Three Minute Theology is a series of blog posts, each designed to offer a quick but meaningful look at a subject related to God and faith – something you can read in just a few minutes but reflect on for much longer. Think of this as a starting point, not the full journey. My hope is that these snapshots will spark your curiosity and challenge you to dig deeper, open your Bible, ask questions, and explore how these truths about faith in Jesus shape your everyday life.
This question comes up a lot, especially when people start reading through the Old Testament and feel like they’re suddenly supposed to grow a beard, stop eating bacon, and avoid polyester blends.
Do Christians still need to obey the 10 Commandments? The answer is no… but also yes. It’s complicated. Let me explain.
The Role of the Law
The Ten Commandments were given by God to Israel as part of the “Old Covenant.” Think of them as part of the operating system God installed in His people to show the world what He’s like. They’re meant to help us understand that He is holy, just, loving, and trustworthy. They served a purpose: to reveal God’s character, expose human sin, and create a moral framework for a new nation. This was important because, after many years in captivity in Egypt, they needed some guidelines to help them remember how to function as a nation.
But here’s the thing: Christians today are no longer under the Old Covenant.
Romans 6:14 makes it pretty clear:
“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Paul is shouting from the rooftops that the Old Testament law, including the Ten Commandments, is no longer the covenant that defines our relationship with God. We are now under a new covenant, made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
This doesn’t mean the law was bad. Paul also says in Romans 7:12:
“So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”
But the law was never meant to save us. It was meant to point out just how badly we needed saving. A key principle here is that everything in the Old Testament just points to Jesus – to the need for a Savior and for perfect mercy and grace.
Enter Jesus
Jesus didn’t show up to just toss the law in the dumpster. He came to fulfill it. He said in Matthew 5:17,
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
And he did. Perfectly. Every command. Every requirement. Every ounce of righteousness that we couldn’t achieve, he took care of that for us through his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave.
But don’t miss this: Instead of just saying “don’t murder,” He said, “don’t even hate.” Instead of “don’t commit adultery,” He said, “don’t even look lustfully.” Jesus didn’t lower the standards, he brought the heart into it. He raised the bar. He moved from rules to relationship.
And then he did something that really ticked off the religious people of his day: he introduced a new command:
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” – John 13:34
This is incredibly important. He’s reframing the entire ethic of the Christian life. He’s saying: “If you want to know how to live now, not as someone under the law but as someone transformed by grace, then follow this command.”
So What Happens to the Ten Commandments?
We don’t obey them as a checklist to earn God’s approval or to achieve righteousness. It was a failing effort then, and it would b enough better now. Thank God, that was settled at the cross. But we also don’t throw them out the window.
Instead, we view them through the lens of Jesus. They still reveal God’s heart and character. They still offer wisdom and guidance that is as true and applicable now as it was then. Don’t murder? Don’t steal? Don’t cheat on your wife? Don’t allow anything to be more important in your life than God? All good stuff. And guess what? Every one of those commandments (don’t lie, be full of jealousy, honor your parents, etc.) gets wrapped up in Jesus’ call to love.
Paul even backs that up in Romans 13:8-10:
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another… Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
That’s it. Love is the new law. Not love as a feeling, but love as a lifestyle of living to show people the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of God through our lives.
TL;DR
Let me recap:
- Christians are not under the Old Testament law anymore. Jesus fulfilled it.
- We’re saved by grace, not by checking off commandments.
- But the Ten Commandments still reflect God’s heart, and Jesus sums them all up in one new command: Love one another.
- When you live that out, you won’t break the commandments; instead you’ll actually embody their true intent.
So yes, Christians still “obey” the Ten Commandments. However, not because we’re bound by the law, but because we’re walking with Jesus and the evidence of His grace is our willing obedience to His command to love. And His way of love is so much bigger and better than any other law that ever was, that is, or that ever will be.
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