When most people read the Ten Commandments, they do not understand spirit of the commands. The spirituality of the divine Law deals with our inward thoughts, desires, intents, attitudes, longings, and our outward actions. Only the Holy Ghost can bring the Law home to a man's heart, and truly show him he is a sinner.
The first commandment which God gave us in Exodus 20 is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” In other words, “Thou shalt have no other god but Me,” for God is everywhere. This command is always broken in our thoughts. If you say to yourself, “This is God’s law, but my own way will be most to my profit,” then you make yourself, or your money, to be your god. If you say within yourself, “I clearly perceive that I ought not to indulge in that sin, but it gives me great pleasure,” When you indulge in that sin, then you make your own pleasure, that is, yourself, to be your god. You worship yourself, instead of God. This sin the lies in your thoughts, judgment, and affections. You don't have to make an image of gold, or of wood, and bow down before it; you can become a complete idolater in the temple of your heart by offering service to your own self-will. Most men worship themselves more than anything else.
The second commandment contains a another prohibition, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” That is, “Thou shalt not worship God under any symbol; thou shalt not worship God through any symbol,” or, in spirit, “Thou shalt not worship God in any way which He has not commanded;” “Thou shalt not invent your own methods and modes of worship, but thou shalt do as God commands you.” Now, human nature very easily fabricates an imagine in its thoughts. This is what we most of us do. We say and think that God is altogether such an one as ourself; and, having formed to ourselves an idea of God, we bow down before it.
You may be an idolater as much by worshipping a god whom your mind has made up as by worshipping a block of stone or wood. The Invisible God, who has proclaimed Himself in Holy Scripture according to the marvelous attributes of His being, and has further revealed Himself, so gloriously in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ -- JESUS is the God you must worship. We must not make our own god by our own imagination; we must take the God whom the Scripture reveals. We are not to fashion in our thoughts a god such as we should like Him to be. Human nature wants a god who is pure love, but who has no divine justice; but we must take the God of Scripture, - He is grandly stern in His justice, severely dreadful in His wrath, while He is infinite in His compassion, ever gracious, and full of Mercy. We must acknowledge the God of the Bible, and never make a deity to ourselves, or else in our thoughts we have broken the divine law. The fruit of those thoughts will us idolators.
The third commandment can be broken without saying a word: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” Light thoughts of God, irreverence of your soul towards Him is a violation of this command. You only have to think lightly of His name, and you have blasphemed it. Before your mouth even utters a profanity, the rebellious thought is sacrilege towards God Almighty.
As for the Law of the Sabbath in the fourth commandment, that is always violated by us all. Do not suppose that you are a keeper of the Sabbath, because you do no work with your hands; you are just as guilty if you work with your brain. You are to rest from all your own works. Do as much as you please for God, but your mind should lay aside its care. Bring the cares of this world with you and cast them all on Christ. *I Peter 5:7* Bring your burdens to Christ and then worship Him! Ask God’s grace to help rise above self and this world. Give your heart and mind entirely to the worship of Christ Jesus who is our Sabbath. *Matthew 11:28* This command may easily broken without any visible act, and the slightest breach destroys your peace and rest. You have no true rest while your mind is toiling, and tugging, and straining about a thousand troubles and difficulties; but if you keep the command in your spirit, Christ Himself will be your Rest.
The fifth commandment is “Honor thy father and thy mother.” When we were children, unkind and unhallowed thoughts toward our parents have been many, sufficient to convict us of offenses against the divine law. Without a disobedient action, without a rebellious word, a child may in thought be a rebel toward his parents.
"Thou shalt not kill;” but John tells us the man who hates his brother is actually a murderer in his heart. The inward thought can slay and kill, and truly, it is the angry thought that lays the foundation of the deadly outward act of murder. There would be no murdering if there were no enmity, malice and hatred. Men in anger will say, "I wish you were dead."
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” The very thought of adultery is a defiling sin and our soul's ruin, even though we may still be kept back by fear, from the commission of the evil outward deed. Men gloat over evil, and seek the forbidden. The thought of the sin is not as bad as the sinful act itself; but still it is a sin, and a sin that must be answered for in that great Judgment day, when the Judge of all the earth shall judge every man according to his works.
“Thou shalt not steal.” Every envious thought of another man, every desire to get what is not mine; everything of this sort, in which I would grasp that which does not, belong to me is a theft in God's sight. The thief does not so much steal when he puts out his hand to take his neighbor’s purse, as in the thought which led him to do it. Stealing time from your employer and then still taking a full paycheck is fraud. Stealing your life from God and living for yourself is a heinous sin.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Thinking hard thoughts of your neighbor without a cause; or conceiving an unjust prejudice against him. To look coldly upon him when he really does not deserve it; to make up my mind out of some whim that he is a bad fellow, and say words to injure my neighbor's reputation, that is a false witness and iniquity.
Do not ruin a man's character in the estimation of others. Avoid any false witnessing in your thoughts, and you will not, say it in your words.
The tenth commandment is especially a thought-command: “Thou shalt not covet.” All greedy desires which make us wish to get our neighbor’s goods to the injury of others are sins, and the fruits of such thoughts are guilt, punishment, the judgment to come, and the lake of fire.
Human nature is self-righteous, and men suppose they are not as sinful as God says they are. Man's conceits lead him to believe he can work himself out of his difficulties and force his way into heaven in his own way. Self-righteousness is obnoxious and keeps you from coming to Christ, and will certainly exclude you from eternal life and slam the door of Hell behind you.
Arrogant men love to tell you what they have, what they can do, what they have done in their past, and what they plan to do. A proud man is nothing but a sinful windbag. The troubles of life or the crisis of death shall put a pin into the windbag. The haughty man will discover himself to be nothing but emptiness when his health begins to fail. The carnal mind tends to lead to murmuring, unbelief, procrastination, and bitterness.
Cultivate humble thoughts, think little of yourself. Have low thoughts of yourself before God, penitent thoughts concerning your sins, thinking much of God's Son and His divine grace. Have forgiving thoughts toward your enemies. Have admiring and adoring thoughts of Christ Jesus, of His goodness and greatness. Worship the Lord Jesus Christ, think much of Him. Let every blessing make you think of Him. Have thankful thoughts and cheerful gratitude - see the mercy of God in everything. Have believing and submissive thoughts to God. Put your soul into Christ's hands every day. Have longing thoughts after Jesus - for His presence throughout the day, and to be with Him where He is. Let Christ have your very best thoughts.
