Exodus 20:15-21 - The Ten Words: Loving One Another (Part II)

The Word Read

Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from:

Exodus 20:15–17 ESV

15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.

Exordium

Beloved in Christ,

I invite you to open Holy Scripture to Exodus 20:15-21 this morning.

The economy of the Kingdom of God is one of grace. From beginning to end, the Kingdom of God is one filled with the grace of God. This is encouraging to us because we all recognize the grace we need every day. We think of how much of Christ’s grace pours out on us. However, do we believe that grace is also the economy that is needed between you and other church members? Do we understand that we need to give grace to people like you and me, because Christ has shown us even greater grace? 

As we continue to examine the horizontal Commandments, we must understand that it was Christ’s desire for love and unity to be the hallmark of His followers. As Jesus says in John 13:34-35:

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Does the world know that we are Jesus’ disciples because we love one another as Christ commanded? Or, which is so prevalent in American Christianity, we get upset about something and leave? Not only are we to love one another, but Jesus prays that His followers would be perfectly one. To have unity as He and the Father have unity. He says this in John 17:20-23:

John 17:20–23 ESV

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

As we walk through the last of the Ten Commandments, we must be willing to ask, “Have I pursued the unity of the Church? Have I given myself to love others in this Church even when it costs me something? Is the unity that we have superficial, not built on Christ, and true fellowship, but on something lesser that will not produce holiness and Christlikeness? Has our reputation in the community been, ‘That church sacrificially loves one another, AND they are perfectly one.’” One of the truths in these verses is that a church in disunity does not see people come to know Christ. So we must ask, “Have we seen people come to know Christ here at FPC? If not, is it because there is a lack of true spiritual, Christ-centered unity?”

Furthermore, internally, we have no peace with one another except in the blood of Christ. Have you ever thought about that reality? Is it impossible to have peace with others, save through Christ Jesus? Think about the Garden of Eden, the hostility between Adam and Eve upon their rebellion. Consider Cain and Abel, the hostility that ultimately led to murder. There is no peace between people except through Christ. Without Christ, we are Adam, Eve, and Cain. Yet, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14-16, the hostility between one another is torn down because of Christ. God created one new man through the blood of Christ, thereby killing the hostility between one another. This is why we see in Scripture the command to avoid those who create divisions in the church. Romans 16:17-18:

Romans 16:17–18 ESV

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

As the prophets of the Old Testament might say, “Woe to the one who creates division in the family of god.” Christ deeply cares about the unity of His bride. To create divisions and disorder in the church is a work of Satan and the flesh, and scoffs at the work of Christ. Unity is essential for the bride and can only come through the sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior. It comes, practically, as we lock arms with one another, joyfully running to Mount Zion that is draped in the blood of the Lamb, encouraging one another to run the race set before us. And yet, even for the one who has created division, there is still mercy, grace, and love for genuine repentance. 

The horizontal commandments help us to love one another as Christ has loved us. These commandments help us, when applied to the heart, not to create divisions within the church. We need these commandments to help us create unity within the body of Christ. 

My thesis for these commandments is that it is essential for Christians to love one another from the heart by walking according to God’s law.   

Exodus 20:15 - You Shall Not Steal

Exodus 20:15 ESV

15 “You shall not steal.

How many of us have witnessed this scene: a parent brings a child back to the cashier and proceeds to scold the child in front of everyone because they stole a candy bar. The air is filled with awkwardness as neither the cashier nor those around know how to respond. In one sense, the parent has a righteous anger that the child has stolen a candy bar, but they’ve missed the opportunity to both discipline and disciple the child’s heart. 

We certainly think of ways in which “You shall not steal” can apply to many situations like this. We think of the child who has stolen a beloved candy bar, or a neighbor who has stolen something from a friend, or an individual who has embezzled millions of dollars from a company. The command is straightforward; in fact, a child can understand it: do not steal. 

In one sense, there is a moral understanding that God has given possessions to people, both believers and unbelievers, and they are to steward them as if they were their own. So, it is not inherently evil to have material possessions, as the Lord graciously gives, for He is the owner of all things.

We must not be satisfied with stating, “Do not steal,” and then moving on to another subject. We must consider the epicenter of theft. For this, we turn to the book of Genesis. Theft was evident in the Garden of Eden. Eve, deceived by the Serpent, takes the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She eats the fruit and then gives it to Adam, who also partakes. This fruit did not belong to either of them. This fruit and tree both belonged to the Lord. He created the tree and its fruit. He placed the tree in the Garden of Eden. He gave specific instructions on how they were to interact with the tree. However, with treason in their hearts, they stole the fruit that was forbidden—theft in the Garden of Eden. The eighth commandment was violated even before Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. To put it bluntly, they stole from the God of the universe for their own pleasure.

Due to original sin, this desire to take what is not our’s is passed down into each human heart. Watch how easy it is for a sibling to steal their brother’s toy or take the last piece of pizza from their sister’s plate. As people grow older and gain more power, their desire to acquire can become so great that it causes one leader to wage an unlawful war against an entire nation, to claim that country and its citizens as his own. In short, he has stolen a nation. The desire to take, to steal, for theft is woven into the very fabric of every human’s heart, and we are not excluded from this category. When we commit theft, we break the fabric of trust in our relationships with one another.

We, those who would claim that we are moral, have all violated this commandment. We have stolen from the Lord’s providence. We,  like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, have taken from God. We have not cared about the goodness of others, but have taken what was not our’s. We are guilty.

We know that this is not of Christ. As John 10:10 states:

John 10:10 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

We have, both in heart and action, followed the ways of the thief. However, Christ is the opposite. He did not come to steal, but to give life. He did not come to kill, but to give eternal life to all those who believe. He did not come to destroy, but to restore those who are captives of the thief that is Satan. Satan has come to bind the weak, but Christ has come, highly exalted on the cross, to bring freedom to sinners like you and me. And it is to Him we look as we grapple with this commandment, because we still violate this commandment. We may no longer steal possessions from others, but have we stolen time when we are at work? Have we stolen time in our retirements and leisure? Have we become lazy, instead of diligently using our time to glorify the risen and resurrected Savior? As Paul writes in Ephesians 4:28:

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

The one who used to steal now works honestly for the Lord and freely gives to anyone who has a need. Why does this change occur? Christ Jesus has transformed the thief! The transformation of souls and hearts through Christ is genuinely awe-inspiring. Think of Zacchaeus, brothers and sisters. When salvation came to his home, what did he say to our Lord and Savior in Luke 19:8-10?

Luke 19:8–10 ESV

8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus, a tax-collector and thief, cries out to Christ, “I will make restitution to those whom I have stolen from.” This is not only in fulfillment of Gospel transformation, but also in fulfillment of the Law that Christ came to fulfill. For the penalty of theft under the Law was restitution (Exodus 22:1-15). For those of us who have stolen from others, we do not merely provide restitution as required by the Law, but as individuals driven by Christ-centered love, seeking forgiveness from those whom we have wronged. Christ, and only Christ, can bring healing to our hearts and damaged relationships. As Christ’s joy showed gloriously on the face of Zacchaeus, so His face shines brightly on us as we, by the Spirit’s leading, reconcile with those whom we have wronged. 

Exodus 20:16 - You Shall Not Bear False Witness

Exodus 20:16 ESV

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

The ninth commandment addresses a courtroom situation—those whom the judge calls are to give honest answers. Courts depend on the integrity and honesty of all who give testimony. If there is one who is lying, it can distort the entire case. How many cases have been muddled because of a lying tongue? The people of Israel were to give honest testimony, not bearing false witness against their neighbors. They were not to lie, nor were they to embellish so that they might gain an advantage over their neighbor. 

Yet, why does this commandment actually matter? Why is it so important? God is righteous, God is just, and God loves justice—that is why this commandment matters. God, as righteous, speaks to the reality that He is the King and Judge of all people, all spiritual beings (Satan, angels, and demons), and over the entire universe. As King and Judge, He sets the standard for morality and what is considered right. He is righteous, and all His works are righteous, never conflicting with one another. Since God is just, He is deeply concerned with justice prevailing on earth. As Deuteronomy 32:4 states:

Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Or as Proverbs 6:19 speaks of the things the Lord hates:

Proverbs 6:19 ESV

19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

God hates a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. God is just and expects His people to love justice as well. 

Bearing false witness has a much broader application than simply the courtroom. Could you imagine a society where truth and honesty are not valued? What would be the consequences of living in a culture where lying is the acceptable norm? We wouldn’t be able to trust anyone. We wouldn’t know if our family, friends, and neighbors were being honest with us. We couldn’t be sure that everyone would share the situations or conversations we had with them with others. The foundation of that society would be cracked and fragile. Justice would never prevail because injustice would be accepted. This is the exact opposite of what God calls His children to as we walk in Christ by the Spirit’s power. 

God desires justice to be done on earth. Yet, how often do we see individuals, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we embellish or sometimes lie, all because we fear the consequences that follow. We become full of fear, for whatever reason, and we bear false witness against our neighbor. For the righteous justice of God to prevail, we must speak honestly with integrity at all times. 

When we bear false witness against a neighbor, and remember who Jesus says is our neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan, we ultimately walk in the way of Satan. Let us return to the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:1-6:

Genesis 3:1–6 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Satan bore false witness against God. He misrepresented God, His Word, and His attributes. He spoke with seduction on his lips, “You will be like God.” The echoes of Hell’s fire coming from the father of lies. When we bear false witness against anyone, we walk in the ways of Satan. 

Yet, what was the reputation of Christ? The One who bore witness to the truth! Listen to Pilate’s and Jesus’ conversation in John 18:33-37:

John 18:33–37 ESV

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

We are to be the ones who love the truth because we have listened to the voice of Jesus. We are called to let our “yes” be “yes” and let our “no” be “no.” Have we walked in the way of Satan this week? Have we borne false witness against a fellow brother or sister in Christ? Or have we walked in the way of Christ, bearing witness to the truth? 

What happens when we walk in the way of Satan instead of Christ in this specific commandment? First, we damage our Christian reputation, especially if this is a recurring sin in our lives. We all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. A young boy is charged with watching sheep. To amuse himself, he yells “wolf!” The town immediately responds, and he laughs at his joke. This scene replays a few more times, and the young boy is entirely amused. However, hours later, a wolf comes, and the boy yells “wolf,” but no one comes. The wolf destroys the flock, and the town is devastated. The moral of the story is always to tell the truth, but for us as Christians, we go beyond moralism and look to Christ. Christ said in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life. To be a person who continually bears false witness against others is also to cause shame upon the name of Christ. He is the truth, and our words should always be truthful.

Secondly, we create real harm in the church when we bear false witness against one another. How many of us have had this situation occur? We are told something about a member of the church that either slightly or substantially changes our view of that person in a negative light. Days, weeks, or months later, we discover that the information we were given was embellished, fabricated, or an outright lie. Now think through what has happened on a spiritual level. We have disunity that has occurred. Initially, it was between you and the member you heard information about. So, for a period of time, your relationship with that person was altered. Now, you’ve learned that a person you trusted lied about another member, which has created disunity between the two of you. Yet, how many times do we also participate in the spreading of false information before we learn the truth, and in essence bear false witness as well? Bearing false witness breaks the fellowship and the unity of the church. 

I return us to John 17. In Jesus’ prayer to the Father, He prays for the unity of the church. Have we created disunity this year by bearing false witness against one another? Have we, unregrettably, gone against Christ’s prayer for His bride? Have we walked in the paths of Satan, instead of lovingly protecting one another? 

Do you know that there is beauty here as well? A church that has a history or a season of bearing false witness can ultimately find true healing in Christ? Christ can cause members who lied about one another to be transformed so that they deeply love one another and joyfully speak the truth to one another. God can cause the hearts of His children to change radically by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can cause our hearts to change from “I want to gain an advantage over them,” to “I want to build them up and see them succeed.” Christ, and only Christ, can heal the deep wounds of a church that has suffered dramatically from members bearing false witness against one another. So, I say to you who have created disunity by bearing false witness against others, Christ is willing to forgive if you come to Him with a repentant heart. And to those who have been hurt by the disunity bearing false witness brings, Christ sees your tears, He knows your weary and wounded heart, and He is ever near to you. Both be assured, Christ can bring healing.

Exodus 20:17 - You Shall Not Covet

Exodus 20:17 ESV

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The word for covet here means a “wanting, desiring, or craving” of someone or something to be used for personal gratification. In essence, coveting is a desire for someone or something that would be used for any purpose other than glorifying God. Coveting here is sinful and occurs from within the heart. This is a faulty coveting that would be detrimental to yourself and/or others. Coveting has far more to do with the heart than simply wanting or taking something that does not belong to us. 

Think of David with Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11:2-4:

2 Samuel 11:2–4 ESV

2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.

David sees Bathsheba ceremonially purifying herself after her period. In his heart, David covets her. He craves her for his own gratification. The scene is ripe with tension: Bathsheba, an ordinary woman, seeking to walk in obedience to Yahweh’s Law by purifying herself from her uncleanness, and David, the King, with covetousness lurking in his heart. What does this covetousness lead to? David sends messengers to get her, commits adultery, Bathsheba becomes pregnant, David attempts to cover up his sin by calling Uriah, her husband, back home from battle so he would sleep with her, he refuses to sleep with her as his troops are in battle, and ultimately David murders Uriah by sending him to place where the war was the worst. This whole situation follows the pattern set forth in James 1:14-15:

James 1:14–15 ESV

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

What does James teach us? Covetousness comes from within a person. Covetousness is primarily a sin of the heart. Imagine if David coveted Bathsheba, but fought against his desire. Instead of calling for Bathsheba, he went to his bedroom and gave himself to prayer. Better outcome, right? However, he still would have sinned with covetousness in his heart, and would still have needed to repent for his sin. We mustn’t think that sin is merely behavioral. If sin is only behavioral, we’ve believed in the Moral Therapeutic Deism gospel: be a good person and do good things. Scripture is clear: sin is deeply personal, inward, and roots itself in the heart. Covetousness lies here. One might argue, and I believe rightfully so, that covetousness in the heart is the root of many, many sins, including adultery, murder, embezzlement, manipulation, theft, etc. 

I do think, unfortunately, even in evangelical circles, that we don’t take covetousness as seriously as we should. Here’s what I mean by this: there is something called the doctrine of concupiscence. At its foundation, this is what the doctrine of concupiscence means: All desires that emerge from our hearts that are contrary to God’s holiness are, in fact, sin, even if we do not act on them. This goes against what many Christians would state today. I’d venture a guess that a good number of American Christians would state that these desires are not sinful, but they are merely misguided, wrong, or disordered. This is contrary to what Paul writes in Romans 7. Desires in the heart that are not in line with the rule and reign of Christ are sins. 

When we covet, there is a switch like that on a railroad. In an instance, the heart gladly cries out, “I glorify God, and I desire to enjoy Him forever,” to, when that switch is pulled, “I glorify myself and I desire to have things for myself.” In this state, we no longer trust the Father’s providence in our lives. We tell the Lord we do not trust the daily bread He has given us. This is why any desire that emerges from our hearts that is contrary to God’s will is sinful. We doubt that there is a loving Father who has provided for every single one of our daily needs. Covetousness truly is a horror in the heart.

I think we’ve all had this thought at least once in our lives: “Well, I’m not really that bad of a person.” If we understood covetousness, then we’d know, “Yes, I am that bad of a person.” My heart is in a constant war between desiring to glorify and enjoy God forever, versus wanting to glorify myself. It is the constant battle within us. 

Despite this warring and our desire to glorify ourselves, the deep, deep love of Jesus covers us. The older I get, the more I cannot fathom why Jesus would set His love upon me. This love is a vast, unmeasured ocean. His waves of love crash over me again, and again, and again. They don’t crash over me to drown me, but to reassure me that I am His forever. His love is a heaven of heavens to me. And I can’t comprehend why He would love me so much, even when I crave and desire something other than Him. Can you comprehend His tender and overwhelming love for your soul? Jesus’ love is truly unmatched. 

Exodus 20:18-21 - The Terrified People

Exodus 20:18–21 ESV

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

The giving of the Ten Words ends with an incredible climax: the people are terrified, barely able to stand. They tell Moses, “You speak to God for us. You will be our mediator. We are terrified we are going to die!” Moses has to reassure them, “Do not fear, for God has not come to kill you. He has come so that you might reverently fear Him and follow Him, both in heart and in deed.” 

The scene concludes with Moses approaching the dense darkness where God’s presence resided on Mount Sinai. You can feel the tension of this event from the pages of Scripture. 

Closing

The voice of God thundered at Sinai as He gave the Law to His people, but this is not the only time and place His voice thunders. His voice thundered at Calvary, “This is my Son. He can redeem you from the curse of the law. He did not sin. He was delivered up for your trespasses and raised for your justification. Come to the Son, repent of sin, and find life. See the wounds in His hands and feet. See the crown of thorns forced upon His head that caused blood to flow down His face. See His pierced side. Behold, Christ the sacrifice that can save you from sin!” And as we look back to the thundering voice of God at Calvary, we look forward to Mount Zion where God’s voice thunders, “Follow the Lamb of God all the way home, dear child. I know you are weary from battling sin and tired from all that life will bring, but by the Spirit’s power, follow the Lamb of God to Mount Zion. You. You behold His glory by faith today, but there is a day when you will behold His glory by sight.” Today, dear brothers and sisters, let us consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.