Preaching the Ten Commandments
In church we are about to start a series of studies in the Ten Commandments. This may seem a relatively straightforward matter. However, it is not as uncomplicated a task as it may first appear .
Many will disagree with this assertion. If you attend a Sunday service in a typical evangelical church you may well hear a preacher assert that the Ten Commandments are the laws of Christian living; the Christian life of faith is obeying the Ten Commandments . A non-evangelical church may even say that living or at least attempting to live by the Ten Commandments is the essence of being a Christian; those you commit themselves to the good life of the commandments and to keeping them will go to heaven. Both these positions are wrong.
It seems vital to me that before any preacher and congregation embark on a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments both need to be clear (the congregation in at least a rudimentary way) regarding the proper place and purpose of the Decalogue (Ten Words) in the Bible. Where this is fudged, legalism (seeking to inherit eternal life through rule keeping) and nomism (seeking to live the Christian life through rule keeping) will follow. Preaching of the Commandments that fails to place them correctly within their redemptive-historical context can only result in mere moralising and actually obscuring the gospel.
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About John
Hi there - I am a member of Greenview and have been for over 20 years. For a number of these years I functioned as an elder, however, indifferent health forced me to take more of a back seat. I see this as an opportunity to do a little writing, often focussing on issues that are a matter of evangelical debate today. Naturally the views expressed are my own and may not reflect the views of the elders or church at large, though differences are likely to be in the detail and not the substance.
These articles and sermons were written partly to clarify my own thoughts and partly with the intention of provoking thought in others who may read them. If you read one I hope you find it stimulating. Please feel free to give me feedback or discuss my articles in the forums.
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