New Testament and the Ten Commandments

Do the Ten Commandments Still Apply to Christians Today? Today, many people believe the Ten Commandments belong only to the Old Testament and no longer apply to New Testament Christians. Is that true or false? Let’s examine the Scriptures and consider what the New Testament actually teaches.

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Introduction and Purpose

Today’s presentation serves as the epilogue and final chapter of the Ten Commandments series.

Throughout the series, we have considered the continuing relevance of the Commandments today and the distance between God’s standard and much of modern society, including among professing Christians.

In part one of the series, I mentioned that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Horeb, also called Mount Sinai, on tablets of stone. Yet there is more to that account: while Moses was on the mountain, the Israelites built an idol and began to worship it.

When Moses came down from the mountain and saw what was happening, he was so grieved that he dropped the stone tablets, breaking them.

If Moses were to witness today’s widespread confusion and neglect concerning these Commandments, he would have deep reason for concern.

Moses rebuked the Israelites severely for their apostasy, and rightly so; today, the need for clear biblical teaching remains just as urgent.

Common Objections to the Ten Commandments

Today, several common objections are used to dismiss the Commandments and, at times, the Old Testament as a whole.

Such as:

“We’re under grace, not law.”

Key Scripture Used:
Romans 6:14

Argument:
Since Christians are saved by grace, they are no longer obligated to obey the Ten Commandments.

“Jesus abolished the Law.”

Key Scripture Used:
Matthew 5:17 is often misunderstood.

Argument:
Christ’s death ended the Law, including the Ten Commandments.

“The Ten Commandments were only for Israel.”

Argument:
They were part of Israel’s covenant and therefore do not apply to Christians.

“The New Testament only teaches love.”

Key Scriptures Used:
Matthew 22:37–40
Romans 13:8–10

Argument:
Christians simply need to love others; commandments are unnecessary.

“The Law was nailed to the cross.”

Key Scripture Used:
Colossians 2:14

Argument:
Everything connected to the Law ended at Calvary.

“The Holy Spirit replaces the Law.”

Argument:
Christians are led by the Spirit rather than by the commandments.

“Keeping commandments is legalism.”

Argument:
Any emphasis on obedience undermines salvation by faith.

“The Old Testament no longer matters.”

Argument:
Christians should focus exclusively on the New Testament.

“Christians only have two commandments now.”

Key Scripture Used:
Matthew 22:37–40

Argument:
Love God and love your neighbor replaced the Ten Commandments.

“Nobody can keep the Ten Commandments anyway.”

Argument:
Since everyone sins, the commandments are pointless.

“The Sabbath command proves the Ten Commandments are obsolete.”

Argument:
Because Christians disagree about the Sabbath, the entire Decalogue must be obsolete.

“The New Testament never commands Christians to keep the Ten Commandments.”

Argument:
There is no direct command saying, “Keep the Ten Commandments.”

This article will address five of the most common objections.

Jesus abolished the Law.
We’re under grace, not law.
The Law was nailed to the cross.
Christians only have two commandments now.
Keeping commandments is legalism.

We will examine each objection and consider how it stands in light of Scripture.

Objection 1: Did Jesus Abolish the Law?

The first objection is that Jesus abolished the Law.

Let’s look carefully at what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17–20 NKJV.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

In verse 17, Jesus explains early in His ministry that the coming of the kingdom does not cancel God’s earlier revelation through the Law and the Prophets.

Fulfillment means more than His obedience, though His obedience is central. Jesus came to bring Scripture to its intended completion and to help His followers understand its true meaning. This set Him apart from many religious leaders who misunderstood or misapplied what Scripture intended.

In verse 18, we see the lasting value of the Old Testament. Some parts of Scripture are completed through Jesus’ ministry, but the Old Testament still holds true. For example, the teaching about death and the shedding of blood to pay for sin was fulfilled once and for all by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Because of this, that Old Testament command is no longer a legal requirement; however, it remains a spiritual principle. Therefore, the underlying principle of penalty and payment for sin remains crucial and should be taught as part of God’s will.

Further, Jesus believed that the inspiration of Scripture covers every word, even down to the smallest letters. This matches the idea that all the words in Scripture are inspired. Scripture does not just include God’s word; its words are God’s word.

Moving to verse 19, doing and teaching the commandments hold great value. A disciple’s place in God’s kingdom reflects whether that person takes God’s will seriously or ignores it, and whether that person obeys and teaches it as God’s true Word. The terms “least” and “great” describe those who have been faithful in both words and actions to what Jesus teaches about God’s will.

So, what is the Christian’s relationship to the Law? The Law shows God’s perfect righteousness. We ignore God’s will if we set aside parts of His Word. The Law was given to show us our sin and lead us to Christ. Jesus objected to wrong interpretations of the Law, not the Law itself. Some Pharisees treated their own interpretations as equal to the Law, but Jesus rejected their practices, not the Law itself.

Jesus fulfilled the Law and showed Himself to be the perfect God-man, making Him able to give us right standing with God. Because of this, we do not rely on the Law to be saved.

Jesus also explained the Law, showing which parts are lasting principles and which are temporary rituals. He taught that the whole Old Testament is grounded in loving God and loving others.

Objection 2: Are Christians Under Grace, Not Law?

The next objection is that Christians are under grace, not Law.

We have just seen that Jesus fulfilled the Law through His life, death, and the shedding of His blood. Therefore, we no longer offer blood sacrifices; however, that does not cancel God’s moral standard.

Grace becomes necessary because we break the Law. The fact is, we are all lawbreakers. Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, no, not one;” Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

David wrote in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” This is why Jesus said in John 3:3, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Galatians 3:22–24 NKJV makes this clear:

But the Scripture has confined ALL UNDER SIN, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ [born again] might be given to those who believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
Therefore the law was our tutor to BRING US TO CHRIST, that we might be justified by faith.

Now, that’s grace!

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV adds:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Here is the question: Because we accept Christ by faith and receive grace, does that abolish the Law? Because we have faith in Christ, is it acceptable to worship other gods, take God’s name in vain, disregard the Sabbath day, dishonor our parents, kill our fellow man, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness against our neighbor, or covet what our neighbor has? These are the Ten Commandments.

Is it acceptable to do those things? Absolutely not. These actions remain wrong because God’s moral Law still identifies sin.

The New Testament says that if we break the Law, we have sinned.

1 John 3:4 KJV

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of THE LAW.

What Law is the Scripture referring to? The same moral standard God established in the Old Testament. When we break God’s Law, we have sinned.

So, are we under the Law or under grace? The answer is both. The Law condemns and convicts; it does not give the power to obey. In short, we are to obey the Law, but when we break it, we can repent and find grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Put simply, if we were not under the Law, why would we need grace? The Law was not abolished.

For a fuller explanation, see the additional teaching linked below.

Objection 3: Was the Law Nailed to the Cross?

The next objection is that the Law was nailed to the cross.

This objection usually refers to Colossians 2:13–15 NKJV.

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

This passage shows what Christ’s forgiveness means. When He forgave our sins (vs.13), He took away our record of wrongdoing. That record was like a written list of how we broke the law. Since we could never pay back the debt of sin, God erased it for us.

Verse 14 uses figurative language to illustrate what Christ’s death on the cross accomplished. Christ took away our record of wrongs by bringing it to the cross. In that sense, He nailed it there and cleared our debt with His blood. Because of His sacrifice, nothing can block our path or keep us from freedom. No human rules or religious rituals, whether from Judaism or from false teachings, can replace or add to what Christ has done for us. The death of Jesus on the cross completely settled what Christian believers owed to God.

However, Christ’s death did not abolish the Law. As we saw earlier, He fulfilled the Law. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, His death took away our debt of sin.

Objection 4: Do Christians Have Only Two Commandments?

The next objection is that Christians have only two commandments today.

This objection is based on Jesus’ answer in Matthew 22:36-40 NKJV, when a lawyer asked Him which commandment was greatest in the Law.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

First, notice that Jesus was asked which commandment was greatest in the Law. He did not say there was no Law; instead, He immediately appealed to the Old Testament.

He referred to the commandments concerning love for God and love for neighbor. What happens when we obey these two commandments? Scripture gives the answer.

Romans 13:8–10 NKJV explains:

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has FULFILLED THE LAW.
For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW.

Love for God is foundational and needs little explanation because it is central to the believer’s relationship with Him.

As verse 10 makes clear, when we love our neighbor, we are fulfilling the Ten Commandments—the Law. Scripture says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

As explained in part nine, our neighbor includes everyone; in that sense, we are all neighbors. Now, let’s connect the dots.

To love God covers the first four commandments, and to love our neighbor covers the remaining commandments: we will not murder, steal, bear false witness, commit adultery, dishonor our parents, or covet what belongs to another.

That includes all Ten Commandments, not merely two.

Another Scripture ties this thought together: 1 John 4:21 NKJV.

And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Bottom line: love fulfills the Law.

Therefore, the claim that Christians are completely free from God’s moral Law is a serious misunderstanding.

This misconception is widespread among Christians, and it needs to be addressed with Scripture.

We must stop looking for ways to dismiss the Law, stop making excuses for sin, and return to the Word of God.

Galatians 3:13 NKJV

Christ has redeemed us from the CURSE of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

Notice carefully: we are free from the curse of the Law, not from the Law itself. The curse is the condemnation of the Law. Romans 8:1 says:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…

When we accept Jesus by faith and repent of our sins—the breaking of the Law—we are not condemned. We are free from the curse of the Law.

Objection 5: Is Commandment Keeping Legalism?

The final objection is that keeping the commandments is legalism.

Legalism is depending on Law keeping for salvation.

As noted earlier, Jesus fulfilled the Law and showed Himself to be the perfect God-man, making Him able to give us right standing with God. Because of this, we do not rely on the Law to be saved.

We do not keep the Law in order to be saved; we are saved through faith in Jesus. However, we obey the commandments because we are saved.

1 John 3:22

And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

When we keep the Commandments, we reap the benefits!

Think of it this way: if we want to join a club, we do not follow the club’s rules in order to qualify for membership. We must first meet the qualifications.

After we become members, however, we follow the club’s rules to remain in good standing and enjoy its benefits.

We are saved because we have met the requirement of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior by faith. We are also called to keep the commandments—to follow God’s standard.

Back to what the Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

We cannot do enough to earn salvation; therefore, Law-keeping by itself cannot save us. We are saved by grace.

But make no mistake: we are called to obey the commandments of God.

New Testament Scripture makes this clear.

1 John 2:3-5 NKJV

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

Now watch verse 4

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

1 John 5:3 NKJV

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

The New Testament says that if we profess to know Him but do not keep His commandments, we are not telling the truth.

Jesus said in John 14:15 NKJV

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

In verse 21, He said:

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

So, if we want to be in Christ and in God, we must keep His commandments.

My friends, we are called to keep the Commandments of God—all of them.

The Old Testament and the New Testament Together

We must never disregard the Old Testament. As we have seen, Jesus fulfilled it; He did not nullify it.

The New Testament confirms the Old Testament, which remains the foundation of God’s Word. The New Testament contains hundreds of Old Testament quotations, along with many additional allusions and parallels.

Closing Appeal

As I close, consider this:

Without the Old Testament, there would be no New Testament.

It is troubling to hear someone say, “I cannot deal with the Old Testament; there is too much judgment. I am a New Testament believer, and I am under grace.”

Statements like that reflect a serious misunderstanding of the full counsel of Scripture.

The New Testament contains significant teaching on judgment, including the book of Revelation. The Old Testament mainly records judgment involving Israel, while Revelation describes judgment on the entire world yet to come.

Revelation 14:12 NKJV speaks directly about those who obey God’s commandments:

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The previous verse describes the demise of the ungodly, while this verse presents the godly as “those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

We are living in the last days, and it is time to stop relying on personal opinions or excuses for sin and return to the Word of God.

I will close this presentation the same way King Solomon, the wisest king who ever lived, closed his reflection on life.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:

for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

My friends, we are called to keep God’s Commandments.

Period. Full stop!

Our eternal destiny is at stake.

Amen!

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

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