We must educate our children's consciences by teaching them the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are unique because they come direct from God and represent the only complete summary of what is right and wrong. Here from the Triune God is the only authoritative statement of moral law for mankind created in his image. God spoke these Commandments, the Decalogue, audibly and then wrote them on tables of stone. They represent comprehensive moral law. The first four commandments describe man's duty to God and the next six man's duty to his neighbour.

This holy law of God corresponds exactly to the consciences of all men everywhere. Paul says that even though the Gentiles do not have the law, they are still convicted about the requirements of the law. Their consciences bear witness and their thoughts either accuse them or defend them (Rom. 2:14-15).

The pre-eminence of the moral law is expressed by the manner in which this law was given to Israel. The mountain of Sinai was ablaze for the giving of God's holy law to Israel, a people newly gathered out of Egypt and chosen to be the vehicle through whom God's self-revelation was to be displayed to mankind.

On another mountain, God's Son, Jesus Christ, expounded the new covenant view of law (the Sermon on the Mount — Matthew chapters 5-7). Jesus did not lay down a new law but rather provided a new covenant exposition of the old law. The importance of that old law, the Ten Commandments, is emphasised (Matt. 5:17-20). Not the smallest letter would disappear. He goes on to expound the spiritual nature of the sixth and the seventh commandments.

The centrality and function of the moral law runs right through two key books of the New Testament, namely Romans and Galatians.

Romans chapter seven is especially important. This chapter divides into three parts:

1. 1-6 The law is dead as far as a source of justification is concerned;
    
2. 7-13 The law was used to bring Paul into a conviction of his sin and lostness;
    
3. 14-25 The law continued in Paul's life as the source of definition for perfection, a perfection that he could never attain.

There is never any attempt in the New Testament to compile a revised set of Commandments. Always the reference is to the moral law already laid down in the Ten Commandments. Have you ever thought of trying to set up a New Testament version of the Ten Commandments? That is not necessary since all the Ten Commandments are repeated in one form or another. Some people contest whether the fourth commandment is mentioned in the New Testament. Yet we should note that our Lord asserted he is the 'Lord of the Sabbath'. We infer that the Sabbath continues, but that he, as Lord of it, has the right to change the day from the seventh to the eighth, the first day of the week, when he rose from the dead. As to the keeping of it, it is now under new covenant administration and not Mosaic covenant administration.

Every reference to moral law in the New Testament goes back to the Ten Commandments, either explaining why that law was given or opening up and advancing its meaning.

A Summary of the Purpose of the Ten Commandments⤒🔗

1. The Ten Commandments as God's one eternal unchanging law uphold the holiness and justice of his character. We must teach our children what God is like.
    
2. The Ten Commandments remind us that God's holy moral law will be upheld. There is no other way in which sin can be understood except by the moral law. It will be the rule by which every person will be judged (Rev. 20:11-15).
    
3. The Ten Commandments convict us of our sin and highlight our desperate need of salvation. We must teach our children to look to Christ who kept the moral law perfectly and who becomes our righteousness when we believe in him. The Father's great gift of love is his Son who kept the law for us and died and shed his blood that our sins might be blotted out.
    
4. The Ten Commandments provide a moral code for all mankind and especially so for Christians who love God's law in their hearts. We must teach our children this moral code both negatively by way of what is prohibited and positively by way of what it is to love God with all our hearts and our neighbours as ourselves.

Important Factors in Teaching our Children the Ten Commandments←⤒🔗

1. The principles of the Ten Commandments are always with us. There are catechisms for children which provide excellent means of instruction. Each commandment can be learned and the implications discussed.
    
2. It must be stressed that the law can convict of sin but law-keeping can never be a means of justification. 'By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight' (Rom. 3:20). Moreover the law can never give strength to those seeking to keep it. Power to love and keep God's law comes from the Holy Spirit living in Christians.
    
3. It is important to observe that the Old Testament law divides into three main sections: moral, civil and ceremonial. The letter to the Hebrews refers in some detail to the ceremonial law of God — all of which is fulfilled in Christ. Children have vivid imaginations and may ask why we do not have priestly robes, sacrifices and incense. We can explain to our children that the pastoral letters inform us about church government. Also we can describe how civil government functions and how the New Testament emphasises the importance of respect for civil government (Rom. 13:1-4; 1 Pet. 2:13, 14).