Few of us have not already heard of the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, found in
Exodus 20. They form the basis of the Law of Moses, much like our Constitution forms the
basis for all the laws in our nation. These ten rules lay out the requirements God had for
His people. Of course, they weren’t designed to save souls, only to make the
Israelites tolerable to God. If they followed the Law of Moses, they could expect peace,
safety from enemies, and general prosperity. To actually be righteous required a
heart-felt commitment to God Himself, which was not necessarily a requirement of the Law.
Of course, any attempts to fully understand and obey the Law could lead one to such a
commitment [Deuteronomy 30:9-20; Romans 8:1-8]. In the New Testament, we are urged to live
like Jesus. The purpose of Moses’ Law is fulfilled in living like Jesus [Matthew
5:17]. This new commandment is referred to at times as the Law of Love, or the Law of the
Spirit. Jesus made it clear that, regardless of how you acted, it made no difference to
God, if you weren’t committed to Him. On the other hand, if you are committed to God,
there is a reasonable expectation that a certain behavior pattern would follow from such a
commitment [James 1:22].

The real center of Jesus’ teaching was that we would start upon a path, a path
that never ends until we leave this world. We are to grow throughout our lives, into
someone more like Jesus. Further, all our dealings with others ought to be motivated by a
desire to help them get onto, or further along, that same path. The following is an
attempt to construct a list of principles that would be the New Testament equivalent of
the Ten Commandments.

1. Life is difficult—deal with it. [Matthew 16:24] The problems and difficulties
you face in this world are not unique or in any way unusual. God is not targeting you for
some special harassment. Since the Fall of Humanity into Sin in the Garden of Eden, it has
been the destiny of all humans to suffer. This suffering is a normal part of life, what we
can call legitimate suffering. Attempts to avoid legitimate suffering leads to neurosis, a
crippling weakness that leaves us open to a whole new set of temptations. Face the
legitimate suffering of life; accept the challenge to solve problems in the power of
Christ.

2. Delay your gratification. [Ephesians 5:15-17] Impulsive behavior is sinful for
anyone except very young children. There are some tasks in each day that are simply
unpleasant. Typically, sinful humans will put off the unpleasant tasks in favor of the
pleasant. This is much like the immature habit of eating desert first. On a purely
practical level, this guarantees that you will have less time out of each day to enjoy
life. Get the unpleasantness out of the way first, it leaves the rest of the day for fun.
Deal with it before circumstances force you to.

3. Love is discipline; discipline is love. [1 Corinthians 13:4-7] Or more precisely,
true love is disciplined, and good discipleship is motivated by love. Dealing with others
must be from the agape (love) motive. Love is defined as being self-disciplined so as to
deal with others the way Jesus would, to be Jesus.

4. Give God time to do things His way. [Romans 8:28] Regardless of the nature of any
problem you are facing, take the time—God’s time—to analyze it with all the
wisdom and knowledge God has given you. Then you are ready to attempt a solution. That
your attempt may fail is only a secondary matter. Holiness here is following proper
procedure in arriving at a solution, then proceeding in faith. An impatient stab at the
matter is only slightly worse than ignoring it altogether. Both are sin. (The only time
this doesn’t apply is when circumstances demand an immediate decision.)

5. Take responsibility for self-examination. [Hebrews 4:11-13] You cannot solve your
problems until you realize that they are your problems. Don’t automatically assume
that every discomfort in your life is caused by someone or something outside of you,
beyond your control. There’s almost nothing about which you can do nothing. The
obvious minimum is to pray. Then they become God’s problems. (Prayer is defined here
as discussing with God what He has in mind.) Don’t make excuses, especially for your
reactions to something. Start with the assumption that you can do something—"I
can do all things through Christ…" [Philippians 4:13]. Only tiny tots have no
choices. Don’t attempt to escape from the freedom that Christ gives us all.

6. Dedicate yourself to the Truth. [John 14:6] Most of us have an internally drawn
"map of reality" that guides our decisions as we go through life. Most problems
are a result of an inaccurate map. Be willing to dismiss fantasies [Ephesians 4:14]. As
already stated, this a life-long process. Following Jesus requires constant revisions of
the map. Don’t settle for the kind of narrow, sketchy map most people have at about
mid-adolescence, when they stop revising. Your personal map is not sacred; Truth is. As if
this isn’t already difficult, reality itself tends to change as time goes on.
Reasonable assumptions about the world from the 1960s are no longer useful in the year
2000. Further, assumptions appropriate to youth won’t work in adulthood. Map revision
is admittedly painful. Don’t try, as some do, to destroy reality, and attempt to
remake it to fit your map (remember Don Quixote?). Truth is more important than comfort.
It’s not for nothing that Jesus called Himself The Truth, The Way—i.e. Reality.

7. Be accountable. [Philippians 3:8-14] Don’t automatically reject someone
challenging you on something. This is the other half of #6 above. Realize and accept your
own imperfection and weaknesses. Learn to be comfortable with the idea that you might be
wrong about some things. It makes it easier to accept the imperfections of others. Jesus
made it a point to accept the service of imperfect people, because there aren’t any
other kind. He chooses to live in them. Look for Him in them. Actively seek the criticism
of others who are clearly wiser than yourself, those who know Jesus better.

8. Civility is a part of righteousness. [1 Corinthians 8] It’s not that Jesus
would demand high etiquette, but that we place some value on social stability. Sometimes,
this requires withholding the truth. An obvious example is that you don’t insult some
lady with an outrageous hat visiting your church. Civility requires that you not blurt out
your opinion of her headgear. Less obvious is that some people don’t deserve the
whole truth—"Don’t cast your pearls before swine" [Matthew 7:6 ].?Most
difficult of all is that middle ground between these two extremes. You should never lie
outright. Never forget that withholding the truth is potentially a lie, depending on your
intent. Never withhold the truth for selfish reasons (to avoid legitimate suffering).
Withhold the truth when you honestly believe it will help the other person. This requires
careful thought, based on agape. Your primary concern is with the other person’s
capacity to deal with the truth, to use it for their own spiritual development. When in
doubt, err to the side of trusting them with the truth.

9. Maintain a balance between extremes. [1Corinthians 9:19-23] Paul wrote, "I am
all things to all people, in order that I might win some (to Christ)." This is not
some game of chameleon, trying to fit in to every situation. Rather, you should avoid
responding precisely the same in all circumstances. Be flexible. There is a balancing
point between the various conflicting demands in every situation. On rare occasions, you
will have to be a purist, but obsession is sinful. When dealing with people, balance your
honest needs with theirs. Blend yours into the mix of group needs, so that you neither
neglect yourself, nor walk on others.

10. Depression can be a good thing. [Luke 22:44] Jesus calls us to a life of change.
Change is usually painful. Thus, bouts of depression are a natural response to some
changes. Each time, a little of the old self dies, and we mourn the loss. Giving up
cherished notions is never easy. There are some 14 major turning points in normal human
development, from birth to old age, and a thousand little deaths all along the way to
physical death. Those who make it a point to seek God daily, asking for Him to reveal
those things that hold us back, are the people who find that a life of daily death is
beautiful. By the time Jesus began his public ministry, He was fully aware that He would
die soon and painfully.

So, let us join the Apostle Peter, walking on the storm-tossed waters of life with
Jesus [Matthew 14:22-33]. Anything less is hardly worthy of the title
"Christianity."

Ed Hurst