Week 33: What do the Ten Commandments say about loving other people?

Over the last six weeks, we’ve looked at how to better love God by following His rules in the first four of the Ten Commandments. We’ve discovered how these commands help to shape the right attitude toward the Lord. This week we’ll begin our exploration of how the right attitude toward God affects our behavior toward others.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

How would you want people to treat others if you were in charge of the rules at school, at church, or in your neighborhood?

Let’s learn it.

The last six commandments are God’s rules for our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. How well do the rules your family came up with match God’s rules? As a family, try to name the last six commandments from memory. Then read Exodus 20:12-17.

How did you do? Commandments five through ten teach us to live unselfishly as a family and as a community. Children should honor and obey their parents. Spouses should remain faithful to each other. We should respect one another’s life, property, and reputation. And finally, God instructs us to be content with what we have, being satisfied with what God has provided and not wanting what belongs to someone else.

 

Have you ever wondered why we need rules about how to treat one another? Why doesn’t everyone just do the right thing? Let’s take a minute to see what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:14-25 about why God gave us His law in the Ten Commandments.

God’s law shows us that we’re sinners in need of a Savior. But even after we choose to follow Christ, we can be guilty of selfishness, greed, or an unloving attitude. As you begin to grow as a Christian, there is still a battle against sin going on inside you. It’s a struggle between following your sinful nature (leading to wrong behavior) and your spiritual nature (leading to right behavior.) When you have the right attitude toward God, you become more aware of sinful thoughts and attitudes. A right relationship with Him helps you to see and treat other people with the same love and respect that He does.

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Why do you think God placed such importance on how people treat each other?
  2. Think of examples of how wrong attitudes toward God can cause wrong behavior toward each other.
  3. Look at commandments five through ten one more time. How would loving as God loves help you to keep each of these?

Let’s do it.

Which of the last six commandments is hardest for you to follow regularly? Do your words and actions honor your mom and dad? Are you determined to be truthful, no matter what the consequences are? Are you content with the things God has provided for you?

It’s not enough to simply know the right thing to do or to simply desire to do it – we need to follow through on the rules that God has given us. When you struggle to do the right thing, remember that it’s your sinful nature taking over. Turn to God – He has promised to help you. Human relationships aren’t perfect, but they will be greatly improved when you rely on God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to help you.