Spiritual Laws:
⦁ Obey God Almighty moment by moment (John 14:21).
⦁ Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8).
⦁ Trust God Almighty for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).
⦁ Holy Spirit – allow [listen to] Him to control and empower your daily life and witness — (Galatians 5:16,17; Acts 1:8).
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Statutes are divided into categories: (1) laws, (2) testimonies, and (3) decrees.
Each of the commandments is a statute [laws].
⦁ You shall have no other gods before Me. [God Almighty {Father}]
⦁ You shall not make idols. — The concern was with images that were worshipped as gods in their own right or thought to embody the divine. As long as religious art isn’t treated as an object of worship itself, it doesn’t necessarily conflict with the second commandment.
⦁ You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. — In the ancient world, names were thought to carry the essence and authority of the person they referred to. To take God’s name in vain meant to invoke it carelessly or for deceptive purposes. This could include making false oaths in God’s name or using His name to lend credibility to ungodly actions.
⦁ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [Jesus IS OUR Sabbath!] — Studies have linked regular Sabbath observance to a host of positive outcomes, including better physical health, mental well-being, and relationship quality. (ref) The principle of taking regular time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with God and others is just as relevant now as it was in ancient times.
1. Pick a weekly day and time.
2. Prepare beforehand to clear out the day’s schedule.
3. Compile a Not-To-Do List. [work, etc.]
4. Engage in spiritual practices that help you draw close to God. Devote time to worship God.
5. Plan soul-restorative activities that help you rest and delight in God.
6. Celebrate together with your family, friends, or community.
⦁ Honor your father and your mother. — While the commandment certainly includes obeying and respecting parents during childhood, its application extends beyond that. In the ancient world, honoring parents also involved caring for them in their old age and preserving their legacy after death.
⦁ You shall not murder. [refers only to deliberate homicide, not to accidental killing, slaying in war, executing a criminal, or slaughtering an animal]
⦁ You shall not commit adultery. [not even in your heart/mind]. — It encompassed any sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant, whether by married or unmarried parties. So even if an unmarried person sleeps with someone else’s spouse, both are guilty of adultery in biblical terms. The commandment isn’t just about respecting your own marriage vows, but respecting the institution of marriage itself. It’s a call to sexual purity and faithfulness that applies to everyone, regardless of marital status.
⦁ You shall not steal.
⦁ You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. — Tthe intent and consequences of a lie matter in evaluating its morality. The ninth commandment focuses on lies that unjustly harm others, not all falsehoods in any context.
⦁ You shall not covet. — To covet in the biblical sense is to fixate on and plot to obtain something that rightfully belongs to another. It’s not just admiring your neighbor’s possessions, but resenting him for having them and scheming to make them your own.