Coming this far in considering these commandments, one might begin to wonder how well Adam held up under the vivid evidence of the results of his disobedience and its effect on mankind as he approached his tenure of 930 years of age. But the sordid tale goes on.

8. “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

Stealing something that is not your own can become a developed habit, done without second thought, and one’s associations can be a major contributor to that kind of lifestyle. “Someone has observed, “If you want to become a bank robber, just hang around with some bank robbers for a while.”

Lack of commitment to the Lord, coupled with greed and self-elevation, may well lead to that kind of habit. Those who do not know the Lord, and perhaps some who do know Him, are not aware that the Lord is very benevolent to those who belong to Him.  He tells us in Psalm 84:11:

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory;no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

In another place, we are told, “You have not because you do not ask” (James 4:2), and promises of His provision are numerous throughout Scripture. Perhaps that is why we are told more than once that, “the just shall live by faith.” Believe those promises.

There is an old folk tale that speaks to this topic, about “how to catch a monkey.”

In a tropical region the natives were trying to get control of the monkey population to save their meager crops, but catching the monkeys who were pilfering their produce was not working. They would skitter away into the trees before the natives could get to them. Finally, they came up with an idea, after some observations of the habits of the monkeys.

Things that glittered were a fascination to the critters, so they put a glittering object of some sort in an empty, small-mouthed glass jar fastened securely to a tree. The monkey reached in, closed his fist upon the glittering object, but could not remove his fisted clutch on the treasure. The monkey would have to release his clutch on the object, but he would not do it, and that unyielding greed got him caught! (Sounds like some of us Christians, sometimes!)

The moral of this story, if there is one, is that sooner or later a thief’s driving urge to steal that which he desires will result in capture.

Paul, in Philippians 4:11-12, gives us a developed attitude picture of one who has found contentment in the Lord, looking to Him as his source of all needs:

“…For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

In subsequent verses he says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (13), and then ushers us into the presence of his source for the supply of his needs with this: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (19). It is clear that one who has his heart fixed on trusting the Lord will not be one given to stealing whatever he wants.

9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

Bearing false witness is lying, not being truthful. And, “little white lies” are still just that–lies. Perjury is the term used in court, and it carries a heavy penalty. Perhaps that is why two witnesses are required, according to the law of Moses. Bearing false witness can also be identified as slander, wherein someone makes a false characterization of another person. How does gossip fit into this?

There are some things this God of love surely hates, as told in Proverbs 6:16-19:

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
1. A proud look,
2. A lying tongue,
3. Hands that shed innocent blood,
4. A heart that devises wicked plans,
5. Feet that are swift in running to evil,
6. A false witness who speaks lies,
7. And one who sows discord among brethren.”

Psalm 15 sets a high standard for those who would desire to remain in God’s favor:

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

“ He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord.

“He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

Somewhere in all of this analysis there must be a place for the “Golden Rule,” and this must be it:

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17).

Now, as it is said, “we are getting down to brass tacks.” Notice that the Lord put near the top of the list that one encounter in which men (and perhaps, too, some women) are most vulnerable. But is the grass ever any greener in that other pasture?

The word used here is “covet,” which also means lust, as in 1 John 2:16:

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Look closely and you can see all three of those variations of lust driving the activities we are told to avoid. As a matter of fact, it may not be too much of a stretch to think of this tenth commandment as a summary of the other nine. Self-centeredness seems to motivate all disobedience of the commandments.

What better commandment could Paul have used to describe his own ongoing warfare with his flesh but this one–Romans 7:7-12:

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evildesire.

For apart from the law sin was dead.  I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

He goes on in that context to describe his struggle of the flesh versus the spirit that he experienced. Some have maintained that this portrays Paul’s life before he was saved, yet he writes the same description of the struggle of flesh and spirit in Galatians 5:16-18:

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

Here he is using the same basic language as in Romans 7 and the first part of Romans 8 on how to be victorious in the warfare, and here he is clearly writing to Galatian Christians. As we are told in other places, God is no respecter of persons. If Paul did not have the same struggles other Christians have, then how could he honestly challenge other believers to follow him as he follows Christ (Philippians 3:17).

However, his directives in concluding Romans 7 and continuing on in Romans 8 of how to keep this tenth commandment are universal to all Christians—“walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Likewise, he also directs the Galatians. It is summed up in this oft-repeated statement: “the just shall live by faith” (and not by works, even the keeping of these commandments).

Finally, to summarize this look “Inside the Ten Commandments,” it must be with the only honest conclusion we redeemed sinners could have, along with the Apostle Paul:

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).

These remaining commandments are particularly self-centered. They all could be sub-headings under a lead title of “You Come First After Me,” and the truth would not be stretched at all.

6. “You shall not murder”(Exodus 20:13).

That means not taking another’s life with premeditation and evil and selfish intent. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expanded on this and the following commandments. Here, He said this:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).

The deeper meaning of these words comes out in other translations. Here is the New Living Translation (NLT) for verse 22:

“But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

There is a type of murder this seems to be talking about that destroys the person from within, such as the man being executed in the news story in Part 2. His dad actually killed him within by his degrading, belittling accusations. Then he repeated the action in a direct manner. Again, as Paul wrote, “…fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

7. “You shall not commit adultery”(Exodus 20:14).

Of all the commandments, this one may be one that reaches deepest and the quickest to man’s inner realm of self-indulgence and secret longings of the flesh. Jesus also expanded this one beyond the overt physical relationship to that of the heart and mind. He said this:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Man has no excuse with that indictment; our hides are peeled and our scalps are nailed to the wall! Even Job, that patriarch of old, fought the same battle, for he made this declaration:

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1 – KJV).

One of my friends commented recently that death by crucifixion is a slow death, referring to the Bible truth that our old nature has been crucified with Christ, and also making the point that that old man will hang around until the body returns to dust in the grave.

There are some harsh facts that need to be understood if a person is going to live above indictment of this commandment as Jesus expanded it into our mental arena. First, Romans           8:5-8 tells us:

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [That’s] because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

The key point to glean from that passage is that the carnal mind is not submissive to the law of God, neither can it be!  We Christians spend a great deal of time trying to get the flesh, our old nature, to be spiritual, to be obedient, to be pure—all to no avail. The flesh wins the battle and we are thrown into a pit of self-condemnation. After Paul writes of his struggles in that arena in Romans 7:13-25, he declares this in Romans 8:1:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Then, in Galatians 5:16-18, Paul recognizes that battle as one that all believers, including himself, have to wage every single day of our lives—live in submission to the Spirit of God within us and give no quarter to the longings of the flesh!

Following are some ideas that might be helpful in this warfare:

1. “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

2. Recognize that this is an “every day” issue—“Take up your cross daily…,” Jesus said (Luke 9:23).

3. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, tofulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14). Destroy those lewd videos, books and pictures; don’t frequent those places where you are easily tempted. Do not let your mind play upon thoughts that are not of the Spirit but are of the flesh.

4. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart,
that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9 & 11). Memorize and repeat often key verses that help change thought patterns.

5. Let Hebrews 4:15-16 become your fall back encouragement and comfort:  “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

6. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). And closely associated with that warning is Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

It would not be likely that this subject is not addressed in Proverbs, and it is, with sobering words: “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul” (Proverbs 6:32).

The sixth Beatitude is “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8), which, given that no man can look upon God and live, carries a bit of a cloud of mystery. However, as Paul describes purity, it is quite likely that Job, whom I quoted earlier, had a longing for that kind of heart when he made that covenant with himself. In Titus 1:15, Paul writes:

“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.”

Would it be that all believers could have the purity of innocence and not entertain the impurity of a defiled conscience!

(Continued in Part Four.)