This week we look at the importance of truthfulness and how it is rooted in the character of God. We consider the consequences of lying, both for the person being deceived and the one telling the lie. The commandment against bearing false witness reflects God's truthfulness. We apply the ninth commandment by seeking and advocating for truth in all aspects of life. Living in truth reflects the character of God and provides an opportunity for the people of God to share the gospel.

So, we arrive today at the seventh commandment. And unsurprisingly, this is the commandment that more people than any of the other commandments have given me a little ribbing about. When you see something coming up in the text, particularly on this topic, anything involving sexuality, you're wondering, how is that guy going to handle that? And for the record, this guy wonders the same thing. You end up thinking about it a lot. You go through it in your head, what do you want to say? It's a sensitive topic because it's something that is persistently in front of us in our culture. You can't avoid it. Our culture is obsessed with the topic of sex. To preach on it then requires that we have to find some balance. You don't want to be soft on sin. You don't want to sound permissive. Well, then you want to be straightforward, but you don't want to risk maybe sounding vulgar or too blunt. You want to be sure that people understand that there's grace and that there's forgiveness for all sin, and that includes sexual sin.

So, as we've been making our way through the Ten Commandments, we find ourselves now to the Sixth Commandment. Now, each of the commandments are very serious, very serious, because if we violate them, we are violating the commands of a holy God. We're acting in rebellion against Him. But as we come to the Six Commandment, there's almost a new gravity to it, isn't there? Because the first table of the law, the first four commandments are very much something that we don't physically see the results of our breaking them. As serious as it is, the most serious commandment is to only serve the Lord God. The first commandment. That is the most serious commandment. But if I don't do that, I'm not really seeing my disobedience and my rebellion in a way that manifests itself. And, even as we were in the first table of the law two weeks ago, and we had honor your father and your mother, definitely a command directed toward somebody. My lack of honor toward somebody is more an internal thing.

When we think of the Ten Commandments, we often jump straight to the “do this, don’t do that” language. But before any command is given, God speaks as the Redeemer. In this sermon on Exodus 20:1–2, Pastor Mark helps us slow down and reflect on the foundational truth that God’s law is always given to a people He has already rescued.