1 No other God

2 No graven image

3 Do not misuse the name of God

4 Remember the Sabbath

5 Honour your Father and Mother

6 Do not murder

7 Do not commit adultery

8 Do not steal

9 Do not give false witness

10 Do not covet (envy)

The Ten Commandments are the basis of Jewish Law. Christianity. Jesus Christ was born into Judaism and His teaching was primarily aimed at the Jews. It was only after His rejection, death and subsequent resurrection that the People of the Way became separate and, under the teaching of Paul, moved away from being under the Law. But, Jesus said that He did not come to supercede the Law but to fulfill it. So, although salvation does not come from trying to obey the letter of the Law, it does not mean that we can ignore it altogether.

Christianity is based on the Principle of Love. If you read 1 Corinthians 13 you will see that Love encompasses the Ten Commandments and more. If you love someone you will not kill, be envious, or break any other of the Social commandments. Jesus summarised it with the Two great commandments of

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.

The point is, that laws or rules can be bent or broken. The Pharisees tried to clarify the Law, but ended up making it almost impossible to follow it. Love is a principle, not a law and so, being less specific it forms a more accurate guide to living.

Modern society makes it more difficult to set aside Sunday as a complete day of rest and/or devotion. Many industries have to work 24/7 for either safety or just necessity. It is up to the individual to decide how they treat Sundays as opposed to other days of the week. And, it is not our place to criticise or judge that decision. We can use Romans 14 as a guide, whereby each person sets their own rules and limits rather than obeying a predetermined rule. We stand or fall by our adherence to our own principles rather than weighing them against the specific Commandment.