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By Stone, by Flesh, by Blood… a Path Was Cut Through Hell Itself. But Only the Cross Can Carry You Across. Will You Take It?
- BeTheFire
- Jul 6
- 11 min read
The Ten Commandments weren’t handed down to validate our goodness—they were given to expose our sin. They weren’t designed to save us, flatter us, or give us a checklist to boast in. They were meant to strip us of our illusions and show us the raw truth: we fall short—drastically short—of God’s standard. As Romans 3:20 declares,
“Through the law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Without the law, we wouldn’t even recognize our rebellion. It’s the mirror that reveals what’s really in us—not just what we do, but who we are apart from God. And when that truth hits, it becomes painfully clear: we don’t just need guidance—we need rescue. The law condemns. Grace redeems.
And yet, I’ve met people—maybe you have too—who genuinely believe they don’t sin. That kind of thinking only exposes a deeper blindness to what the law teaches. The commandments may look simple on paper—don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t kill, don’t commit adultery—but Jesus shattered any illusion that obeying the law is just about controlling outward actions.
In His teachings, Jesus didn’t lessen the weight of the law—He intensified it. He said,
“You’ve heard it said, ‘Do not murder.’ But I tell you, if you’re even angry with your brother, you’ve already committed murder in your heart” (Matthew 5:21–22).
And again, “You’ve heard it said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you, if you so much as look at a woman with lust, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart” (Matthew 5:27–28).
Jesus wasn’t adding new rules—He was exposing the truth that sin starts deep inside. It’s not just what we do with our hands, but what we dwell on in our minds and harbor in our hearts.
Every single commandment reaches into our internal life. "You shall not covet" isn't just about wanting someone's things—it's about discontentment, comparison, and a heart that's not satisfied in God. "You shall not bear false witness" isn’t just courtroom dishonesty—it’s every careless word, every exaggeration, every moment we pretend to be something we’re not. "You shall have no other gods" is not just about golden statues—it’s about whatever we trust, love, or serve more than the Lord Himself. Even the Sabbath was not just about resting once a week; it was about resting in God, and Jesus came to offer a deeper, eternal rest for the soul.
All of this reveals the inescapable truth: we cannot fulfill the law in our own strength. The standard is too high, and the stain of sin is too deep. That’s why Jesus did what He did. He came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He lived the sinless life we couldn’t and took upon Himself the penalty we deserved. On the cross, He bore the full weight of the law’s judgment so that we could receive mercy and grace. The law exposes our guilt—but the cross provides our pardon.
Matthew 5:17 (KJV) says:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
He came to fulfill their purpose—to embody them perfectly, to complete what they pointed to, and to bring their true meaning to life. He didn’t lower the standard; He met it, and then offered us His righteousness in exchange for our failure. We are truly blessed to know such a God!
There’s a powerful moment in John 8 where religious leaders bring a woman before Jesus, saying she was caught in the very act of adultery. According to the Law of Moses, such a sin was punishable by stoning. She was guilty. There was no question about it—no trial, no defense. But it quickly becomes clear that the goal wasn’t justice. These men were using her shame as bait to trap Jesus, hoping to catch Him either rejecting the law or contradicting His own message of mercy.
And yet, there’s a glaring omission in the scene—where was the man? Adultery is not a solo act. If she was caught in the act, then surely he was there too. But they only dragged her into the temple courts. This exposes not just their hypocrisy, but their deep injustice. They weren’t seeking righteousness—they were seeking leverage.
As they demanded an answer, Jesus didn’t respond immediately. Instead, He stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger. Then He stood and said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” One by one, her accusers dropped their stones and walked away, convicted by their own conscience. Left alone with Jesus—the only one without sin—He asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” And He said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”
This moment captures the beautiful tension between law and grace. The law rightfully declared her guilty. But Jesus, who fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17), didn’t deny her guilt—He forgave it. And then He called her out of shame and into freedom. That’s the heart of the Gospel: not ignoring sin, but dealing with it in love and truth. Not excusing the broken, but restoring them with mercy.
We don’t get to the cross by pretending we’re not sinners. We get there by recognizing that we are—and that only Jesus can do what we never could. The law shows us the disease. Jesus is the cure. And grace isn’t a license to ignore the law—it’s the only power strong enough to actually fulfill the heart of it through Him who lives in us.
The first commandment tells us, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). This was a call to singular devotion. Jesus brought it even deeper when He said the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Anything less than wholehearted love is spiritual adultery. It’s not enough to avoid worshiping a false god—we must be fully surrendered in spirit and truth.
The second commandment forbids the making of idols or graven images (Exodus 20:4–6). But Jesus exposed that idols aren’t always carved from stone—they can be anything we treasure more than God. In Matthew 6:24, He warned, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Today’s idols often sit in bank accounts, careers, relationships, or even in our own ambitions. The heart is always tempted to bow to something it can touch, but Jesus calls us to trust what is unseen and eternal.
The third commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7). This command is about revering God’s name—not treating it lightly, casually, or using it for selfish gain. It’s more than just avoiding profanity; it’s about not misrepresenting God’s character with our words. Jesus emphasized the power and purity of speech when He said, “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no,’ ‘no’; anything more than this comes from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37). In other words, when our words are manipulative, deceitful, or emotionally charged in a way that misleads, it opens the door to spiritual corruption. To speak falsely or casually in God's name is to dishonor Him—because reverence in speech reflects reverence in the heart.
The fourth commandment commands us to “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11). But Jesus, in Matthew 12:8, declared Himself “Lord of the Sabbath.” He revealed that the Sabbath wasn’t just about physical rest on one day, but about spiritual rest found in Him. In Matthew 11:28, He invites us, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” True Sabbath is no longer about a single day, but a Person who restores the soul.
The fifth commandment, “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12), wasn’t set aside by Jesus—He deepened it. He rebuked the Pharisees for using man-made tradition as an excuse to neglect their parents, exposing their hardened hearts (Matthew 15:4–6). And even in His final moments on the cross, Jesus made sure His mother was cared for, entrusting her to the disciple John (John 19:26–27). Christ revealed that honoring parents isn’t just a childhood rule—it’s an ongoing lifestyle of love, responsibility, and respect. And it’s the first commandment with a promise:
“that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
Obedience to this command is tied to longevity and blessing—not just for individuals, but for the health of generations and society as a whole.
The sixth commandment is direct: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). But Jesus stripped away the external-only view and exposed the root, saying, “Whoever is angry with his brother is subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21–22). Anger, hatred, bitterness—these are the seeds of murder, and Jesus says they are just as spiritually destructive. The issue is not just killing with hands, but killing with words and intentions.
The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). While many claim innocence by avoiding the physical act, Jesus pierced through pretense: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28). He confronted the internal desire and exposed the private war for purity that happens long before any external action.
The eighth commandment forbids stealing (Exodus 20:15), but Jesus went beyond theft to address the root: selfishness. In Matthew 5:40–42, He calls us not only to refrain from taking what isn’t ours, but to give freely—even going the second mile when wronged. The Kingdom ethic isn’t just “don’t steal”—it’s “live generously.” A stingy heart is as corrupt as a thieving hand.
The ninth commandment warns against bearing false witness (Exodus 20:16). Jesus emphasized that lying is not a small offense—it aligns us with Satan himself, “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Instead, we are called to be people of truth, speaking it in love (Ephesians 4:15), even when it costs us. Every deception, every shaded truth, every exaggeration is a betrayal of God's character.
The tenth commandment says, “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting may be invisible, but its fruit is toxic. Jesus warned in Luke 12:15, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” He revealed that a covetous heart is never satisfied—it constantly compares, competes, and complains. Contentment, He taught, is rooted not in what we have, but in who we serve. What do you covet? Golf? Cars? Beauty? Work? Money? Clothes?
Even if we never murder someone or physically sleep with another person’s spouse, Jesus showed that our thoughts, our secret motives, and our heart’s desires are enough to condemn us. Sin isn’t just about actions—it’s about the condition of the heart. We may look clean on the outside, but inwardly, we’re guilty. That’s why Paul wrote, “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20), and again,
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The law acts like a mirror, not to make us feel proud of what we’ve kept, but to show us what we’ve missed—what we’ve become. And if that wasn’t sobering enough, James 2:10 makes it crystal clear:
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
In other words, it doesn’t matter if you’ve broken one commandment or all ten—the verdict is the same. We stand guilty before a holy God. That’s why we don’t just need help. We need a Savior.
In the beginning, humanity walked in perfect fellowship with God. In the garden, there was no separation—only intimacy, peace, and purpose. But when Adam and Eve sinned, everything changed. We lost our relationship and access to God. What had once been whole became broken. And that brokenness didn’t just affect them—it passed to every generation after. You and I were born into a world already fractured by sin, already cut off from God, and completely unable to fix ourselves.
But God, in His mercy and love, had a plan from the very beginning. He wasn’t caught off guard by our fall—He already saw the path of redemption. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, not just to speak truth, but to be the truth. Jesus came to earth and lived as a man—experiencing hunger, rejection, temptation, and pain—yet He never sinned. He fulfilled every commandment with purity, obedience, and holiness—something no human could ever do on their own.
And then, though innocent, He willingly took on our guilt. He endured a brutal, humiliating, and excruciating death on a Roman cross—not because we deserved saving, but because that’s how deeply He loves His creation. His love was greater than the betrayal. Greater than the torture. Greater than the loneliness. He bore the full wrath of God against sin—not for Himself, but for us. For you.
And in doing so, Jesus became the bridge back to God.
Through His sacrifice, the separation caused by sin was overcome. He broke the power of shame, guilt, fear, lack, sickness, disease and spiritual death. We are no longer orphans. We are no longer bound to the curse of this world—which, for now, still lies in the hands of the enemy, Satan. But Jesus didn’t come to fix the world. He came to overcome it—and to bring us into His Kingdom, into relationship, into freedom.
You don’t have to carry the weight anymore. You don’t have to earn your way back. You simply have to accept the gift of grace. Jesus paid the price. He built the bridge. He made the way.
The only question now is—have you accepted Him as your bridge back to God? He’s not asking for perfection. He’s asking for your heart. The invitation is open. Step onto the bridge. Walk into the arms of the One who created you, loves you, and gave everything to bring you home. You have a big family of brothers and sisters waiting for you!
And once we accept salvation—once we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead—we’re no longer seen through the lens of our sin. We’re seen through the blood Jesus shed. That blood didn’t just cover our sin; it cleansed it. It didn’t just buy us a second chance—it bought us a new identity.
In that moment of true salvation, we’re not just forgiven—we’re made righteous. Not because we earned it, but because Jesus transferred His righteousness to us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says,
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
That means when the Father looks at us, He no longer sees guilt, shame, or failure. He sees His Son. He sees clean hands and a pure heart—because we’ve been washed, clothed, and sealed in Christ.
We now walk in His righteousness, not our own. That changes everything. We don’t strive for approval—we live from it. We don’t try to earn love—we abide in it. We don’t walk in fear of judgment—we walk in the freedom of grace. Yes, we may stumble, but we’re no longer defined by our stumbles. We’re defined by the Savior who stands in our place.
Through the blood of Jesus, our past is silenced, our debt is canceled, and our future is secured. We’re not the same people we used to be—and we never will be again.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9–10 (KJV)
Prayer of Salvation:
Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him from the dead. I confess Him now as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me of all my sins. Wash me clean. Make me new. I surrender my life to You today. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and lead me every day to walk in Your ways. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Copyright © 2025 Amanda Allen, Kingdom Revelations. All rights reserved.
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