The Ten Commandments as Worship

​First delivered to a fledgling Hebrew nation; the Ten Commandments established an Israelite’s duty toward God. They were the covenant made by God with Israel (Deuteronomy. 5:2). The commands, also known as The Decalogue, instructed the Hebrews how to live in respect to both God and man. Within these ten commands, lay the whole moral law.

Jesus summarizes the ten commandments as loving God and one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). By looking at the Decalogue, these two great commands can be clearly seen. The first four of the ten commands instruct how to love God (Exodus 20:3-11). The last six of the ten commands instruct how to love one’s neighbor (Exodus 20:12-17).

The ten commandments are not just for the Jews. They also apply to all men. But, under his or her own strength, no person can perfectly keep these laws. This inability to keep the ten commandments is due to the sinful nature which resides within mankind (Romans 3:23; 7:15).

The Church, those people who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are now enabled to obey the ten commandments. This is because believers are dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). Therefore, Christians should seek to live in obedience to the Lord’s ten commands, not to merit His favor, but because He has freed them from slavery to sin.
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The Church, when she lives in obedient submission to the Lord, is the Church at worship. Biblical worship occurs when believers, individually and corporately, present themselves as a living sacrifice and conform to godliness (Romans 12:1, 2). The ten commandments guide the Church in true worship.
If the Decalogue guides believers into worship God (which I am convinced the do), they are worth our time to examine. Let us study, meditate upon, and obey them.
Pastor Randy Weddle