Yes — the Ten Commandments are still relevant to everyone because they are God's mind for human behavior and the foundation of any good society, though they do not save.
Les Feldick teaches that the Ten Commandments are still the criteria for social behavior, whether Christian or non-Christian, and that no society can survive without them. They simply express the mind of God for mankind's own good. While they are not a criterion for salvation, they continue to stand as God's unchanging standard for human conduct.
Exodus 20:1-17 — This passage contains the Ten Commandments themselves, the very standard of God's mind that Les says applies to all human society.
Romans 7:4 — This verse shows the only way out from under the law's condemnation is through death with Christ, not by dismissing the commandment's relevance.
The Ten Commandments are recorded in Exodus 20. They begin, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." The commandments themselves include absolute prohibitions such as "Thou shalt not kill" and "Thou shalt not commit adultery." These words are written as God's authoritative standard for human conduct. Paul writes in Romans 7:4, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." So Scripture reveals both the enduring authority of the law and the only way of release from its condemnation — through identification with Christ's death.
Les Feldick teaches that the Ten Commandments are not just an Old Testament relic. He calls them "the mind of God" and says everything within them is for mankind's own good. They are still the criteria for social behavior, whether Christian or non-Christian. Whether a person is Jewish, Muslim, pagan, or atheist, no society has ever survived without the fabric the Ten Commandments provide. When a society rebels against these tenets, it gets into trouble, and empires have fallen as a result. At the same time, Les is careful to say that being not under the law does not mean the commandments are cast aside. He states, "I'm not saying that the Ten Commandments are verboten. I'm not saying that they are cast aside. I'm just simply saying that the Ten Commandments are not a criteria for salvation." The law was written on cold stone and could do nothing but convict and condemn; it had no power to help a person obey. Les also emphasizes that God has not changed. The God of the Mosaic law is the same God today, and what He hated in Genesis He still hates today. For the believer, the difference between law and grace is not permission to break the commandments. Love is the fulfilling of the law, so when love operates, the believer does not commit adultery, kill, bear false witness, or covet. Paul repeats nine of the Ten Commandments, omitting only the Sabbath, and never tells believers they are free to break the moral standards.
Les answers directly: "I'm not saying that the Ten Commandments are verboten. I'm not saying that they are cast aside. I'm just simply saying that the Ten Commandments are not a criteria for salvation." The commandments remain relevant as the framework of a good society and as the mind of God, even though they do not save.
Yes, according to Les. He says the Ten Commandments are "still the criteria for social behavior, whether it's Christian or non-Christian." Even absolute atheists and pagans live in societies that cannot survive without the fabric the Ten Commandments provide. The commandments are not a religious doctrine; they are simply the mind of God for mankind's own good.
Les says the God of the Old Testament and the God of the Mosaic law is the same God today. He has not changed. "The things that God hated way back in Genesis, God hates today." This means the moral standard behind the commandments is not outdated.
Under grace, love is the dominant force. Love is the fulfilling of the law, so when love is operating, the believer does not commit adultery, kill, bear false witness, or covet. Paul repeats nine of the Ten Commandments, omitting only the Sabbath, and never says the believer is free to break them. Everything God said "thou shalt" does not become permissive; it becomes that which comes from within.
Les explains from Romans 7 that believers are dead to the law by the body of Christ so that they are married to another — the risen Christ. Just as death ends the legal binding of a husband and wife, the death of Christ ends the believer's obligation to the Mosaic system. This is the only way out, not by rejecting the commandments.
Dead to the Law Through Christ
Les shows the only Scriptural release from the Ten Commandments is through the crucified body of Christ, which joins the believer to the risen Christ.
The Law Condemns but Cannot Help
The Ten Commandments written on stone were unmovable and could only convict and condemn; they had no power to help people obey.
Not a Criterion for Salvation
Ten Commandments on a classroom wall apply to Jewish, Muslim, and pagan alike because they establish a good society; yet they are not the criterion for salvation.
A Fabric Every Society Needs
Even pagans and atheists need the Ten Commandments, since no society has ever survived without that fabric. The law was given to Israel, but its principles sustain all societies.
Criteria for Social Behavior
Les describes the Ten Commandments as the still-present criteria for social behavior for Christian and non-Christian alike — the mind of God for mankind's own good, not religious doctrine.
Love Fulfills the Law
In grace, love is the fulfilling of the law, so the believer naturally does not commit adultery, kill, bear false witness, or covet — Paul repeats nine of the Ten Commandments, omitting the Sabbath.
God Does Not Change
The God of the Mosaic law is the same God today; what He hated in Genesis, He still hates today, making the moral standard behind the commandments timeless.
Thou Shalt Becomes Inward
Everything God said "thou shalt" does not become permissive under grace; it becomes a matter of the heart, so a believer automatically adheres to the commandments Paul reiterates.
Exodus 20:2: I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
This opens the Ten Commandments, grounding the law in God's own authority and His relationship to His people.
Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill.
A direct prohibition that shows the Ten Commandments are a universal moral standard, not limited to one religious group.
Exodus 20:14: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Another absolute moral prohibition that remains the standard for human behavior in society.
Romans 7:4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Paul explains that believers are released from the law through Christ's death and are now joined to the risen Christ.
Romans 13:10: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
This supports Les's teaching that love, not commandment, is the believer's motivating force, yet it still fulfills the moral content of the Ten Commandments.
Yes. Les says they are still the criteria for social behavior whether Christian or non-Christian, and no society, pagan or atheist, can survive without the fabric the Ten Commandments provide.
No. Les says he has no compunction about having them in public schools because they are not a religious doctrine. They are simply the mind of God and are for mankind's own good.
No. Les says he is not saying the Ten Commandments are verboten or cast aside; they are just not the criterion for salvation. In grace, love fulfills the law, and the believer automatically adheres to the moral content Paul repeats.
Les points out that Paul repeats nine of the Ten Commandments; the one he does not repeat is the Sabbath.
Watch the Teaching: Dead to the Law, Married to Christ — What Romans 7 Really Means