"Save me, God!".
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For every Christian, God's law is the guiding star. It is he who points the way to the Heavenly Kingdom. In the modern world, the life of any person is very complex, which indicates the need for clear and authoritative guidance from God's Commandments. This is the reason why most people turn to them.
God's commandments and mortal sins
The most vicious of the seven deadly sins is pride, which the Lord God cannot forgive.
The commandments of God in Orthodoxy allow us to live correctly and harmoniously. It is undoubtedly very difficult to comply with them in everyday life, but you should always strive for the best. Many people who managed to begin to live according to God’s laws, after a short period of time simply stopped noticing changes in their daily existence. And, undoubtedly, the Lord God helped them in this.
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The commandments listed above will definitely benefit you only if you make them your own. In other words, allow them to completely guide your worldview and actions. They must be in your subconscious, which will allow you to avoid their possible violation.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that people who live according to God’s law are always lucky, and their lives work out in the best possible way. They also manage to create strong families and raise a good generation. Live with the Lord, and he will definitely bless you with good luck and luck not only in life situations, but also in all, even the most hopeless, endeavors.
The Lord is always with you!
The Ten Commandments of Jesus Christ in a Brief Statement
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The twentieth chapter of the book of Exodus records the story of God giving his Ten Commandments to the people of Israel.
Jesus Christ himself assured his disciples that he was on earth not to break the law, but to fulfill it. It is not for nothing that the Word of God has been preserved and preserved for thousands of years, despite all attempts to destroy it. God's Law was written for the benefit of people, so the principles contained in the Ten Commandments directly apply to Christians even today. Even if you quickly go through the list of famous commandments, any cultured person will notice their similarity with the fundamental laws of any civilized society.
The commandments of Jesus Christ are often compared to the laws of nature. This means that these laws not only must be adhered to and it is forbidden to violate them, in addition, they harmoniously complement each other. On the one hand, the commandments allow people to find a soul, refuse various temptations or instincts that were previously characteristic of wild man, fill people with virtues, and on the other hand, these laws help ensure that all people can gain a moral foundation.
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Of all the ten commandments of Jesus Christ, it is not possible to identify one main one, since all of them are equally important for a person. For example, if a person mainly devotes time to getting rid of temptation, for example, adultery, but envy or does not respect his family, friends, neighbors or friends, then this is tantamount to the fact that this person does not adhere to laws of Christianity. The Ten Commandments of Jesus Christ, it should be noted, are spelled out laconically and briefly. Despite the fact that to some extent they create frameworks for people, for the most part this ensures complete freedom of the individual.
Moses gave the world 10 commandments, he could be a prophet, priest or artistic image
The Laws of Moses are the rules that one of the greatest prophets in human history gave to his people and the world. Although he is considered the first author of the Bible and an important character in it, we learn few details about Moses himself from the books of the Pentateuch. And even those are quite controversial. Today there are several different views on the figure of Moses.
Moses is a Jewish prophet . This version is traditional for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is consistent with the sacred texts of these religious traditions. In short, Moses was a Jewish baby who, by chance, ended up with the Egyptian queen. When he grew up, he decided to stand up for his people, freed them from Egyptian slavery, and at the same time established the Jewish religion. The historian Josephus insists on the reality of Moses.
There is ongoing debate about who Moses was, if he is a real person.
Moses is a collective image . A number of contradictions in the Bible do not allow us to fully trust its authority. Many researchers note this fact and insist that Moses is not a historical figure, but a kind of artistic generalization in the image of the ideal prophet of Jewish leaders over several millennia. It is impossible to prove or disprove this.
Moses is an Egyptian priest . The influence of this figure, his ability to freely visit the pharaoh, level of education, fortitude - all this allows us to draw conclusions that Moses was not an ordinary person, but a descendant of the Egyptian priests. This version is popular among independent researchers and esotericists. For example, E.P. Blavatsky hints at it, and the philosopher E. Schure adheres to the same version.
In any case, Moses' contribution to the world's spiritual traditions is incredible. Without it, not only Orthodoxy, but also monotheism might not exist.
Moses received the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai
The circumstances under which the Jews received the Law of Moses are described in the Old Testament. The peoples of Israel came out of the land of Egypt and wandered in the desert for some time. Finally, the question arose of how to establish a right relationship between God and His people.
By order of God, Moses ascended Mount Sinai. It is worth noting that today more and more researchers are inclined to believe that for many centuries people incorrectly identified that same mountain. The real Sinai is called Jabal el-Lawz. It was there that Moses received the Ten Commandments from the Creator.
Moses may have received the 10 Commandments on Mount Jabal al-Lawz
This is how the Bible writes about it:
(Exodus 19:17–25)
“And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was all smoking because the Lord had descended on it in fire; and smoke rose from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook greatly; and the sound of the trumpet became stronger and stronger. Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. And the Lord came down to Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses: Go down and confirm to the people, so that they do not rush to the Lord to see [Him], and so that many of them do not fall; priests who approach the Lord must sanctify themselves so that the Lord does not strike them. And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot ascend Mount Sinai, because You warned us, saying: Draw a line around the mountain and sanctify it. And the Lord said to him: go, come down, then come up, and Aaron with you; but let not the priests and the people rush to ascend to the Lord, lest he should strike them. And Moses went down to the people and told them"
Some commandments cause controversy among interpreters
Not all commandments are understandable to man. Some require detailed analysis to understand what they are for.
The first four concern the relationship with God:
- The 1st commandment is about the unity of God. This is a statement of monotheism. In the age of Moses, integrity of tradition equaled survival, so this rule is supreme.
- The 2nd commandment is the denial of idols, that is, authorities. Any authority can be destructive for a person. Only God always wants the best for him.
- The 3rd commandment is about remembering God in vain. Man is given life to learn to act in it, make independent decisions and exert his will. A person who trusts in the Lord for everything does not develop. He does not use the gift of life for anything.
- The 4th commandment is about rest . In business, you can forget about the spiritual, about love, about kindness. To prevent this from happening, God requires a person to set aside “islands” without work, for relaxation. It is not necessary to take the commandment literally and rest on Saturdays. It is nonsense.
The following commandments are devoted to the relationship of people with the outside world:
- The 5th commandment - to honor your father and mother - usually does not raise questions.
- 6th commandment - do not kill . The most logical thing is to use it literally, not to kill anyone. This is what the most religious and demanding people do. But interpretations that are “convenient” for people are very popular, where “kill” is interpreted only as a criminal offense. This gives cruel people the opportunity to remove military killings and killing animals from the commandments. Scripture gives no basis for this. It strictly and laconically says: “do not kill,” without specifying that someone is allowed.
6 the commandment prohibits the killing of all living things, not just an innocent person
- 7th Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. This is also a very complex topic. There is a lot of speculation and contradiction here. Adultery in its most traditional interpretation means sexual infidelity of a spouse, betrayal. And intimate relations before marriage are usually called fornication. But the terms have become very mixed up and become interchangeable. And yet, the 7th commandment is not a prohibition of intimate relationships in general or their varieties in particular, but a commandment about the inextricability of the connection between marriage and a person’s intimate life.
- 8th Commandment: Thou shalt not steal . There is hardly any need for explanation here.
- 9 commandment - do not bear false witness . Also quite transparent wording.
- The 10th commandment is not to envy . There is an apt remark that envy is at the root of all sins. The first murder on earth (by Cain of Abel) began with envy. If you like something like someone else, you should be happy for it and achieve the same on your own.
Envy is the most terrible of sins, because of it all others are committed
Basics of Orthodoxy: why you should fulfill the commandments
God gave the 10 biblical commandments or Decalogue to the Jewish people during their journey from slavery to the land given by the Lord - Canaan.
Initially, the Lord Himself inscribed them on two tablets, but later they were rewritten by the hand of Moses.
The law can be divided into two parts:
- the first 4 commandments are about man’s relationship with the Lord;
- the last 5 are about the relationship between a person and his neighbors.
God's law is difficult for people with a sinful nature to obey. However, this is something that we urgently need to strive for. What is it for?
Just as the force of attraction, gravity, etc. operate, spiritual laws exist and operate. Violation of them leads to the threat of carnal and spiritual death.
People are not outraged by the existence of gravity, and they know that if you jump from a height, you can fall to your death. The same goes for prolonged immersion in water or falling into fire. Why does keeping the Lord's law cause so much outrage?
Atheists live as if the spiritual world does not exist, but this does not exempt them from the application of spiritual rules. If a person does not believe in the power of gravity, this does not mean that it does not exist and that violating it will lead to death. The same applies to the Decalogue - violation will lead first to spiritual death, and then to carnal death.
Many people view the Decalogue as a set of rules for going to heaven after death. But this is wrong, since the goal is to prove to a person that he cannot cope on his own and needs God’s help and Jesus Christ. No one can do this thoroughly on their own, but only with God's help. We all need the death of Jesus Christ and divine forgiveness with atonement. One should ask the Lord for help in fulfilling the law and pray in repentance if it has been broken.
Important! The 10 biblical commandments are necessary for anyone who considers himself a true Christian to know, because according to them he can check his life path and compare it with the one that the Lord has prepared.
Moses with the commandments given to him
Ten Complete Commandments
The first commandment
“I am the Lord your God. And you will have no other gods besides me before my face.”
In the first commandment, the Lord speaks about Himself, that everyone must be guided by God’s name and not deviate from His will. This is a basic, fundamental rule, because the person who follows the laws and regulations of God in everything will not violate the other nine commandments. In an individual interpretation, God does not claim absolute primacy among other idols, just as he demands that He be given more attention than some other gods. He wants to be worshiped alone, due to the fact that, as religion says, there are no other gods in the world.
Commandment two
“You shall not make for yourself an idol or an image of anything that is above in heaven, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the waters under the earth; do not serve them and do not bow down; For I am the Lord, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of their fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation, those who hated Me, and those who showed kindness to a thousand generations of those who love Me and who keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6) .
In this text, the Lord reminds people not to create man-made images of idols and worship them. This is motivated by the fact that the eternal God should not be limited to an image made of stone or wood. An attempt to do this offends Him and distorts reality and truth.
Third of the Ten Commandments of the Bible
“Do not take the name of the Lord God in vain (just like that), for the Lord God will not leave anyone without punishment who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7).
This third of the Ten Commandments deals with human carelessness. A person often has the bad habit of saying random things and not watching his tongue, and in any case pronounces the word “God.” This is a sin and is considered something akin to blasphemy. This law prohibits not only false oaths and simple words that people swear from time to time, in addition, it reminds us of a frivolous and careless attitude towards the sacred meaning of a given word. A person dishonors him, even inadvertently mentioning him in small talk or everyday conversation.
Fourth Commandment
“Remember the Sabbath day in order to spend it correctly: Work for six days of the week and do all your work during them, and on the seventh day - rest, dedicate it to the Lord your God. On the above-mentioned day, neither you, nor your daughter, nor your son, do any of your works... For in six days your Lord created everything that is in the earth, sea and sky and themselves, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
This commandment from the Bible calls on all people to engage in their work only six days a week, and on the seventh day, the Bible says, it is necessary to devote themselves and all their time on this day of the week to serving God and doing good deeds. The Sabbath in this law is presented as an established day at creation, and not as a new institution. And people should remember it, observe this day in memory of the works of the Lord.
Fifth Biblical Commandment
“Honor your father and your mother, so that it may go well with you and your days may be long, so that you may live well in the land that the Lord your God has given you” (Exodus 20:12)
The fifth law, or fifth commandment, requires respect, submission and obedience from children to parents. Here the Lord promises grateful children for their care, tenderness and preservation of their parents’ reputation a long and good life. This commandment requires children to become a comfort and help to their parents in their old age.
God's Sixth Commandment
One of the most understandable commandments that does not require special interpretation.
The translation is: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). A short, simple and understandable commandment. The Lord says that a person cannot arbitrarily deprive someone of the life of God’s creation. This is beyond human power. Here it must be added that suicide is a grave sin. Those who voluntarily took their own lives will never be able to find themselves in the Kingdom of Heaven, since they do not deserve it. This sin (murder) is preceded by feelings such as hatred, anger, anger. This list should not be allowed into the heart of a Christian.
It is believed that God is the source of life. He alone can give life, this is God’s holy gift, which no one can take away, that is, kill someone. According to the Bible, to take someone's life is to interfere with God's plan, i.e. to take the life of oneself or another person - to try to stand in the place of the Lord. This commandment implies a reasonable respect for the laws of life and human health.
Seventh Commandment
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14).
This law encourages spouses to be faithful to each other
The main institution of the Lord is the marriage union. In establishing this, He had a specific goal - to preserve the purity and happiness of people, to elevate their moral strength. The Bible says that happiness in a relationship can only be achieved if a person is focused on an individual to whom he gives his whole life, his trust and devotion throughout his life. By protecting people from adultery, God wants people not to look for anything other than the fullness of love, which will be reliably protected by marriage.
Eighth Commandment
Another laconic Law of God. “Don't steal.”
God does not allow the appropriation of other people's property. This sin also includes bribery and parasitism. This law includes both secret and open sins. Kidnapping, war, and slave trade are condemned. Theft and robbery are condemned. The eighth commandment requires sincerity even in small matters.
Ninth Commandment
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
The Lord forbids lying in court and slandering anyone. Any hint or exaggeration intended to create an imaginary impression is a lie. This law prohibits any way to discredit a person or his status through slander or gossip.
Tenth Commandment
“You shall not covet the house that your neighbor has, nor his wife, nor his slave, nor anything that belongs to him.”
In this commandment God speaks of love. Love for one's neighbor is a continuation of love for the Lord.
In striving with all his soul to observe these commandments, a person cleanses his soul and gets the opportunity to be with the Lord.
All these laws were written initially in the literal sense; there was no need to rack one’s brains over the meaning, or to complete theories so that their real meaning was clear. Today, only a few of all ten covenants do not have a double meaning and do not require additional interpretation or a search for hidden meaning. The rest must be interpreted. Each of these testaments are tantamount to classics. They always have been and will be.
