There are numerous reasons why we should study the Ten Commandments.

1. We don’t know the Law. Most people today are ignorant of what the Ten Commandments require. This ignorance, both outside and inside the Church, leaves Christians mired in unholy behavior, damages our witness, and hardens people to the dangers of sin. We need to know what God requires in his Law - not so that we might save ourselves by obeying the Law, but so that we can understand more fully our need for a Savior and live for that Savior’s glory in this life.

2. We don’t understand the purpose(s) of the Law. Many Christians have been reared on a “relationship not religion” kind of discipleship. Consequently, we see exhortations to obey any law, even biblical law, as a form of legalism. In our culture’s mind, laws hinder relationship. But in the Bible, it is the opposite. It is sin (lawlessness) that hinders relationship with God, and obedience that allows our relationship with him to flourish.

3. We need better spiritual and ethical formation. Historically, the Ten Commandments (along with the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer) have been integral in the spiritual and ethical formation of the Church. For two thousand years, Christians have looked to the Ten Commandments to disciple children, mature believers, and teach people how to live lives that honor God. We are unlikely to improve on this, therefore we should teach and know and live by the Ten Commandments.

4. The Law of God will shape and amplify our witness. The Church is called to be a countercultural people, living in but not of the world. How do we do this? To start, we believe the gospel and, empowered by the Spirit, live according to God’s Law. When God’s people truly have no other gods before Him, when they honor their father and mother, when they do not kill, etc., then God’s people will make Jesus impossible to ignore in the world around them.

5. The Law of God is good. A blessed person delights in God’s Law (Psa 1:2). He experiences the Law as sweet honey, and thinks of it as perfect (Psa 19:7-11). Many long to know God’s will for their lives, while God has already revealed that will: it is obedience to his Law. God knows far better than we do what will bring us lasting joy, and he has expressed that to us in the Ten Commandments.