Ten Core Values for the christian life (intro)

It has often been said, that the Ten Commandments are not the ten suggestions. I agree.

👉Although nowadays we might struggle with the idea of 'commandments' we cannot change the fact that the Bible orders believers to do or restrain from certain things. A commandment is an instruction, a directive, or an order.

God commands His angels to watch over us* (oh, how we like that) but He also commands us to love our enemies (ouch).

A happier and safer society

While writing my book series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century, I discovered that they basically represent ten core values for a dedicated and fruitful Christian life. A core value is a principle or belief that a person or organization views as being of central importance. I feel free to say that the Ten Commandments describe values that would make for a happier and safer society... if applied.

New Covenant

Although the Ten Commandments have not changed, the way we make them come true is totally different under the new covenant. Merely obeying or keeping a set of rules can turn into legalism. However, making the teachings come true by fulfilling them in daily life is a whole different story, as Jesus had to explain many times. The apostle John understood it. He wrote:

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining (1 John 2:7-8, NLT).

Do you see that? Jesus lived the truth of the commandments. I believe we are called to do the same. It is the way to push back darkness! No longer is the emphasis on dos and don’ts but on what a life, led by the Holy Spirit, could be like.

From theory to application

It is one thing to say we don't steal, but are we generous? It is one thing to say we don't bear false witness, but do we speak truth when we open our mouths? Going from commandment to core value is in essence going from theory to application.

So, in the next blog post, we will start with the first commandment (You shall have no other gods before Me) and discover the core value hidden within this commandment. It is my hope that you will join me in this series. Along the way, the Holy Spirit will expand our understanding of a proper balance between law and grace.

*Psalm 91:11

Expand my territory!

"I like the idea of expansion, as long as it is not my waist or weight 😁", I wrote in my blog post on January 4th of this year. The post was about my #oneword for 2024: EXPAND. You can read that post HERE.

Expand as in the prayer of Jabez: Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! (1 Chronicles 4:10).

Expand as in Psalm 119:32: I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.

Europe Teen Challenge Conference

We're talking territorial as well as spiritual expansion. I like that idea. This past weekend, we attended the Europe Teen Challenge conference in Warsaw, Poland. With our non-profit organization Traveling Light, we support Teen Challenge programs (faith-based rehab and discipleship programs) in more than 30 countries in Europe. So, the annual conference is always a great opportunity to meet with staff and students from all over Europe.

Book table

We are always present with our book table, which is a blessing as well. Several of my books have been translated into other languages (German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Farsi, and Polish, to name a few). This time I had two new books/editions on the table:

• No other gods, which is the tenth and final book in my series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century, and
• Duch Prawdy, which is the Polish edition of my book Spirit of Truth.

Ten Core Values

While writing that final book in the series, the idea came to me that the Ten Commandments are basically the Ten Core Values for a dedicated and fruitful Christian life. I wrote a book about each commandment, and each book represents a core value that we live out in our daily lives.

👉I decided to do a blog series about those Ten Core Values. I surely hope you will take the journey with me. Along the way, the Holy Spirit will expand our understanding of a proper balance between law and grace.

PS: My books are available on Amazon in your country!