6 Out of 10?

The 7th chapter of Proverbs offers a picture of unbridled devotion to keeping God's Word:
1 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

I think those closing words really can challenge us to think about how we are placing Scripture in the forefront of our minds.  Certainly we can read and study the Word, committing verses to memory and meditating on their application to us.  And, we can even listen to Bible teaching and worshipful music, such as what is featured on Faith Radio.  We can post Scripture in our homes, even our offices, when appropriate, and maybe engage with Scripture through our computers and smartphones - it is critical that we hold His Word in high regard, since there are so many influences that would distract us.

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The 10 Commandments are more than just inscriptions on monuments or a series of verses in the Bible - for the Christian, these statements are consistent with the heart of God, provide
0practical guidelines for daily living, and remind us that we are not capable of keeping them...that is why we need a Savior.  The Bible tells us in Galatians 3:
22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

So, do we still have to keep the 10 Commandments today?  After all, Jesus only named 2 - love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.  Well, if we are seeking to be obedient to Christ, then we are to follow His principles - and as it's been pointed out, the first 4 of the 10 Commandments deal with our relationship with God, the last 6 with our relationships with others.  So, yes, the 10 Commandments are relevant today.

However, a new survey indicates that in Great Britain, a majority of survey respondents have decided that only six are important.  From the U.K. version of the YouGov website, we read this:

Unsurprisingly the Commandment that the most Brits think is still important to live by is thou shalt not kill, at 93%, joint with thou shalt not steal. In the case of both Commandments, they were seen as still important by 94% of Christians and 93% of those with no religion.

Not bearing false witness (telling lies) about others came third among all groups, with 87% of all Brits, 90% of Christians, and 86% of those without a religion saying that it is still important to live by.

Close to three quarters (73%) of the population at large say that not committing adultery is still a top life principle, including 69% of non-religious Brits and 76% of Christians.

Honouring thy father and thy mother is still an important rule to follow for 69% of all Britons, including 78% of Christians and 60% of the non-religious.

The final Commandment that holds majority support is the Christian God’s instruction that people not covet the possessions of others. Six in ten (61%) of the public as a whole say this is still a good rule to live by, including 72% of Christians and 52% of those with no religion.

The other four, actually the ones that deal with relationship to God, which I believe are directly related to what Jesus described as the Greatest Commandment, well, just don't seem too relevant to most British people.

The first one - "I am the Lord thy God, You shall have no other God before me – is one of the least important according to the public," according to the article.  Only 20% of Britons believe this to be relevant, and just over one-third of Christians...stunning!

The least relevant - keeping the Sabbath day holy.  I do think that people may miss the point about the New Testament teaching on Sabbath, but I digress.  And, similarly, they miss the point on idol worship, too.  Less than one-third believe people should not worship idols.  Christians are split on the concept.  And, while still over one-third of Christians believe you should not take the Lord's name in vain, 23% of the general population believe that you should not "use the word 'God' in or as a curse."

So, what do we make of this?

For one thing, I believe that people miss the point of these commandments - yes, they communicate the heart of God, they are consistent with His truth, and provide not only suggestions for right living, but the keeping of them, from a heart that is devoted to Christ, can contribute to a productive Christian life.  

But, we can't keep them in ourselves, and compliance with them is actually a product of our living in the Spirit.  If we are seeking to be in relationship with God and reliant on Him to empower us to walk in a manner that glorifies Him, that includes the keeping of His principles.  But, love for Christ has to be the first thing we pursue.

And, in our culture, these provide a foundation for a strong moral order.  Morality has to derive from somewhere - better from the absolute truth of Almighty God than from the relativism of human beings.  These Commandments provide a firm basis for a functioning society, reflecting healthy relationships.

Finally, unlike the British people responding to this survey - we don't get to pick and choose the parts of Scripture that we keep or consider relevant.  We regard the Bible as God's infallible Word, and in so doing, we diligently seek to keep those words and hide them in our heart, allowing them to come alive and to be expressed through our actions.