“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6).

Andy used to have conversations with Agnes in the laundromat. They would talk about a bunch of different things. It would often come up that she kept the 10 Commandments. It was basically her way of shutting down the conversation.

One day when it happened again, Andy asked her if she could name them. This was her reply: “No. But I keep ‘em.”*

Um…

Before I make today’s point let me be clear about something. We aren’t saved by our ability to keep the 10 Commandments. Only Jesus has done that perfectly. The rest of us fail every day. We are saved by God’s grace and through faith in Christ alone. Praise God!

So, why do we worry about the Commandments? Because they still have a purpose. They help us grow in faith and obedience as we strive to become more like Christ.

Here’s my point. Many of us know they’re important. But like Agnes, we don’t know what they are. 

I’m not saying that we need to memorize them—although you certainly may! I’m simply saying that we need to have a deep familiarity with them. Perhaps you can bookmark Exodus 20 in your Bible so you can review them every so often. Perhaps you can print them out and put them in a place you can access easily.

Generations of Christians grew up doing catechism work. Catechisms were often in question-and-answer format. They were focused on key teachings. Many of the catechisms in my own tradition included extensive sections on the 10 Commandments.

Here’s what I’m hoping you remember from today’s devotional. You gotta know ‘em to keep ‘em.

Over time, God’s instructions become impressed on our hearts and minds. They sink in. We know them more instinctively. They become a part of our thoughts—before those thoughts become words or actions. 

So let’s take them seriously as we strive to become like Jesus.

You gotta know ‘em to ‘keep em.

Notes:

-Andy Stanley, The Grace of God (Thomas Nelson, 2010), 52.
-Bible quotes are from the NIV.