If Christians are free from the Law, why should they keep the Fourth Commandment?
Doesn't Galatians 3:10 even say we put ourselves under a curse by obeying the Law? Christians receive salvation through faith in Christ alone, apart from the keeping of the law (Rom. 3:28; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5-6). In the matter of their salvation, then, they are "free from the law" and are not "under the law." But Paul asks (in Rom. 6:15), "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" The Ten Commandments still define what sin is. In fact, 1 Jn. 3:4 says that "sin is lawlessness." So breaking the Ten Commandment Law is sinful. The NT commends obedience, not lawlessness. Though Christians are not bound to parts of the Old Testament law which applied only to Israel under the Old Covenant, the Ten Commandments (including the Sabbath Commandment) give universal moral principles of right and wrong. Illustrating the difference, 1 Cor. 7:19 says, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts." (See also, Matt. 5:17-19).
The curse of Gal. 3:10 falls on all those who "rely" on observing the law (i.e., for their salvation), not those who seek to obey the Ten Commandments out of love and obedience to God. Gal. 3:11 confirms that it is not simple obedience to the Law which Paul condemns, but relying on our ability to keep it in order to "justify" ourselves before God (i.e., make ourselves acceptable to God by attempts to be good, rather than faith in Christ's atoning death).
Doesn't Galatians 3:10 even say we put ourselves under a curse by obeying the Law? Christians receive salvation through faith in Christ alone, apart from the keeping of the law (Rom. 3:28; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5-6). In the matter of their salvation, then, they are "free from the law" and are not "under the law." But Paul asks (in Rom. 6:15), "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" The Ten Commandments still define what sin is. In fact, 1 Jn. 3:4 says that "sin is lawlessness." So breaking the Ten Commandment Law is sinful. The NT commends obedience, not lawlessness. Though Christians are not bound to parts of the Old Testament law which applied only to Israel under the Old Covenant, the Ten Commandments (including the Sabbath Commandment) give universal moral principles of right and wrong. Illustrating the difference, 1 Cor. 7:19 says, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts." (See also, Matt. 5:17-19).
The curse of Gal. 3:10 falls on all those who "rely" on observing the law (i.e., for their salvation), not those who seek to obey the Ten Commandments out of love and obedience to God. Gal. 3:11 confirms that it is not simple obedience to the Law which Paul condemns, but relying on our ability to keep it in order to "justify" ourselves before God (i.e., make ourselves acceptable to God by attempts to be good, rather than faith in Christ's atoning death).