What the New Testament Says About the Moral Law
The Law of Moses was fulfilled in Jesus, so we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices and do other such things noted in the Law. However, the Ten Commandments, God’s moral law, continues into the New Testament. Let’s look at each commandment and cross reference where they are mentioned in the New Testament. All Scriptures noted below are from the King James Version.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 This is noted in Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
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. 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. Exodus 20:4-5. This same thing is mentioned in I John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
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. Exodus 20:7. Matthew 5:33-35 says: Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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: 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. Exodus 20:8-11. Mark 2:27-28 talks of the true purpose of the sabbath, with Jesus Himself being our sabbath rest. And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12. In Matthew 15:4-6, Jesus noted the requirement to honor our parents and accused the Pharisees of not doing so. For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13 Jesus took this commandment to the next level in Matthew 5:21-22 and explained that the sin of murder goes beyond the physical act of ending a life, but is actually an issue of the heart. Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14 In Matthew 5:27-28 Jesus again reiterates the requirement of the Old Testament and shows it to be a heart issue. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And Galatians 5:19 speaks of adultery as a work of the flesh.
Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15. This is confirmed in Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Exodus 20:16. Romans 13:9 says the same thing: Thou shalt not bear false witness.
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. Exodus 20:17 Covetousness is prohibited in Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.
As believers, how do we obey these moral laws?
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:9-10 (KJV)
Love is the fulfilling of the law. What law? God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments. When we walk in love, we will honor God and others. When we walk in the love of the Lord, it causes us to obey the moral laws. We love our neighbor as ourselves. The Ten Commandments are wrapped up in the two commands that Jesus said were the greatest.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31 (KJV)
