We are not under the law of commandments written on stone (Exodus 20) in the sense of hoping to be justified in God’s sight by keeping them. The Law Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments, was only for the nation of Israel, and their experience under it is sufficient to prove what the Apostle Paul tells us, “By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight.” (Romans 3:20) Jesus freed Israel from the Law and gave his followers another commandment instead, saying, “A new commandment I give unto you that ye LOVE one another.” (John 13:34; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 19:18-19). The law of LOVE contains the spirit of the Law to Israel—the Ten Commandments, and even more.
Matthew 22:37-40 (CEV), “Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.
The admonitions in the 10 Commandments (while also being reiterated by Jesus) have been incorporated into many countries’ civil laws, such as “you shall not murder, steal, or bear false witness against your neighbor” and to a lesser extent, “you shall not commit adultery.” Labor laws used to embody the spirit of the fourth commandment—“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God in it you shall not do any work.” That has largely been displaced in today’s economy as businesses operate 7 days a week.
So, while technically we are not bound to the Ten Commandments, you can see that the sentiments of those admonitions should still be incorporated into our behavior/lives.
