Lesson No. 9
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY
ABOUT OUR DUTY TOWARD OUR FELLOW MEN?
(COMMANDMENTS 7-10)
WHAT DOES IT TEACH CONCERNING
THE PURPOSE AND THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW ?
A Look at God's Word
By Oswald Riess

The Seventh Commandment.
* THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.

1. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMANDMENT ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -

 (a) Lev. 19:11. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely.
 (a) Jer. 22:13. Woe unto him that buildeth his house by  unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that  useth his neighbor's service without wages, and  giveth him not for his work!
 (a) 2 Thess. 3:10. If  any would not work, neither should  he eat.
 (b) 1 Cor. 13:4,5. Charity envieth not; ... seeketh not  her own.
 (c) 1 Pet.4:10. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards  of the manifold grace of God.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 We should NOT
  (A) Wrongfully acquire our neighbor's property. (Robbery; theft; fraud; charging exorbitant prices or excessive interest; gambling; betting; paying unfair wages;  unfaithfulness towards an employer; unscrupulous  borrowing; idleness.)
 (B) Envy him, or be selfish.

 We SHOULD
  (C) Remember that we are but stewards, or trustees, of  all that we call our own, and use whatever has been  entrusted to us to the glory of God and the benefit of our fellow men.
 

The Eighth Commandment.
* THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.

2. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMANDMENT ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -

 (a b) Prov. 19:5. A false witness shall not be   unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not  escape.
 (c) Prov. 11:13. A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he  that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
 (d) Jas. 4:11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren.
 (e) Zech. 8:17. Let none of you imagine evil in your  hearts against his neighbor.
 (f) Prov. 31:8,9. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the  cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
 (g) 1 Pet. 4:8. Charity shall cover the multitude of  sins.
 (g) 1 Cor. 13:7. (Charity) believeth all things, hopeth  all things, endureth all things.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 We should NOT
 (A) Make any untrue statement against our neighbor in court;
 (B) Lie about him or to him, or withhold the truth from him in order to harm him;
 (C) Deceitfully reveal his secrets or abuse his confidence;
 (D) Speak evil of him and thus injure or destroy his good name;
 (E) Think evil of him. We SHOULD
 (F) Defend our neighbor against false accusations and speak well of him;
 (G) Cover up his faults and explain in his favor whatever can be so explained.
 

The Ninth and Tenth Commandments.
* THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
* THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE, NOR HIS  MANSERVANT, NOR HIS MAIDSERVANT, NOR HIS CATTLE, NOR  ANYTHING THAT IS THY NEIGHBOR'S.

3. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THESE COMMANDMENTS ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -
 (a) Rom. 7:7. I had not known lust, except the Law had  said, Thou shalt not covet.
 (a b) 1 Tim. 6:8-10. Having food and raiment let us be  therewith content. But they that will be rich fall  into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish  and hurtful lusts, which, drown men in destruction  and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they  have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves  through with many sorrows.
 (b) Lev. 19:2. Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God  am holy.
*(b) Ps. 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
  (A) We should NOT have any evil desires in our hearts, or seek to get our neighbor's property by trickery or a  show of right. (Envy; jealousy; greed; discontent.)  In God's sight every evil desire, or lust, is sin and deserves condemnation.
  (B) We SHOULD have only holy desires in our hearts. Then we will be content with such things as God gives us, find our happiness in Him, and help our neighbor  to keep that which is his.
 

THE FULFILLMENT AND THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW.

4. HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -

 Matt. 5:48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
 Jas. 2:10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 God wants us to keep all His commandments perfectly in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.
 

 5. WITH WHAT DOES GOD THREATEN ALL THAT TRANSGRESS HIS COMMANDMENTS ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -
  Gal. 3:10. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them.
 Rom. 6:23. The wages of sin is death.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 God threatens all transgressors of His commandments with His wrath and displeasure, temporal death and eternal damnation.
 

 6. CAN MAN KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS AS HE WANTS US TO KEEP THEM?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -
 (a) Ps. 14:3. They are all gone aside, they are all  together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
 *(a) Is. 64:6. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
  (b) Phil. 3:12. Not as though I had already attained,  either were already perfect: but I follow after, if  that I may apprehend that for which also I am  apprehended of Christ Jesus.
  *(b) Ps. 143:2. Enter not into judgement with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 (A) Since the fall into sin natural man cannot keep the Law of God at all.
 (B) Even Christians can keep it only imperfectly.
 

7. CAN ANYONE, THEN, BE SAVED BY THE LAW ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -
 Gal. 3:11. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of God.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 No one can be saved, or get to heaven, by means of the Law.
 

8. WHAT, THEN, IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -
  (a) 1 Tim. 1:9. The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers.
 (b) Rom. 3:20. By the Law is the knowledge of sin.
 (b) Rom. 7:7. I had not known lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
 (c) Psalm. 119:9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse  his way ? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 The Law
 (A) Checks to some extent the coarse outbursts of sin and  thereby helps to keep order in the world. (A curb.)
 (B) Shows us our sins. (A mirror.) This is the chief  purpose.
 (C) Teaches us Christians which works we must do to lead a God-pleasing life. (A rule.)
 

9. WHERE ALONE CAN WE FIND SALVATION FROM SIN ?
 THE BIBLE SAYS -
 (a) Rom.10:4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.
 (b) Gal. 3:13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of  the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.

FROM THIS WE LEARN -
 We find salvation only in the Gospel, which tells us that Christ as our Substitute
 (A) Fulfilled the Law for us; and
 (B) Suffered and died for us.
 

Before the Next Lesson
FILL OUT Work Sheet No. 9
MEMORIZE the Bible passages marked with an asterisk (*).
READ Exodus, chapters 7 to 13.

 

Work Sheet No. 9.

ONE
Communists point our that under our present social system some people are poor while others are rolling in wealth. They insist that this inequality must be abolished. What does the Bible say concerning this matter ? (Deut. 15:11; 1 Chron. 29:12; Eccl. 5:19; Matt. 26:11.)
__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
 

TWO
(A) Raffling and other forms of gambling are to be condemned even when they are used to raise money for churches or charitable purposes. True [_]  False [_]
(B) Charging interest is always permissible. True [_]  False [_]
(C) We may do with our money what we please. True [_]  False [_]
(D) We should listen sympathetically when someone complains to us about his neighbor.
  True [_]  False [_]
(E) Is 5:8 condemns modern monopolies. True [_]  False [_]
(F) Money is the root of all evil. True [_]  False [_]
(G) God is satisfied if we try to do what is right. True [_]  False [_]
(H) Even Christians are not without sin. True [_]  False [_]
(I) The chief purpose of the Ten Commandments is to keep us from doing wrong.
  True [_]  False [_]
(Check whether true or false.)
 
THREE

"The wages of sin is death," -temporal death, spiritual death, and eternal death.
Death is separation.
(A) Temporal death is the separation of the _______________ from the _______________
  (See Eccl. 12:7.)
 (B) Spiritual death is the separation of the ________________ from __________________ (Eph. 2:1; Is. 59:2.)
(C) Eternal death is the                                     separation of the                                   and

the                                   from                                          (See Matt. 25:41.)

(Supply the missing words.)
 

FOUR
We are saved from sin
(A) By ceasing from sin; [_]
(B) By believing in Jesus Christ, our Savior; [_]
(C) By doing good. [_]
(Check the correct statement.)