For Starters

Although there are some good reasons why God has forbidden some activities and commanded others (our protection and the protection of others, for example), it is a mistake to assume that God's protection is the only reason for the 10 commandments or any other of His moral commands. The true foundation for all morality lies with God Himself.

So, What's the Story?

The apostle Peter began his first letter to the church (1:16) by commanding Christians to consider themselves children of the great Heavenly Father and (like children will resemble their parents) "be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" It's a powerful principle found in many places through the old and new testaments. It teaches us that we should be like God in what we do, in our attitudes, in our love, etc. It is the foundation for all of Christianity. It is not just because God said so, it is because He IS so.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:2-3, NIV). Because there are no other gods, because there is no one greater than God, because nothing deserves first place in our lives, we must naturally have no gods (whether images, money, or whatever) placed before Him. God is by nature the Source, the Original Originator, the Creator, and the command here recognizes this.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6, NIV). God is spirit (John 4) and no picture, sculpted image, or other physical representation can do justice to Him. Moreover, we must never come to rely on anything physical, for our power is spiritual, because our God is spirit.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7, NIV). God never goes back on His promises and neither should His people. This command's main point is that mankind shouldn't swear by His Name and then renege. If His Name is used in a vow, it must above all things be kept.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11, NIV). God here explains clearly how this command and His nature coincide--God rested and wanted His Old Testament people also to rest.

"Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12, NIV). God is not Himself disrespectful, and we must not disrespectful either.

"You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13, NIV). The command is not to murder or take innocent life. God doesn't take innocent life and we must follow His lead.

"You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14, NIV). God isn't unfaithful to His "wife", Israel in the OT and the church in the NT. He keeps is vows unstained. God's people must also be faithful to theirs.

"You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15, NIV). God isn't a thief, and we mustn't steal either.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. (Exodus 20:16, NIV). God never lies, and we must also speak the truth, the language of God.

"You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour." (Exodus 20:17, NIV). It is not in God's nature to desire things that don't belong to Him, and we must also watch our hearts' desires.

Indeed, there is nothing that we have been told to do or not do in all the law or the prophets or in the gospels or in the letters of the NT that isn't connected to the very nature of God. We should be holy, because God is holy; being His children we should look like Him.

This principle applies to the NT in some specific ways. In Gal. 2:20 we are told to let Christ live in us and it is the primary teaching about morality that we carefully allow Jesus' example in word, deed, and thought to direct our lives. This is nothing more than being holy because God (Jesus) is holy. 1 John 2:6 says, "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He (Jesus) walked."

So What?

* Think of some of the most difficult moral problems that you can think of and apply this principle, "You shall be holy, for I am holy", to it. What do you think of this principle as a guide for living? Is it effective or not? Why or why not?
* Since this principle is true, how important is it to know God better? To know the stories about Jesus from the the gospels? Why?