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Armed with a list of the Ten Commandments, Kurt Camron recently hit the
streets in a television program about spreading the Gospel. As always,
I cringed as I heard the list, because, quite frankly, in my sinful past, I
broke most of them. I immediately felt that old guilt creeping back
into my chest and wanted to turn the TV off. I decided to hang in
there though and find out what the program was about.
Camron was using a list of the Ten Commandments to tell people on the
streets where they stood with God. First, he asked them if they
considered themselves to be good people and whether or not they thought they
would make it into heaven. They all answered yes.
He asked them if they had ever lied. They answered yes. He
asked if they had ever stolen anything. They hesitated a little and
answered yes. He asked if they had ever lusted after a woman in their
hearts. These were all men and they all answered yes.
After they had all confessed their sins on public television, Camron
asked them to imagine themselves in a court room with God as their judge.
He then told them that God viewed each of them as lying, adulterous thieves.
(In so many words.)
STOP THE PRESSES!
I admire Kurt Camron for his efforts and determination, and he did point out
that Jesus paid their bale to this judge. I also admire him if he has
upheld the list of the Ten Commandments in his life. However, I consider his
opinion of God's viewpoint of man, even sinful man, to be in serious error.
Yes, these guys had broken the commandments and yes, their salvation was
at stake. But, does God really look at any of us that way?
- Joh 3:16-17 For God SO LOVED THE WORLD, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Does the scripture say God loved us or viewed us a lying, adulterous,
thieves? It says neither. It says "He SO Loved" us. So
Loved, So Loved, So Loved. Listen to some of His cries and pleas from
the Old Testiment:
- Isa 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his
name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole
earth shall he be called.
- Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the
land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband
unto them, saith the LORD:
God hurts as a rejected husband (nurturer and caretaker) and father when we turn our backs on Him.
(You chose that over me?) He cries out to us to turn back to Him.
He wants to protect us from our own mistakes. He wants to lead us by the
hand.
Even after all the list of the Ten Commandments had been broken, listen very carefully to His promise: |
- Jer 31:1 At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all
the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
Now why would He want a bunch of lying, adulterous, thieves to be His
people? This is proof positive that He SO loves us no matter what.
He views us as His children, gone astray perhaps and sometimes even evil,
but He views us with love. He views us with love even when we
lie, steal and cheat.
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I am convinced that He gave us this list of the Ten Commandments to keep us from harm NOT to
pound us over the head with.
- Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
- Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and
keep my commandments.
- Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in
vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name
in vain.
- Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in
it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the
LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
- Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be
long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
- Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
- Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
- Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
- Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his
maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy
neighbour's.
I do not recommend that you carry this list of the Ten Commandments
around with you and try to get it right on your own. I recommend
walking in the spirit. If you are walking in the spirit, you will
not need the list.
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