How good does a person need to be in order to qualify for heaven? What are God's righteous requirements? Do we have what it takes to enter God's holy heaven? How do the Ten Commandments help us?
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
Most religious people are seeking to establish their own righteousness (Romans 10:3), but Matthew 6:33 (see above) emphasizes the importance of seeking God's righteousness. Our own righteousness is not sufficient: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).
The Law and the Ten Commandments were given by God to the children of Israel through Moses at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:1-8). One of the reasons these commandments were given was to teach and instruct the children of Israel as to what kind of righteousness God requires in order to have a real and right and holy relationship to Him. We need to ask the question, "Do any of us measure up to what God requires, and if not, is there any hope?"
Unfortunately many
(Jews and Gentiles) have misunderstood the teaching of the Law (Torah)
and
the Ten Commandments from the time that they were given till now.
The Requirements of the Law
Many believe that the Ten Commandments are a moral or religious standard which are to be practiced throughout one's life so that we may obtain the favor of God, eternal life and a place in God’s Holy heaven. Although the practice of them is right and proper and a benefit to man and society, we need to understand two things:
1) God demands continual obedience to His commandments. It's not enough to say, "Well, for the first 25 years of my life I didn't do very well keeping the Ten Commandments, but I'm going to start fresh now and try to do much better the rest of my life." In spite of this person's good intentions, he has established himself as a lawbreaker. Even if it were possible for him to keep the Ten Commandments perfectly from age 26 and on, the first 25 years would still count against him! "Cursed is everyone that CONTINUETH NOT in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them" (Galatians 3:10).
2) God demands perfect obedience to His commandments. Partial obedience is not good enough. If a major league baseball player gets three hits for every ten at bats, he is considered an excellent hitter (.300), even though he failed to get a hit seven out of ten times. This performance is far from perfect, but it is considered very good by baseball fans. What kind of performance is good enough when it comes to God's righteous requirements? What if a person kept perfectly nine out of the ten commandments, and only failed in one of them? Would this qualify him for heaven? Consider carefully what the Scripture says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law" (James 2:10-11). God demands perfection, and the breaking of just one commandment results in the person being a guilty lawbreaker.
If you have a chain with one broken link, is it a broken chain? If you were dangling off of a high cliff with only a rope to cling to, and if the rope were only to break in one place, would it still be a broken rope? How many breaks does a rubber band need to have in order to be a broken rubber band? How many commandments does a person need to break in order to be a guilty lawbreaker?
God demands
perfection. He requires continual obedience and total obedience, and
anything that comes short of this is disobedience and sin. It is not good
enough.
The Purpose of the Law
The Ten Commandments were given to us by God to teach us of our condition before Him and our desperate need for a Savior. The Law shows us how far short we as human beings come from the perfection God requires from all of us.
The Bible states:
Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)
Now we know that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law: that every mouth may be stopped, and be guilty before God. (Romans 3:19)
One of the chief purposes of the law is to make man aware of his sin: "for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). The law presents God's holy and righteous requirements and every thinking person should realize that he is unable to measure up. It is impossible for a sinful man to keep God's holy law perfectly and to do it throughout his lifetime without any kind of failure.
A man may have dirt
on his face but he may not realize it until he looks in a mirror. By the
mirror is the knowledge of dirt! The law is like the mirror.
"By the law is the knowledge of sin." The mirror can show a man that his
face is dirty but the mirror cannot make him clean. It should make him
aware that he desperately needs the soap and water that is found nearby in the
sink. The law can show a man that he is a filthy sinner who needs to be cleansed
and forgiven, but the law cannot cleanse him or pardon him. Only God can
do that. However, the LAW can point a person to the LAMB who
takes away the sin of the world (compare John 1:29).
What Did Jesus Say About the Condition of Man?
Jesus spoke to His disciples on one occasion about the difference between the traditions of man and the commandments of God (Mark 7:1-23) and He made this statement:
That which comes out of the man, that defileth a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all of these evil things come from within, and defile a man. (Mark 7:20-23)
The problem we have is a heart condition.
Also God’s Word states in another place:
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
The Apostle Paul added this:
As it is written (see Psalm 14:1-3), There is none righteous, no, not one....There is none that doeth good, no, not one....For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10,12,23)
We have all come short of what God requires. We have all missed the mark. The way we have lived has not been good enough. We have all failed to keep the Ten Commandments. We are all lawbreakers.
Notice carefully what Jesus Christ said to the Jews of His day: "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law...." (John 7:19).
Is there any hope?
Is there any good news? Yes, but it is not found in us; it is found
only in God, who is very gracious and merciful and has provided a way for sinful
man to have the righteousness of God. But we shall get to this later.
The Mirror of God's Law
God wants us to know the true condition of our heart, and His Holy Law helps us with this. The more we see God as He is (Perfect and Holy), the more we will see how imperfect and unholy we are. We will come to learn how far short we come as measured by God's holy standard, the law.
These are hard statements for a lot of people but the reality of these statements is true, crucial and pertinent. Many dear, kind, sincere, church going people have a hard time with these truths. They choose to block these realities out of their minds. For their whole lives they have been taught that the faithful observance of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule could earn them God’s favor so that they could inherit eternal life and and enter into God’s Holy Heaven. Yet through God’s Holy Word, the Bible, we see that even man's most sincere attempts to keep God's law are not good enough. In fact it is utterly impossible for sinful man to keep God's holy law. And remember, God's law must be kept continually (all of one's life) and perfectly (with not one act of disobedience).
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him (God) a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)
Whether good or bad, moral or unmoral, virtuous or vile… All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All have missed the mark. Everybody falls short of perfection. All have transgressed. All means all, and that includes you and me. So if we cannot obtain God's righteousness in and of ourselves, then how do we obtain salvation?
The Bible states;
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
Not by works of righteousness which we have done. (Titus 3:5)
Salvation is not something we earn by our good deeds; salvation is something that God has provided. It is not something obtained by good works; it is a free gift received by faith based on the perfect work which Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. Salvation is not DOING SOMETHING, but it is KNOWING SOMEONE (see John 17:3). Salvation is not based on what we might do; it is based on what Christ has ALREADY DONE (John 19:30). Salvation is not TRYING; it is TRUSTING (John 6:47). Salvation is not WORKING; it is RESTING on the WORK of Another (Romans 4:5). God's holiness utterly condemns the best man (Romans 3:10-23); God's grace freely justifies the worst man (1 Tim. 1:15). Are you depending upon your feeble efforts to try to keep God's law or are you depending upon what God has done for you when Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross?
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16)
It is not of our own efforts and works of the Law but it is by God’s Grace that we are saved. Unfortunately, many would rather trust in their own works and in their own deeds of righteousness and not in what God has done for them.
Jesus had this to say to those people: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; But he that doeth the will of my father in heaven. Many shall say in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)
That is quite a sobering statement. Religion will not save anyone. What is needed is a real and right relationship with the living God, and this relationship is only possible through Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)
The Ten Commandment Challenge
Do you and I have what it
takes to enter God’s holy heaven? Let’s see how we do when measured
by God's holy standard as found in His law. The purpose of this exercise is to
reveal how short we come to God’s perfect righteousness.
Below is a list of the Ten Commandments of God. How well have we done? Remember, the breaking of just one commandment means that we are guilty of breaking all. A guilty lawbreaker is deserving of the wrath and punishment of God which involves eternal separation from Him in Hell. God's Word states:
For whosoever shall keep the Law and offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)
Let's test ourselves:
The Ten Commandments
Number 1: Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Besides Me.
Have I always put God first every day of my life? Have I always given Him first place? Have I ever put my own desires and wishes ahead of God's will? Have I ever acted selfishly? Have I ever acted independently from God? Was there ever a time when I did not love the Lord with ALL MY HEART, and ALL MY SOUL, and ALL MY MIND, and ALL MY STRENGTH?
Number 2: Thou Shalt Not Worship Any Graven Images.
I may not have erected an idol in my front yard, but idolatry comes in many forms. Have I ever put anything ahead of God? Have I ever put sports or other leisure activities (golf, the beach, movies, etc.) ahead of God? An idol is anything that takes God's place, anything that becomes more important to me than God. Have I ever been guilty of idolatry?
Number 3: Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain.
Have I ever been careless or thoughtless in using God's Name? People curse using God's Name or the Name of Jesus. Have I ever been guilty of this? Have I ever made a joke concerning God, in an irreverent and careless way? God demands my utmost respect. Have I ever complained about what God has allowed to come into my life? Have I ever been unthankful? Have I ever carelessly thought that God has made a mistake in the way that He has dealt with me?
Number 4: Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy.
Do I take one day out of every week to especially remember the Lord and all that He has done for me? Or, is my schedule too busy to include God in this way? If I were to take an honest look at my weekly calendar, where does God fit in? Do I give Him much of my time?
Number 5: Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.
As I think back on my childhood and teen years, did I ever disobey my parents? Did I ever talk back to them in the wrong way? Did I ever show disrespect? Was I ever disciplined for poor behavior or for disobedience? Did I perfectly obey and honor my parents every day of my life? If I did, I was a remarkable child indeed!
Number 6: Thou Shalt Not Murder.
Most of us can say that we have never actually taken the life of another human being. However, in Matthew 6:21-22, the Lord Jesus Christ taught that the sin of murder actually begins in the heart as the sin of hatred. Have I ever hated someone to the point where I said to myself, "I hate this person so much I wish he (or she) would disappear from off the face of the earth"? If so, I am guilty of mental murder.
Number 7: Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.
Unfaithfulness in marriage, sad to say, is a common sin in our day. Sexual immorality abounds on every hand. But some would be able to say, "I have remained true to my husband or wife and have not committed adultery." However, adultery begins in the heart, as our Lord Jesus taught, "But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Can any man, if he is honest with himself, claim to have never committed this kind of adultery? A missionary friend once related a true incident that took place when he was an unsaved student in high school. For some reason, one of the students had a Bible in the cafeteria even though he was not a Christian. The table was full of high school male students, including my friend. The young man with the Bible had it opened to Matthew 5:28 and he was showing it to everyone at the table. One of them made this comment "This condemns everyone of us!" They were ready at that point for someone to come along with the gospel message! However, no believer was near the scene. This incident illustrates that the purpose of the law is to show men their sin, just as the mirror shows dirt.
Number 8: Thou Shalt Not Steal.
Have I ever taken anything that was not mine? Have I ever stolen anything, even when I was young? Have I ever borrowed something and never returned it? Have I ever cheated while taking a test in school (stealing answers from someone else)? Have I ever been dishonest in filing my income tax forms? Have I ever shoplifted?
Number 9: Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness.
This commandment especially pertains to lying under oath, but it also applies to lying in general. Have I ever told a lie? [If my answer is "NO" then I probably have done it again!] Have I ever been dishonest? Have I ever failed to tell the whole truth when it would have been the right thing to do? Have I ever lied to cover up wrong behavior on my part?
Number 10: Thou Shalt Not Covet Anything That is Thy Neighbor's.
Do I have a strong desire for something that belongs to my neighbor? Do I wish I could have his car, his boat, his computer, his home entertainment center, his swimming pool, his wife, his bank account? Am I discontent with what I have or am I totally satisfied with what I have (see Hebrews 13:5)?
* * * * * * * *
As you think about
each of these commandments, how have you done? Have you obeyed totally and
continually, or have you disobeyed? Have you come short of total
obedience? Are you a lawbreaker or a law keeper? If you were
to be honest with yourself,
what is your conclusion? The more you have attempted to keep these commandments in
word,
thought and deed, the more
you saw how hopeless to keep them perfectly. Is this not true? Have
you come to the
conclusion that you are imperfect to stand before a perfect and
Holy God based on your own works and performance?
The Good News
If the law has helped you to see yourself as a guilty lawbreaker, then be of good cheer. There is good news for lawbreakers! Christ Jesus came into this world and went to the cross to save guilty lawbreakers: "For this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15) "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)
Two thousand years ago God sent His Perfect Son to earth to die on the cross for the sins of an imperfect world, providing a perfect salvation for all those who will put their trust in Him. The Bible states:
For God so love the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31)
But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name. (John 1:12)
Behold I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him and sup with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)
Obtaining God's Righteousness
God’s perfect Son is the answer for our imperfection and inability to keep God’s Holy Law perfectly. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive God's perfect righteousness which allows us to stand perfect before God.
As we have already seen, we are lawbreakers, and we do not have the righteousness that God requires. But God in His mercy and grace is able to provide the righteousness which we need, and this was made possible by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus died for our sins and paid the full penalty (the death penalty) instead of us. He then provides His perfect righteousness for every sinner who believes on Him:
For he hath made him (Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Being justified (declared righteous) freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24)
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:4).
What good news this
is! As God sees the believing heart, He does not see our sins
and transgressions and failures, but He sees us clothed in the perfect
righteousness of God. In and of myself I am perfectly unrighteous and a
guilty lawbreaker. But in Christ Jesus I am seen as perfectly righteous.
God has provided the perfect righteousness that I desperately lacked.
What About You?
As you have followed this study and read these verses from God's Word, do you recognize the fact that you are imperfect? Do you see yourself as a lost and guilty lawbreaker before a Holy God? Do you understand that God’s wrath abides on you (see John 3:36)? There is a solution. God has provided a way of salvation. You may be familiar with the following verse from the Bible:
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. John 3:16
Friend, won't you acknowledge your sinfulness before God and call upon Him for His grace and mercy. Ask Him to save you right now.
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I cannot live a perfect life. I cannot measure up to the kind of righteousness that You require. I know that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all my sins and to be punished for me as my Substitute. Lord Jesus, I receive You into my heart and ask You to save my soul and to make me whole. I thank you for forgiving me of all my sins and I thank You for Your free gift of salvation and everlasting life.
If you have prayed this prayer and received the Lord Jesus into your heart then you have passed from death unto life. God has forgiven you all of your sins and has given you eternal life and a place in God’s Holy Heaven, because you have put your trust in Jesus and not in your imperfect works.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.
Now that you have put your trust in Jesus Christ, He will enable you to begin to live a life that is pleasing to God, a life that you could never live apart from Him. We urge you to find a good Bible believing church where you can be taught the life changing truths that are found in God's Word. If we can be of any help to you in any way, please Contact Us. We would be glad to help or answer any questions you might have.
For a better understanding of the purpose of the LAW and why it was given, see the following study: Thinking About the Law and the Commandments.
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