Q:
I've always heard about the Ten Commandments, but where can I find them? Are they in the Bible? I'm embarrassed to ask this, but I didn't grow up in a religious family and I don't know anything at all about the Bible or God, although I'd like to.
A:
Don’t be embarrassed; I’m thankful you want to learn about the Bible and about God, because nothing could be more important. Jesus’ promise was meant for people just like you: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9).
The Ten Commandments are found in two places in the Bible: Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. (The Bible is actually a “library” of books—some long, some short—written under God’s guidance over hundreds of years. You’ll find the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy near the beginning of the Bible, in what we call the Old Testament.) The Ten Commandments were given so God’s people would know how He wanted them to live, and they’re still valid.
But the Ten Commandments not only tell us how we ought to live; they also remind us how far we fall short. No one has ever kept them perfectly, and no one ever will. We are selfish and sinful, and no matter how hard we try, we can never measure up to God’s standard, which is perfection.
This is why we need Christ, because He came from heaven for one reason: to make it possible for us to be reconciled to God. Begin your journey of faith today by asking Jesus Christ to come into your life, and He will. Then make it your goal to grow closer to Him every day.