s commandments is essential to effectual prayer. John 15:7 says, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." James 4:3 says, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." Proverbs 28:9 says, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."

Obedience to God’s commandments is essential in experiencing the fullness of the joy of salvation. John 15:10-11 says:

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

1 John 1:4-6 says:

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

Our perseverance is evidence of our salvation. We persevere (continue faithful) because we are preserved by God. It is a part of our salvation. Salvation is of the LORD. God finishes what He starts. Romans 8:28-30 says:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.