#ReExamineSCRIPTURE: Start with The Ten Commandments
Phil Miglioratti Interviewed Tom Lutz, Author of "Equipping Christians for Kingdom Obedience"
PHIL>>> Many Christians today seem uncertain about the role of the Law in the Christian life. Why is this such a common source of confusion?
TOM>>> Much of the confusion comes from a false choice that has been presented over time: either we live by grace or we live by law. Scripture never presents that as the choice. The Law was given in the context of grace—God redeemed Israel before He gave them the Law.
The real issue is that the Law has often been misunderstood as a means of earning God’s favor rather than a guide for living in response to it. When that misunderstanding takes hold, people either reject the Law entirely or try to use it to prove themselves.
In Equipping Christians for Kingdom Obedience, I try to show that the New Testament does not remove the Law—it restores its proper place. The Law shows us what a life shaped by God’s character looks like. When we begin with grace, the Law becomes not a burden, but a gift.
PHIL>>> Your book argues that Jesus did not reinterpret the Law but restored its original meaning. Can you explain what you mean by that?
TOM>>> Jesus’ teaching in passages like the Sermon on the Mount is often seen as raising the standard or even changing the Law. But what He is actually doing is correcting misunderstandings that had developed over time.
The Law had been reduced to external compliance—something measurable and manageable.
Jesus brings it back to its original intent, showing that it always addressed the heart as well as behavior.
As I argue in the book, when we read the Law carefully in the Hebrew Bible, we see that this deeper understanding was always there. Jesus is not introducing something new—He is restoring what was always true.
PHIL>>> You emphasize the Ten Commandments as the moral foundation of Scripture. Why are they so central?
TOM>>> The Ten Commandments are unique in Scripture. They are the only time God speaks directly to an entire people, and they provide a concise summary of His moral will.
They function as the foundation from which the rest of the Law flows. The applications we see throughout the Old Testament—and even into the New—are rooted in these Ten Words.
In Equipping Christians for Kingdom Obedience, I describe them as the “moral core” of Scripture. If we understand them rightly, we have a framework for understanding how the rest of the Bible speaks about life with God and life with others.
PHIL>>> In Exodus 20, God begins the Law with the words: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt.” Why is that important?
TOM>>> Those opening words establish the entire context. Before a single command is given, God reminds His people that He has already redeemed them.
That means the Law is not a condition for relationship—it is the result of relationship. It is not, “Obey so that I will be your God,” but “I am your God—therefore, this is how you are to live.”
This grace-first pattern is foundational. When we see it clearly, the Law becomes a gracious guide rather than a burden.
PHIL>>> Many voices today emphasize love as the starting point. How does your focus on the Law relate to that?
TOM>>> The call to love God and love our neighbor is central—but the key question is, what does love actually look like?
The Law answers that question. The Ten Commandments give concrete shape to love. They show us that loving God means honoring Him alone, and loving our neighbor means protecting life, honoring commitments, telling the truth, and seeking their good.
Without that framework, “love” can become subjective. The Law anchors love in the character of God. In that sense, the Law is not opposed to love—it is the way love is lived out in real life.
PHIL>>> You describe the Ten Commandments as a vision for human flourishing based on Deuteronomy 4:5–6. Can you explain that?
TOM>>> In Deuteronomy 4, Moses tells Israel that when they live according to God’s Law, the nations will see their lives and recognize their wisdom.
That means the Law is not merely about avoiding wrongdoing—it is a vision for how life works best. Imagine a society where people honor God, protect one another, keep their commitments, tell the truth, and use what they have for the good of others.
That is a flourishing society. As I emphasize in the book, the Law is not restrictive—it is life-giving.
PHIL>>> Many people think of the Ten Commandments simply as rules. How do they function more as principles?
TOM>>> The Commandments are stated in concise form, but they were always intended to be applied broadly. The rest of the Old Testament shows how those principles were worked out in real-life situations.
For example, “You shall not murder” is not only about taking a life—it is about protecting life and promoting the well-being of others.
When we see the Commandments this way, they become a framework for wise living rather than a checklist of isolated rules.
PHIL>>> Many believe Jesus replaced the Law in the Sermon on the Mount. Why is that a misunderstanding?
TOM>>> Jesus explicitly says that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. What follows in the Sermon on the Mount is not replacement, but restoration.
He corrects interpretations that had reduced the Law to external actions and shows that it addresses the heart.
This is a key theme I develop in Equipping Christians for Kingdom Obedience: Jesus’ teaching is entirely consistent with the trajectory already present in the Old Testament.
PHIL>>> What did the Pharisees get wrong about the Law?
TOM>>> They treated the Law as a system for establishing their own righteousness. It became a way to measure themselves rather than a guide to shape them.
In doing so, they reduced it to external compliance and missed its deeper purpose. The Law was never meant to be a ladder to climb, but a guide to follow in response to God’s grace.
This misunderstanding forms the backdrop for much of Jesus’ teaching.
PHIL>>> Why is the distinction between effort and earning so important?
TOM>>> Scripture calls us to effort, but never to earning.
Earning assumes we can put God in our debt. Effort recognizes that because we already belong to Him, we pursue lives that reflect His character.
In the book, I emphasize that confusing these leads either to legalism or passivity. Keeping them distinct allows us to pursue obedience with freedom and joy.
PHIL>>> How should Christians today think about the Law as a guide for spiritual growth?
TOM>>> We need to move from seeing the Law as a list of rules to seeing it as a picture of life shaped by God’s character.
The Law helps us understand what it means to love God and love others in the real circumstances of life—our work, our relationships, our decisions.
Spiritual growth is not abstract. It is learning to live wisely in the world God has made. The Law provides that wisdom.
For those who want to explore this more fully, I develop these ideas throughout Equipping Christians for Kingdom Obedience, which is available here: https://tinyurl.com/TLutzAmazon
PHIL>>>For pastors and church leaders who want to recenter Christ in every ministry and meeting, in worship-fellowship-discipleship-stewardship, what are the first changes—in mindset and in practice—you would encourage them to make?
TOM >>> I would suggest beginning with a shift in mindset: moving from seeing ministry as primarily the transfer of information to seeing it as the formation of people. The goal is not simply that people know more, but that they are being shaped into the likeness of Christ in every area of life.
From there, I would encourage leaders to consistently connect biblical truth to real life. Jesus did this continually—He spoke in ways that helped people understand how God’s truth intersects with their daily work, relationships, and responsibilities.
Practically, this means asking a second question in every ministry setting: not only, “What does this passage say?” but also, “What does this look like when lived out?” That simple shift begins to move teaching from abstraction to application.
Finally, I would encourage leaders to recover the pattern we see throughout Scripture: grace first, then guidance. When people understand who they are in Christ, they are then ready to receive how they are to live. That is where the Law finds its proper place—not as a burden, but as a guide for Kingdom living.
PHIL>>> Tom, please give us a prayer we can pray that will equip us to equip Christ followers to live a Kingdom lifestyle.
TOM>>> Lord,
You are the God who redeems before You command,
the One who calls us Your own before You call us to obedience.
Shape our hearts to love what You love.
Teach us to see Your Law not as a burden, but as a gift—a guide to life as it was meant to be lived.
Give us wisdom to live faithfully in the places You have called us,
and courage to reflect Your character in all we do.
And as You form us, use us to help others follow You— not merely in what they know, but in how they live.
We ask this in the name of Christ,
who fulfilled the Law and leads us in it.
Amen.
NOTE: My previous interview with Tom is here>>>
About the Author
Tom Lutz is a professor at a Metro Atlanta Seminary www.metroatlantaseminary.org ;a
PCA-affiliated seminary and a teacher of both Old and New Testament theology. He has
spent decades equipping pastors, leaders, and marketplace Christians to understand
how Scripture speaks to everyday life and work. Tom is the author of Equipping
Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work and his newest book, Equipping
Christians for Kingdom Obedience, which explores the role of God’s Law in shaping
faithful Christian living.
Learn more or purchase the book here: https://tinyurl.com/TLutzAmazon
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