Section 2: The sins committed by the New Testament churches and the truth in the spoken words of God

The Certainties of the Ten Commandments

The teaching of the Ten Commandments has two key aspects:

1. The Ten Commandments and Salvation

It is true that the Ten Commandments alone cannot save us from our sins. Salvation comes through faith in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. God provided the best way by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, who shed His blood to fulfill the shortfalls of the Ten Commandments.

• The blood of bulls, goats, and other animal sacrifices (ceremonial laws) could not save us.

• Christ came as the Lamb of Passover, died on the cross, and shed His precious blood for the remission of our sins.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, believers receive salvation. The Ten Commandments are now written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit for our Christian spiritual sanctification. This enables believers to fulfill the righteousness of the law in their hearts as they walk in the Spirit rather than after the flesh (Hebrews 8:10).

Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of obeying the commandments:

• Matthew 5:17-19:
  17. “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
  18. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

• Matthew 19: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”

The fulfillment of the law was achieved through Jesus’ blood, which also removed the ceremonial laws that were obstacles to keeping God’s commandments by faith.

2. The Origins of the Commandments

The commandments of God began in the Garden of Eden with Adam, the first man, created in God’s image.

• God gave Adam the first commandment before any other law existed.

• The commandments existed even before creation and were later written twice by God on stone (Exodus 34:1-6).

Exodus 34:1-6 highlights how God wrote His words, declaring His mercy, goodness, and truth. God’s words reflect His nature: order, love, truth, justice, and righteousness. He also gives humans the freedom to choose, as seen in Adam’s first commandment:

• Genesis 2:16-17:
  16. “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, …Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.”
  17. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.”

Notice in verse 16 the word “commanded” and in verse 17 the repeated “thou shalt”, which are found in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11).

Believers should not rely solely on scholars who say the commandments started at Mount Sinai. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. Jesus said: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The Lord Almighty has revealed that His commandments began in the Garden of Eden, long before Mount Sinai. Through the Holy Spirit, these truths are made known with clarity and evidence.