1CR James 2:8-12. Note three points in this scripture:
1. James is talking about the law of Ten Commandments, because in verse 11 he cites the seventh and sixth of the Ten Commandments.
2. This scripture shows that the Ten Commandments were not abolished at the cross, but were a binding code on all people in a.d. 60. Verses 9 and 11 declare that any who commit sin or disobey any of the Ten Commandments are transgressors of the law; hence the law of Ten Commandments could not have been abolished at the cross.
3. If the fourth of the ten, which commands the keeping of the seventh day, were not binding on Christians, that would be one point out of the ten where a person could go contrary to the ten and not be guilty of sin. But James 2:10 shows that he who disobeys any one of the ten is guilty of sin; hence every one of the ten, the fourth included, is binding on all people. God requires everybody to keep the seventh day holy.
2CR 1 John 3:4. The transgression of any one of the Ten Commandments is sin.
3CR Rom. 4:15. Where no law is, there is no transgression. Hence the Ten Commandments, the transgression of which is sin, are binding as long as sin exists here. The Ten Commandments are recorded in Ex. 20:1-17. This is the only part of the Bible which God spoke with His voice to all His people.
4CR Ps. 111:7,8. These ten will stand forever just as God spoke them.
5CR Ps. 89:34. God will never change any of the ten. Their exact wording, just as they came from His lips will always remain. Hence the seventh day is still the Lord's Sabbath. The Ten Commandments forbid idolatry, image worship, swearing, Sabbathbreaking, dishonoring one's parents, hatred, murder, adultery, theft, dishonesty, lying, and coveting. The ten teach us to worship God only, to worship God directly and spiritually, to keep the Lord's day, to be reverent, to honor one's parents, to be kind, pure, honest, truthful, and content. Such duties are binding forever on all people; hence the Ten Commandments are still binding on all people. The ceremonial observances and typical ordinances of the Mosiac law were abolished at the cross (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14-17), but the Ten Commandments were binding after Jesus died just as they were before. The apostles refer to the Ten Commandments as a binding code on Christian. Eph. 6:2; Rom. 7:7; 13:8-10; James 2:10,11; 1 John 3:4.
6CR Rom. 6:14,15. Paul declares that Christians have no right to sin (transgress the law)(1 John 3:4), because they are not under the law, but under grace. Being under grace, we are no more excused from keeping the seventh day of the fourth commandment than we are excused from being honest and truthful as required by the eighth and ninth commands. Being under grace does not give us the right to transgress any of the Ten Commandments.
7CR Rom. 3:31. Having faith in Jesus Christ does not make void any of the Ten Commandments.
8CR Rev. 14:12. Faith in Jesus and keeping the commandments go together.
9CR Heb. 8:8-10. The same Ten Commandments that were written on stone under the old covenant, are written on the Christian's heart under the new covenant. Jer. 31:31-34. Hence the ten are binding under the new covenant. The New Testament shows that Jesus spoke the Ten Commandments at Sinai. (Compare Neh. 9:12-15; 1 Cor. 10:4). Hence the ten are the commandments of Jesus as well as of the Father. John 10:30; 14:24,10. Hence to obey Jesus Christ includes obedience to all the ten, as He taught all the ten.
10CR Heb. 5:9. We must obey Jesus Christ if we are ever to be saved in heaven.
11CR Matt. 19:16,17. Obedience to the Ten Commandments is necessary for eternal life.
