For many years, Christians have bemoaned the fact that the government of the United States has systematically stripped the teaching of the Bible and the Ten Commandments from our schools and from public display or review.

The Ten Commandment were actually listed in an abbreviated version for decades before they were removed from public view. Many people do not remember the full text of the Ten Commandments, nor do they realize that the interpretation of some have been changed over the years by one religious organization or another. One notable major denomination removed one commandment completely (the second commandment because they wanted to make use of statues), edited the forth commandment (by changing the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday) and split the tenth commandment in two in order to keep the count at ten.

Many have misinterpreted one or more of the commandments because the full meaning of the Hebrew words were not expressed in the old word-for-word translation style. One good example is found in the sixth commandment. The word originally translated as “kill” in the original King James Version was actually the Hebrew word for “murder.” There are actually many places in the scripture where the Lord prescribed a death penalty which was actually carried out by the patriarches without them coming into judgment for breaking the sixth commandment.

The full text of the Ten Commandments appears in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 20. The following is the list of the Ten Commandments from the Amplified Bible. This translation brings out the full and sometimes multiple meaning(s) of the Hebrew words.

(Exodus 20:1-17)

“Then God spoke all these words:

1. I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.

2. You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it], or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down yourself to them, or serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me, and keep My commandments.

3. You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4. [Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy(withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). Six days you shall labor, and do all your work: But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domesticated animals, or the sojourner within your gates: For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes].

5. Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother: that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God gives you.

6. You shall not commit murder

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shalt not steal.

9. You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” (Amp.)

Do you witness for Christ in your daily walk? Do people at work or school know that you are a Christian? Have you ever witnessed to a co-worker? Can the people around you tell that you are different?

People are watching you. They are watching to see if you will live what you say you believe. You can’t say that you are a Christian and then take part in the dirty joke sessions, or flirt with co-workers of the opposite sex.

Do you perform your job as unto the Lord, or do you come in late, take long lunch breaks or cheat on your expense account? You cannot be a witness for Christ while living like the world. Instead of being drawn to Jesus, the people around you will label you as a hypocrite. Misdirected actions can actually help to push people away from faith in Jesus.

You are living Epistles to the world. When the world sees your love, your compassion and your ability to forgive others, they will see Christ. If people don’t see a difference in you, all you are doing is showing yourself out to be a liar.

You cannot say you belong to Jesus, then live for the devil. The two lifestyles are not compatible. Worse than that, you will never have the true power of the Holy Ghost moving through you to others.