Table of Contents: NOT Ten Suggestions

Endorsements. PAGEREF _Toc282701781 \h 11

Preface. PAGEREF _Toc282701782 \h 13

Christian vs. Non-Christian Ethics. PAGEREF _Toc282701783 \h 13

How to Read this Book.. PAGEREF _Toc282701784 \h 13

Why This Book? Full Disclosure (MUST READ) PAGEREF _Toc282701785 \h 14

We Win! PAGEREF _Toc282701786 \h 19

Acknowledgements. PAGEREF _Toc282701787 \h 22

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701788 \h 23

PART 1: THE BEGINNING AND THE LAW... PAGEREF _Toc282701789 \h 24

Chapter 1—Creation.. PAGEREF _Toc282701790 \h 26

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701791 \h 26

I. Origin of All Things. PAGEREF _Toc282701792 \h 26

A. From Nothing or From Something?. PAGEREF _Toc282701793 \h 26

B. Evolution?. PAGEREF _Toc282701794 \h 30

C. Made in the Image of God?. PAGEREF _Toc282701795 \h 32

II. Origin of Morality: God, Man, and the Standard.. PAGEREF _Toc282701796 \h 35

III. Creation Gives Meaning to Life. PAGEREF _Toc282701797 \h 40

IV. New Creation Gives Hope Beyond the Grave. PAGEREF _Toc282701798 \h 41

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701799 \h 42

Chapter 2—God’s Law... PAGEREF _Toc282701800 \h 44

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701801 \h 44

I. Morality Implies Persons. PAGEREF _Toc282701802 \h 44

II. Morality Implies Principles. PAGEREF _Toc282701803 \h 49

III. Morality Implies Personal Responsibility.. PAGEREF _Toc282701804 \h 50

IV. How Many Moral Systems Are There?. PAGEREF _Toc282701805 \h 51

A. Humans Cannot Create Moral Law.. PAGEREF _Toc282701806 \h 52

B. Only One Law-Giver. PAGEREF _Toc282701807 \h 53

C. No Values. PAGEREF _Toc282701808 \h 54

D. Only One Moral Law.. PAGEREF _Toc282701809 \h 55

V. Is There Natural Moral Law?. PAGEREF _Toc282701810 \h 58

A. What Is Human Natural Law?. PAGEREF _Toc282701811 \h 59

B. What Is Biblical Natural Law?. PAGEREF _Toc282701812 \h 61

VI. Law and Love. PAGEREF _Toc282701813 \h 65

VII. What Is Sin?. PAGEREF _Toc282701814 \h 67

VIII. How Universal Is Sin?. PAGEREF _Toc282701815 \h 68

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701816 \h 71

Chapter 3—Who Is God’s Law For?. PAGEREF _Toc282701817 \h 72

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701818 \h 72

I. The Ten Commandments Are the Center of Morality.. PAGEREF _Toc282701819 \h 73

II. The Ten Commandments Are for All Nations. PAGEREF _Toc282701820 \h 74

III. The Ten Commandments Are for Ungodly People. PAGEREF _Toc282701821 \h 76

IV. The Ten Commandments Are for Christians. PAGEREF _Toc282701822 \h 76

V. What Are Some Functions of God’s Law?. PAGEREF _Toc282701823 \h 78

A. God’s Law Restrains from Sin. PAGEREF _Toc282701824 \h 78

B. God’s Law Reveals Our Sin and Thus Our Need of Christ PAGEREF _Toc282701825 \h 79

C. God’s Law Gives Freedom.. PAGEREF _Toc282701826 \h 81

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701827 \h 82

Chapter 4—Is Morality Relative?. PAGEREF _Toc282701828 \h 84

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701829 \h 84

I. What Morality?. PAGEREF _Toc282701830 \h 85

A. Relativism.. PAGEREF _Toc282701831 \h 85

B. Death and Deciding. PAGEREF _Toc282701832 \h 86

C. Deconstructionism.. PAGEREF _Toc282701833 \h 87

II. Secularism... PAGEREF _Toc282701834 \h 89

III. Politicians and Public Education.. PAGEREF _Toc282701835 \h 91

IV. Character and Choices (Private Morality?) PAGEREF _Toc282701836 \h 91

V. Preachers and Morality.. PAGEREF _Toc282701837 \h 92

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701838 \h 93

Chapter 5—Summary of God’s Law... PAGEREF _Toc282701839 \h 94

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701840 \h 94

I. What Is the Summary of the Law?. PAGEREF _Toc282701841 \h 94

II. How Are the Ten Commandments Numbered?. PAGEREF _Toc282701842 \h 95

III. How Are the Ten Commandments Divided?. PAGEREF _Toc282701843 \h 96

IV. Summary of the Ten Commandments. PAGEREF _Toc282701844 \h 99

PART 2: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. PAGEREF _Toc282701845 \h 104

Chapter 6—First Commandment: “No other gods”. PAGEREF _Toc282701846 \h 106

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701847 \h 107

I. Idolatry Is the Mother of All Sins. PAGEREF _Toc282701848 \h 113

II. The Attractions of Idolatry.. PAGEREF _Toc282701849 \h 114

III. The Privilege to Know God.. PAGEREF _Toc282701850 \h 115

IV. What We Must Do.. PAGEREF _Toc282701851 \h 116

V. What We Should Avoid.. PAGEREF _Toc282701852 \h 117

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701853 \h 121

Chapter 7—Second Commandment: Worship No Images. PAGEREF _Toc282701854 \h 122

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701855 \h 123

I. What We Get. PAGEREF _Toc282701856 \h 129

II. What We Must Do.. PAGEREF _Toc282701857 \h 129

III. What We Should Avoid.. PAGEREF _Toc282701858 \h 130

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701859 \h 133

Chapter 8—Third Commandment: God’s Name. PAGEREF _Toc282701860 \h 136

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701861 \h 137

I. What We Get. PAGEREF _Toc282701862 \h 138

II. What We Must Do.. PAGEREF _Toc282701863 \h 139

III. What We Should Avoid.. PAGEREF _Toc282701864 \h 139

IV. The Only Name for Salvation.. PAGEREF _Toc282701865 \h 145

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701866 \h 146

Chapter 9—Fourth Commandment: The Lord’s Day.. PAGEREF _Toc282701867 \h 148

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701868 \h 149

I. Rest and Work of the Creation Sabbath.. PAGEREF _Toc282701869 \h 151

A. God’s Gift of Time. PAGEREF _Toc282701870 \h 153

B. Our Attitude to Time. PAGEREF _Toc282701871 \h 154

II. Rest, Redemption, & Dominion in the Old Covenant. PAGEREF _Toc282701872 \h 156

III. Rest, Work, and Redemption in the New Covenant. PAGEREF _Toc282701873 \h 159

A. The Old Testament Sabbath Allowed Work and Emphasized Worship. PAGEREF _Toc282701874 \h 160

B. Temple and Sabbath Went Together (Matthew 11:25-12:8) PAGEREF _Toc282701875 \h 162

C. Christ Rose on the First or Eighth Day. PAGEREF _Toc282701876 \h 164

D. The Sabbath Was/Is Gospel Rest (Hebrews 3:18-4:11) PAGEREF _Toc282701877 \h 165

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701878 \h 168

Chapter 10—Fifth Commandment: Parents’ Part.. PAGEREF _Toc282701879 \h 172

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701880 \h 172

I. Children Are God’s Gifts. PAGEREF _Toc282701881 \h 176

II. Parents Must Teach Their Children to Obey.. PAGEREF _Toc282701882 \h 177

A. Evangelizing Our Children. PAGEREF _Toc282701883 \h 177

B. How to Discipline Our Children. PAGEREF _Toc282701884 \h 181

C. Educating Our Children. PAGEREF _Toc282701885 \h 183

III. Who Owns the Family?. PAGEREF _Toc282701886 \h 190

IV. What Are Parents Forbidden To Do?. PAGEREF _Toc282701887 \h 192

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701888 \h 193

Chapter 11—Fifth Commandment: Children’s Part.. PAGEREF _Toc282701889 \h 194

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701890 \h 194

I. Children Must Honor Their Parents. PAGEREF _Toc282701891 \h 195

II. What Are Blessings of the Fifth Commandment?. PAGEREF _Toc282701892 \h 198

III. Dating.. PAGEREF _Toc282701893 \h 200

IV. What Children Receive for Obedience. PAGEREF _Toc282701894 \h 200

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701895 \h 200

Chapter 12—Sixth Commandment: No Murder.. PAGEREF _Toc282701896 \h 202

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701897 \h 202

I. Importance of the Sixth Commandment. PAGEREF _Toc282701898 \h 206

II. What We Must Do.. PAGEREF _Toc282701899 \h 207

III. What We Must Not Do.. PAGEREF _Toc282701900 \h 214

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701901 \h 216

Chapter 13—Seventh Commandment: What Is Marriage?. PAGEREF _Toc282701902 \h 218

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701903 \h 219

What Is Marriage?. PAGEREF _Toc282701904 \h 221

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701905 \h 230

Chapter 14—Seventh Commandment: What Is Adultery?. PAGEREF _Toc282701906 \h 232

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701907 \h 233

I. Spiritual Adultery.. PAGEREF _Toc282701908 \h 234

II. Human Adultery.. PAGEREF _Toc282701909 \h 236

III. Sins Forbidden.. PAGEREF _Toc282701910 \h 240

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701911 \h 244

Chapter 15—Eighth Commandment: You Shall Not Steal. PAGEREF _Toc282701912 \h 246

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701913 \h 247

I. Right to Own Property.. PAGEREF _Toc282701914 \h 249

II. Devaluing Property.. PAGEREF _Toc282701915 \h 252

A. Counterfeiting. PAGEREF _Toc282701916 \h 252

B. Ponzi Schemes. PAGEREF _Toc282701917 \h 254

C. Taking Care of Our Property. PAGEREF _Toc282701918 \h 255

III. Property Owning Us. PAGEREF _Toc282701919 \h 255

IV. Stealing from God and Others. PAGEREF _Toc282701920 \h 258

V. Fraud.. PAGEREF _Toc282701921 \h 260

VI. Defrauding the Poor.. PAGEREF _Toc282701922 \h 262

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701923 \h 263

Chapter 16—The Ninth Commandment: No False Witness. PAGEREF _Toc282701924 \h 264

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701925 \h 265

I. What Is Bearing False Witness?. PAGEREF _Toc282701926 \h 268

II. Applications of Bearing False Witness. PAGEREF _Toc282701927 \h 271

A. False Preachers. PAGEREF _Toc282701928 \h 271

B. Society. PAGEREF _Toc282701929 \h 272

C. Free Speech. PAGEREF _Toc282701930 \h 273

III. Proclaiming the Truth.. PAGEREF _Toc282701931 \h 273

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701932 \h 275

Chapter 17—The Tenth Commandment: Do Not Covet.. PAGEREF _Toc282701933 \h 278

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701934 \h 279

I. What Is Covetousness?. PAGEREF _Toc282701935 \h 281

II. What Is Envy?. PAGEREF _Toc282701936 \h 282

III. What Is the Cure?. PAGEREF _Toc282701937 \h 283

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701938 \h 287

PART THREE: IMPLICATIONS—God’s Judgment Now... PAGEREF _Toc282701939 \h 290

Chapter 18—Judgments & Blessings. PAGEREF _Toc282701940 \h 292

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701941 \h 292

I. Judgment Itself. PAGEREF _Toc282701942 \h 295

II. Who Is Lord, Caesar or Christ?. PAGEREF _Toc282701943 \h 298

III. What Composes a Nation’s Soul?. PAGEREF _Toc282701944 \h 301

Chapter 19—God’s Judgment is Now . . . Death Wish.. PAGEREF _Toc282701945 \h 306

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701946 \h 306

I. Orientation to Death.. PAGEREF _Toc282701947 \h 307

A. Can’t Define Evil PAGEREF _Toc282701948 \h 307

B. The Only Alternative. PAGEREF _Toc282701949 \h 307

II. Moral Decline. PAGEREF _Toc282701950 \h 310

A. Darwin and Eugenics. PAGEREF _Toc282701951 \h 310

B. Nietzsche and Death. PAGEREF _Toc282701952 \h 314

Conclusion.. PAGEREF _Toc282701953 \h 316

Chapter 20—God’s Judgment Is Now . . . Our Families. PAGEREF _Toc282701954 \h 318

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701955 \h 318

I. Family Disintegration.. PAGEREF _Toc282701956 \h 318

II. Education of Our Children.. PAGEREF _Toc282701957 \h 319

III. Consequences of Sex Sins. PAGEREF _Toc282701958 \h 320

A. Pornography. PAGEREF _Toc282701959 \h 320

B. Same Sex Consequences on the Family. PAGEREF _Toc282701960 \h 321

IV. Other Attacks against Christian Families. PAGEREF _Toc282701961 \h 329

Chapter 21—God’s Judgment Now . . . National Judgment.. PAGEREF _Toc282701962 \h 332

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701963 \h 332

I. Financial Judgment (Economic Suicide) PAGEREF _Toc282701964 \h 335

II. Lack of Justice (Moral Suicide) PAGEREF _Toc282701965 \h 337

A. Murders. PAGEREF _Toc282701966 \h 337

B. Courts. PAGEREF _Toc282701967 \h 338

C. Supreme Court PAGEREF _Toc282701968 \h 340

III. Other Nations Judging Us (National Suicide) PAGEREF _Toc282701969 \h 341

IV. Electing Corrupt Politicians (Political Suicide) PAGEREF _Toc282701970 \h 344

V. Ignorance (Intellectual Suicide) PAGEREF _Toc282701971 \h 346

VI. Gays in the Military (Military Suicide) PAGEREF _Toc282701972 \h 349

VII. National Media (Character Assassination) PAGEREF _Toc282701973 \h 350

Chapter 22—God’s Judgment is Now . . . Religious. PAGEREF _Toc282701974 \h 353

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701975 \h 353

I. Modern Christianity.. PAGEREF _Toc282701976 \h 353

II. A Better Way.. PAGEREF _Toc282701977 \h 358

III. Worst Sin in America?. PAGEREF _Toc282701978 \h 360

IV. Good Bye to Judgment. PAGEREF _Toc282701979 \h 361

V. Standing for the Triune God.. PAGEREF _Toc282701980 \h 366

Chapter 23—Conclusion: The Way Back.. PAGEREF _Toc282701981 \h 369

Introduction.. PAGEREF _Toc282701982 \h 369

I. Hypocritical “Christians”. PAGEREF _Toc282701983 \h 377

II. Cultural Saturation with Sin.. PAGEREF _Toc282701984 \h 379

III. Liberal Arrogance. PAGEREF _Toc282701985 \h 380

IV. Statism... PAGEREF _Toc282701986 \h 382

V. What Must Christians Do?. PAGEREF _Toc282701987 \h 384

VI. What Must Non-Christians Do?. PAGEREF _Toc282701988 \h 387

VII. Hope Beyond Measure! PAGEREF _Toc282701989 \h 387

Appendix 1: Worship of Images and Prayers to Saints. PAGEREF _Toc282701990 \h 389

Appendix 2: The Incarnation.. PAGEREF _Toc282701991 \h 395

Appendix 3: Bowing and Worshipping.. PAGEREF _Toc282701992 \h 405

Annotated Bibliography.. PAGEREF _Toc282701993 \h 413