The Fourth Commandment
Honor your father and your mother.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and
other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.
Self Examination Questions:
·
Have I honored my parents as gifts from God?
·
Have I honored, respected and obeyed other
authorities God has placed over me?
·
Have I given reason to my parents or other
authorities to be angry?
·
Have I faithfully fulfilled my vocation in my
station in life?
The Fifth Commandment
You
shall not murder.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his
body, but help and support him in every physical need.
Self Examination Questions:
·
If someone is hurt, have I helped them?
·
Have I hated anyone?
·
Have I ever used violence to get what I want?
·
Have I spoken up to protect the life and
well-being of helpless people?
The Sixth Commandment
You
shall not commit adultery.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in
what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.
Self Examination Questions:
·
Have
I committed shameful or impure acts?
(Deed)
·
Have
I told or enjoyed listening to “dirty” jokes or stories? (Word)
·
Have
I been preoccupied with sexual fantasies? (Thought)
·
Have
I failed to respect marriage as a gift from God?
The Seventh Commandment
You
shall not steal.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or
possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and
protect his possessions and income.
Self Examination Questions:
·
Have I taken something that does not belong to
me?
·
Have I failed to give my employer my best work?
·
Have I wasted time?
·
Have I tried to benefit from someone else=s loss?
(Gambling)
·
Have I withheld what I owe others?
The Eighth Commandment
You
shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray
him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him,
and explain everything in the kindest way.
Self Examination Questions:
·
Have I said things about someone which were
hurtful to his or her reputation?
·
Have I enjoyed hearing gossip?
·
Have I neglected to speak up for someone when
they were being gossiped about?
·
Have I jumped to unfair conclusions about
someone?
·
Have I put up a front before others to make them
think of me differently from what is true?
·
Have I neglected to tell the whole truth?
The Ninth Commandment
You
shall not covet your neighbor's house.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor's
inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and
be of service to him in keeping it.
Self Examination Questions:
·
Have I been envious of someone because of his
possessions?
·
Have I ever wished that I had more than my
neighbor does?
·
Have I been unthankful for what God has blessed
me with?
·
Have I been unwilling to help my neighbor to
keep his property?
The Tenth Commandment
You
shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox
or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
What does this mean?
We
should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor's
wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and
do their duty.
Self Examination Questions:
·
Have I been jealous of my neighbor because of
his family, friends or workers?
·
Have I tried to make someone’s associates to be
disloyal?
