Should We Obey The Ten Commandments?

Popular megachurch pastor Andy Stanley, the son of the famous preacher Charles Stanley, recently asserted that Christians do not need to obey the Ten Commandments: (Emphasis Mine)1

The Ten Commandments are from the old covenant

The Ten Commandments played a significant role in God's creation of the nation of Israel. It gave them moral guidelines and helped separate this new nation from their neighbors. This was part of the formal agreement (or covenant) God created with his people, but Jesus' death and resurrection signaled the end of that covenant and all the rules and regulations associated with it.

Jesus didn't issue his new command as an additional commandment to the existing list of commands.

He didn't say, "Here's the 614th law."

Jesus issued his new commandment as a replacement for everything in the existing list. Including the big ten. Just as his new covenant replaced the old covenant, Jesus' new commandment replaced all the old commandments.

Participants in the new covenant (that's Christians) are not required to obey any of the commandments found in the first part of their Bibles. Participants in the new covenant are expected to obey the single command Jesus issued as part of his new covenant: as I have loved you, so you must love one another.

The new covenant replaced the old one.

The late Rev. Billy Graham discarded any insinuation that discredits the Ten Commandments:2Yes, the Ten Commandments are still important! You'll find them in the Old Testament (the part of the Bible that tells us what God did before Jesus Christ came into the world). You'll find them in two places: Exodus, chapter 20, and Deuteronomy, chapter 5.

The Bible tells us God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, who led the ancient Israelites after they'd been freed from slavery and were headed toward the land God had promised them. The Ten Commandments were given so they would know how to live, and God promised that if they followed them, their lives would be blessed. Moses said, "Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days" (Deuteronomy 5:33).

Although they were given many centuries ago, the Ten Commandments are still valid, and our lives (and our world) would be far better if we followed them. The first ones deal with our responsibilities toward God — to put Him first in our lives, and not allow anything to take His rightful place. The latter ones deal with our responsibilities toward others — to avoid lying, stealing, murder, immorality, greed, and so forth.
But the Ten Commandments are important for another reason: they point to our need for God's forgiveness and help. No one lives up to them perfectly, and that's why we need Christ. Don't let your past hold you back, but begin a new life today by asking Jesus to forgive and help you. Did the Lord Jesus abolish the Ten Commandments or the laws when HE specified the two great commandments?

Read Christ's response to the expert in the law when HE was questioned about the greatest commandment of all the 613 laws, "One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."" (Matthew 22: 35-40, NIV).

It is essential to observe that the commandment to love God preceded the commandment to love each other. The first and the greatest commandment, which is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind is of greater significance than the second greatest commandment, which is to love one another. In other words, we cannot love our neighbor as to how God commanded us to love them if we do not love God with all our life.