I was on staff of a large church for 5 years, and our department taught basic Christian beliefs. Our department boss, a wellknown psychologist, used to say if any nation or any family or person tries to live by the 10 commandments, they will be a lot better off than others.
When God brought the nation of Israel, the Jews, out of Egypt, around 1450 BC., He instructed Moses to give them the Ten Commandments to obey and follow, (Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21).
There were promises of God’s care, protection and provision if they obeyed and promises of punishment if they did not keep them, (Deuteronomy 5:29, 6:1-3, 6:13-15).
A short version is: 1 no other god before me. 2 you shall not make or worship any idols.
3 do not take the name of the Lord in vain.
4 remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5 honor your father and mother.
6 do not murder. 7 do not commit adultery. 8 do not steal. 9 do not lie. 10 do not covet anything from your neighbors.
That is not the requirement to get into heaven, but putting our faith in Jesus Christ is John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,...
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Good ol U.S.A. about to celebrate its 250th birthday - may our nation as a whole and us as individuals seek God and try to live in a way that pleases Him.
See you in Church next Sunday.