Too much to loose
If we were to ask which of the ten commandments are the most important and relevant in today’s age in the chart above most people would say murder, steal and false witnesses. With all the killings happening in around the world in the past 20 years and now with the war, and identity theft sky rocketing, most people are focusing on the first two and probably not paying much attention to the rest. Now, that is not to say that honoring the parents is on the decline, but in fact, this commandment is gaining momentum as time goes on. Because a great number of parents are not paying attention to their children, car jacking are up almost 50% in record high, teen vandalism is going up in an alarming rate with the grab and go robberies attacking our commercial businesses. But, where sin abounds grace abounds even more (Ro5:20), and we are seeing God move mightily today in people. With the war the entire world is awakened to helping the Ukraine people like in no other times; it is a God movement. God gave Moses the commandments in the order of importance, but as time pass by we have changed it.
Luke 18:19-21
18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’a]” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
Within the ten commandments, the first four deal with the relationship with God.
And, as we notice with all the evil deeds people are engaging in there is evidence that they are not paying attention to these four. We are giving heed to the desires of the flesh on the contrarily to what the bible tells us to. Paul outlines some of the desires of the flesh by the spirit wars against such as; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,a] drunkenness, orgies, (Ga5:18-21). This young ruler is a reflection of the common religious person today that does not prioritize the commandments. Commandments numbers 5 thru 9 took center stage in this rulers life even from young, which was common in the practicing Jew, but something was lacking his assurance of entering eternal life; which was his question he asked Jesus. The thought that this young ruler was concerned with his eternity is interesting to note, most people are more concern with what they have now, then where will they go later.
I think that the focus of eternity is summed up on the over cast of the ten commandments and Jesus referred to this when he said that the law and the prophets hang on two commandments; love the Lord and your neighbor (Mt22:37-39). This question from the young ruler as to what might he do to inherit eternal life denotes that something must be done to receive eternal life. In John 1:12 and 3:16 Jesus gives the how to inherit eternal life and that is to believe in him. This young ruler had too much to loose if he was to commit to eternal life, that he left sad (Lk18:23).
20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Galatians 5:17-21
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who dob] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Matthew 22:37-39
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
John 1:12
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
16 “For God so loved the world,a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Luke 18:23
23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.