What Are God’s 10 commandments?

God gave His people the Ten Commandments in a section of the Bible called the Old Testament. At that time, a group of people led by the prophet Moses had just escaped slavery. When Moses prayed to God for help, God gave him the Ten Commandments, which we can still follow today.

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

These commandments can be obeyed, at least in the outward letter of the law, by ordinary people even if they have not yet received God's Holy Spirit. For example, any human being is capable of not worshipping an idol, treating parents with respect, not murdering another person, not committing adultery or not stealing what belongs to someone else

But from the beginning, God desired more from human beings. He is more interested in what comes out of the heart and whether what is in the heart is enthusiastically demonstrated by one's actions. It is in the heart and mind that He wants to write the full intent and meaning of His laws.

Jesus Christ addressed this in a parable about a servant who does only what his master demands (Luke 17:7-8). Jesus posed this question to His disciples: "Does he [the master] thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do'" (Luke 17:9-10).

Jesus pointed out that there is a higher level of righteousness that goes beyond the limited written demands of the Ten Commandments—a spirit or spiritual intent of the law that goes beyond the mere letter of the law (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Jesus summarized that standard: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). Those two great commandments summarize the ultimate righteousness that God is creating in His children.

That level of love for God and our fellow human beings exceeds what any person is capable of having and expressing fully without the divine help that God makes available to us through the power of His Holy Spirit. It is a level of love that is in direct opposition to the selfish tendencies of our fleshly nature ( James 1:13-15; James 4:1-3).
To receive the Holy Spirit, each of us must first repent of transgressing the Ten Commandments of God, which we should have been striving to obey already.