Why should we study the Ten Commandments? Their meaning seems obvious…until we look at them in their historical context, which serves as the framework to understand the underlying themes of law and grace. The prologue of the commandments sets the stage for these themes as God reveals Himself as the One who delivers His people “out of the land of slavery.” He is a covenant-keeping God who invites us to be part of His family.
As we examine each commandment to discover not only what it prohibits but also what it promotes, we see how the commandments reflect the perfections of God and His heart for His people. By delving into the deeper meaning of the commandments, which Jesus provided in the New Testament, it becomes increasingly clear that sinners are unable to keep God’s perfect law. So not only are the Ten Commandments pertinent for our moral instruction, but they can also be used to bring about conversion. For it is in God’s perfect law that we see our depravity. Understanding the requirements of God’s law serves as a mirror to show us our total inability to meet His standards.
As we study each of the Ten Commandments, we can become refreshingly freed from striving to gain heaven through works of righteousness as we are pointed to grace—the grace of God to undeserving, inadequate, depraved sinners! There is no greater news than the perfect righteousness of Jesus freely given to those who trust in Him.
The curriculum ends by emphasizing that faith in Jesus as our Mediator and Perfect Righteousness is the only means of salvation and the fulfillment of God’s law. The One who asks for perfect law-keeping is the same One who removes the heart of stone and gives us a new heart of flesh. The Ten Commandments become the mirror of our soul, and then they shape the expressions of a redeemed heart. The redeemed heart overflows in its love of God and expresses itself in walking in the ways of His commandments.
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! (Psalm 119:32) Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible.
The Righteous Shall Live By Faith is an intergenerational curriculum that instructs young and old in God’s perfect moral law and our inability to keep it and points us to the grace that God gives through the redemption offered by the death of His Son. Each lesson incorporates an application game activity to help participants review and apply the key themes of the lesson. A student banner serves as a visual aid to reinforce the key concepts of the curriculum. The Family Devotional Guide enables families to build on each lesson at home throughout the week.
Read Modern Reformation's Review (PDF) of The Righteous Shall Live By Faith curriculum (original).
