YouGov released a new poll that shows that the majority of British Christians no longer believe all of the Ten Commandments are important. According to the study, although the Ten Commandments have traditionally played a central role in Christianity, a majority of British Christians now believe that the first four are unnecessary. Notice what the Telegraph wrote on October 25:

[R]esearch has revealed that just six of [the commandments] are still important to British Christians.

Most Christians believe that four of the commandments are not “important principles to live by” according to a YouGov poll.

The four which have fallen by the wayside are the requirement not to worship idols, use the Lord’s name in vain, to worship no other God, and to keep the Sabbath day holy.

In other words, the four commands “Christians” deem to be unimportant are the first four commandments—the ones that show us how to love God!

Notice how Christ responded when a lawyer asked Him about the greatest commandment in the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment,” He said. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

God’s law is simply His way of life, which is love. This law of love is broken down into these two great commandments—love toward God first and then toward fellow man. These two great laws are further subdivided into the Ten Commandments. The first four commandments teach us how to love God, and the last six teach us how to love our neighbor.

Notice that the very laws Christians want to toss away actually constitute the first and greatest commandment of all! Love toward God! All other laws flow out from this one.

Your Bible reveals that all of God’s commandments are righteousness—all ten of them (Psalm 119:172). By breaking even one of them, God says you are guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10).

“Can you realize that every unhappiness, every evil that has come to humanity, has been the result of transgressing God’s law?” wrote Herbert W. Armstrong in Mystery of the Ages. Mr. Armstrong said that every single particle of suffering, misery and death comes solely from breaking God’s commandments and transgressing His laws. He then wrote:

If no one ever had any other god before the true God; if all children were reared to honor, respect and obey their parents, and all parents reared their children in God’s ways; if no one ever allowed the spirit of murder to enter his heart, if there were no wars, no killing of humans by humans; if all marriages were kept happy and there were no transgressions of chastity before or after marriage; if all had so much concern for the good and welfare of others that no one would steal—and we could throw away all locks, keys and safes; if everyone told the truth—everyone’s word were good—everyone were honest; if no one ever coveted what was not rightfully his, but had so much outgoing concern for the welfare of others that he really believed it is more blessed to give than to receive—what a happy world we would have!

For more on this subject, listen to my radio show from October 26. You can listen here. And if you don’t have a copy already, request our free booklet The Ten Commandments.