The New City Catechism — Week 11
Question 1 — What does God require in the sixth, seventh, & eight commandments?
Answer — Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love. Seventh, that we abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.
Romans 13:9 (ESV)9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Bible is a book that contains the words of God that teaches us how to have a healthy relationship with God & also other people.
We live in a world that is created by God and filled with people made in his own image. You cannot step out of your house and not see the hand of God in his creation or the work of your neighbor. God’s presence and your neighbor’s footprint is everywhere. Because of that and the inevitable interaction with both, the Bible gives us commandments and nudges us in the right direction so that we can live in harmony with both.
The first half of the Ten Commandments are vertical commandments that deal with us and our relationship with God. But now we are deep in the horizontal commandments that help us live better lives with other people that also honor God.
The Bible does not beat around the bush when it comes to God’s desire for his people and how they are to treat one another.
Exodus 20:13–15 (ESV)
13“You shall not murder.
14“You shall not commit adultery.
15“You shall not steal.
The majority of civilizations throughout history lived by a moral code and most are unaware of the source of that morality. The source is the Bible and its author—God. Civilizations throughout history have lived and governed by a moral code, but that doesn’t mean that they were able to keep it. Jump to today, and we as Americans live in a land governed by laws, but yet still there are flaws and cracks in our laws and ethics.
Murder is a sin against both God & man. Because God is the only one who gives life, he is the only one who has the right to take it. Murder in any form—whether against another or oneself is sin. The Bible makes it abundantly clear,
Genesis 9:6 (ESV)6“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
Another area of life that God address in the Ten is adultery. God has a desire for us to live sexually pure lives because he knows sexual sin is a perversion of what was once made “good”, but also because sexual sin can lead to other sin. The NCC does well by showing that we should “abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in a single life” and going on to call us to avoid all “impure actions.” God has a desire for us to live a life with others that honor each other but also honor his design.
The last area for week 11 is stealing. If anyone has ever had anything stolen from them, they know the hurt that theft causes. You worked hard for what you own and it can be devastating when someone takes what doesn’t belong to them. God knows the burden of hard work and celebrating finished work. God know what it means to plan, put in the long hours and then see the payoff in the end. Because of that, God tells his people not to steal. Do not take what does not belong to you. Do not steal other’s possessions, or your company’s time, or your neighbor’s wifi. We might try and justify our actions at times, but the Bible does not give any room for our own sinful excuses. The Bible says, “do not steal.”
This week as you read over week 11 and reflect on the Q & A, examine your own life and look for areas to which you can improve. Christ is our strength when we have our morality crises and he is the constant in the storm to help us and lead in the path of life—the path that leads us right to the throne of God.