The spiritual law of God, much like the unyielding laws of the universe, is always in effect. When we adhere to it, God blesses us; when we break it, we incur its penalty. The Ten Commandments have been binding since creation and remain so today, serving as the very code of conduct of our God. Sin is defined as the transgression of God's law, and its consequence is death. Sin has been a factor in human existence from the beginning, as law defines sin, and without law, there is no sin. Since Adam sinned, God must have given him His law, which included the Ten Commandments. Thus, breaking any of them was sin even before the time of Moses. Examples from early history show that people were guilty of sin, including idolatry and other violations, long before Moses received the law. Abraham, the father of the faithful, kept God's commandments, as did David, a man after God's own heart, who was deeply concerned with obedience. Jesus Christ Himself kept the Ten Commandments and taught others to do the same, emphasizing that to enter eternal life, one must keep them. He elaborated on their depth, showing that even thoughts and intentions matter in upholding them. The apostles, including Paul, frequently mentioned the commandments in their teachings, summarizing the last six as a way to love our neighbor. Breaking any commandment, whether showing love toward man or toward God, is sin. A true sign of God's church is the keeping of the Ten Commandments, and any church that does not teach and keep them is not of God. Love does not nullify God's law; rather, keeping the commandments perfects the love of God in us. Even in the future, when God's Kingdom is established, His law will remain the standard. No lawbreaker will be allowed in New Jerusalem, proving that obedience to God's law will be the central issue for all eternity.

The troubles and chaos in our world today stem directly from our rejection and transgression of the spiritual laws set in motion by God Almighty for our happiness and good. These laws, embodied in the Ten Commandments, have been in full force since human life began on this earth, separate from the ritualistic law of Moses. Breaking these commandments is sin, defined as the transgression of the law, and it brings suffering, sorrow, and curses upon us. The original sin in the Garden of Eden involved breaking multiple commandments. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, placing another god before Him, thus violating the first commandment. They dishonored their Creator, their only Parent, and succumbed to lust and vanity, breaking the tenth commandment. By taking what was not theirs, they violated the eighth commandment against stealing. In this act, every one of the Ten Commandments was broken in some way. Cain, their first son, also sinned by breaking commandments. He murdered his brother Abel, violating the sixth commandment, and lied about it, breaking the ninth commandment. Idolatry was a sin long before Abraham, as his ancestors served other gods, showing a violation of the second commandment. Profaning the name of God was a sin before Moses, as seen in the abominations committed by earlier generations, breaking the third commandment. The fourth commandment, concerning the Sabbath, was observed weeks before the law of Moses was given, as God tested the Israelites to see if they would walk in His law by resting on the seventh day. Dishonoring a parent, breaking the fifth commandment, was a sin in Noah's time, as seen when Ham's actions led to a curse upon Canaan. Adultery, violating the seventh commandment, was recognized as a sin by Joseph in Egypt, long before Moses. Stealing, breaking the eighth commandment, was a sin in Jacob's dealings with Laban. Lying, against the ninth commandment, was a sin when Abraham misled Abimelech about Sarah. Coveting, breaking the tenth commandment, was a sin when men took wives based on lustful desires, grieving God's heart. Every one of the Ten Commandments was in existence from creation, and it was sin to break any of them from Adam to Moses. Our suffering today is the result of choosing to live contrary to these laws, which were designed to produce happiness and a full, enjoyable life.

Breaking the first commandment occurs by allowing anything to come between a person and God through divided loyalties. This happens when values originate from sources other than God such as human systems of morality business ethics education entertainment fashions diet child training or marital relations. Submitting to laws or statutes not from God as the Israelites did with their fathers idols or modern laws permitting abortion constitutes idolatry even when done with sincerity and a clear conscience. A person becomes the slave of whatever source of morality is obeyed whether sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness. Loyalty to any person thing or self at the expense of loyalty to God or Jesus Christ shapes character in the wrong image. The world system established apart from God with its lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and pride of life along with its author satan serves as the source of much that is believed making it function as a god. Failure to keep the first commandment leaves mankind without the correct source of law and morality leading directly to satan through human experience alone. Worship of what is not fully known results in idolatry unless God calls a person to change the source of beliefs. Having other gods besides God produces violence confusion anxiety and despair in the world.