3You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5Honor your father and your mother.
6You shall not murder.
7You shall not commit adultery.
8You shall not steal.
9You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 You shall not covet. (NKJV throughout,
except as noted.)
At this point most groups think that they are supposed to
itemize a complex sectarian constitutional framework of mandatory dogma. Not here! These
directives, given to Israel by God from Mt. Sinai, form the basic outline of how to
live your life. We fully realize that there are many kinds of ‘other’ or
‘additional’ things that we could list, but they would all be built off the foundation
of the 10 commandments.
Mark 12:29-34“Hear, O Israel,
the LORD our God, the LORD is one.’ And you shall love the LORD your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
This is the first commandment.[Expressed in the four sub points.] And the
second, like it, is this:’ You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Expressed
in six sub points.] There is no other commandment greater than these. So the scribe
said to Him: Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one
God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the
understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor
as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Now when Jesus saw
that he answered wisely, He said to him: You are not far from the Kingdom of God”.
We fully support the principle that Christians should “all
speak the same thing”, but we also understand that Paul was really instructing us all to
speak the very “same” things that Christ spoke. That is always the right thing to do,
regardless of the demands of any church or its representatives! Consider the following
scripture and a commentators thoughts on it.
Phil 3:14with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God’s
heavenward call in Christ Jesus. 15Therefore
let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect
you think differently, that also God will make clear to you. 16But whatever be the point that we have already reached, let us persevere in
the same course.Weymouth
version.
Commentary from Barnes New Testament Notes
Verse 16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already
attained, let us walk by the same rule. This is a most wise and valuable rule, and a
rule that would save much difficulty and contention in the church, if it were
honestly applied. The meaning is this—that though there might be different degrees
of attainment among Christians, and different views on many subjects, yet there were
points in which all could agree; there were attainments which they all had made, and
in reference to them they should walk in harmony and love. It might be that some had
made much greater advances than others. They had more elevated views of religion;
they had higher knowledge; they were nearer perfection. Others had had less
advantages of education and instruction, had had fewer opportunities of making
progress in the divine life, and would less understand the higher mysteries of the
Christian life. They might not see the truth or propriety of many things which those
in advance of them would see clearly. But it was not worth while to quarrel about
these things. There should be no angry feeling, and no fault-finding on either side.
There were many things in which they could see alike, and where there were no
jarring sentiments. In those things they could walk harmoniously; and they who were
in advance of others should not complain of their less informed brethren as lacking
all evidence of piety; nor should those who had not made such advances complain of
those before them as fanatical, or as disposed to push things to extremes. They who
had the higher views should, as Paul did, believe that God will yet communicate them
to the church at large, and in the mean time should not denounce others; and those
who had less elevated attainments should not censure their brethren as wild and
visionary. There were common grounds on which they might unite, and thus the harmony
of the church would be secured. No better rule than this could be applied to the
subjects of inquiry which spring up among Christians respecting temperance, slavery,
moral reform, and the various doctrines of religion; and, if this rule had been
always observed, the church would have been always saved from harsh contention and
from schism. If a man does not see things just as I do, let me try with mildness to
"teach" him, and let me believe that if he is a Christian, God will make
this known to him yet; but let me not quarrel with him, for neither of us would be
benefited by that, nor would the object be likely to be attained. In the mean time,
there are many things in which we can agree. In them let us work together, and
strive, as far as we can, to promote the common object. Thus we shall save our
temper, give no occasion to the world to reproach us, and be much more likely to
come together in all our views. As far as we can agree, let us go and labour
together; and where we cannot yet, let us "agree to differ." We shall all
think alike by-and-by.
Our position on any
teaching can be succinctly stated as follows: “Obey God in all things to the best of
your understanding. Whenever one finds that the ‘church’ appears to be in conflict
with what the Word of God states, then we believe that one must unhesitatingly obey
God!” This is a straightforward principle that allows all who follow it to grow and develop without any vain enticement toward becoming ‘locked’ into
defending any erroneous teachings that are acquired during the growth process, as we
strive to obtain the full maturity of Christ.
We absolutely must limit our beliefs to what the Bible
actually teaches. This differs from the typical practice of following a set of
doctrines or dogmas set up by men. Each individual must decide what is true, based on
what the scripture says to the best of his own understanding. That is what “work out
our own salvation” is all about.
The primary reason that churches have a Statement of Beliefs
is so that other people can quickly determine where a church or organization stands on
certain theological issues. The problem with the adherents to these beliefs is that having
a published set of teachings tends to cause people to carve them into stone tablets in
their minds, rather than depending upon the Bible. It becomes difficult to grow in
spiritual understanding beyond those tenets. The Statement of Beliefs becomes, in a
real sense, a restraining wall built around a church or organization’s herd of holy
cows.
Most religious bodies came into existence because of one
man, or a small group of men, who taught that God required their particular shopping list
of expectations. The resulting doctrinal treatise then becomes the focal point for that
group's understanding. The founders, as adherents commended them and their philosophies,
become even more convinced that God must be blessing their work, concluding that the
numbers of loyal followers is proof of their doctrinal purity. A ministry is carefully
selected from among only those men who willingly agree to preach only what they are
allowed to preach. When dissent enters the church, and it will, these pre-compromised
“yes men” will obviously be quite reluctant to stand for a truth that would cost them
their paycheck and their prestige.
For hundreds of years, traditional Christianity advanced
through its syncretic teachings (merging together divergent systems of philosophy, morals,
and especially religion) and because civil government advocated it as a means of unifying
the people. When one particular religion would dominate, the government’s armies gained
"converts" by the edge of the sword. Either way, as the body of doctrines solidified into a body of dogma, the Statement
of Beliefs became the standard bearers of their theology. As a church wanted to gain
followers it had to balance the desires of the ‘progressive’ adherents against the
human proclivity to resist change.
True Christians, those whom Jesus said would actually follow
the narrow road, the one less traveled, would search out what the Bible actually teaches. This
is a more gratifying and exciting approach to Bible study, since one's beliefs may be
perfected as further knowledge is discovered, or brought to light by others, from the
scriptures. Therefore, rather than claiming that we hold to certain doctrinal beliefs,
we choose to state that we presently hold certain doctrinal understandings. This is more
than semantics. By acknowledging this, we acknowledge that we have some
misunderstandings, and that our understanding will certainly improve, because we can only
grow in grace and knowledge if we are making changes! Indeed, as we look back over
the past few years, our understanding of teachings, some of which we once cherished and
would have died for, have changed to the extent that we would die rather than reestablish
them!
ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS YOUR STATEMENT OF
BELIEFS?
If you have any doubts about the tremendous importance of
the Commandments, then we would strongly urge you to consider all of the ‘New
Testament’ references to “commandments”. There are a couple of passages
pertaining to man made laws that many would have you believe reflect the notion that God
has rejected His own law. However, the overwhelming majority of the references are clear
and powerful endorsements for keeping the Commandments.
Here are most of the references for the word “commandment”.
Matthew 19:16-17“Now
behold, one came and said to Him:
Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? So He said to
him:
Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Mark 7:7“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Mark 10:17-19 “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked
Him:
Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? You know the
commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not
bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
Luke 1:6“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and
ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
Luke 18:18-20“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to
inherit eternal life?" "You know the commandments:
‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not
bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
John 14:15“If you love Me,
keep My commandments.”
John 14:21“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest
Myself to him.”
John 15:10“If you keep My commandments,
you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide
in His love.”
Romans 13:9“For the commandments: You shall not
commit adultery,’ ‘You
shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall
not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this
saying, namely:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
1 Corinthians 7:19“Circumcision
is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is
what matters.”
Ephesians 2:15“…having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of (manmade)
commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from
the two, thus making peace…”
Colossians
2:22 “…which all concern things
which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men?”
Titus 1:14“not
giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.”
1 John 2:3“Now
by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
1 John 2:4 “He who says: ‘I
know Him,’ and does not keep His
commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him.”
1 John 3:22“And
whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those
things that are pleasing in His sight.”
1 John 3:24“Now
he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.
And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
1 John 5:2“By
this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His
commandments.”
1 John 5:3“For
this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome.”
2 John 1:6“This
is love, that we walk according to His commandments.
This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk
in it.”
Revelation 12:17“And the dragon was enraged with the
woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 14:12
“Here is the patience of the saints;
here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
Revelation 22:14“Blessed
are those who do His commandments, that
they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into
the city.”