Question 8: What is the law of God stated in the Ten Commandments?

Answer: You shall have no other gods before Me. 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. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet.

Kids Answer: You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet.

Key Scripture: Exodus 20:3

Additional Scripture: Matthew 22:37-40; 2 Timothy 3:2-7; James 2:10; Romans 8:1-4

It is quite easy to keep individual commandments. One can go an entire lifetime without murdering, stealing, or committing adultery. But the difficulty lies in keeping all of the commandments. James reminds us that the law stands as links of a chain. Break one link, one commandment, and the entire chain fails. If you fail to honor your parents, you are also guilty of murder. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ! He has provided an escape from the condemnation of the law!

Questions to ask: (To help process the truth we learned. Ask yourself, a friend, your group, or your family questions to talk through it together)

• What idols exist in our lives?

• What does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy? How can we do this as 21st century Christians?

• Are the 10 Commandments meant to give an explicit definition of holiness or an implicit example of holiness?

• How has Jesus set us free from the law?