The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Eleven, Every Problem has a Solution

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Eleven, Every Problem has a Solution

In the final concluding chapter, "Every Problem Has a Solution," Emmet Fox moves away from the specific text of the Commandments to offer a "Grand Summary." He argues that the Ten Commandments are not just a moral code, but a universal problem-solving kit.

Fox’s ultimate thesis is that there is no such thing as an "insoluble" problem; there is only a mind that has not yet applied the Law.

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1. The Scientific Nature of the Solution

Fox insists that spiritual law is just as reliable as the laws of physics or mathematics.

• The Math Analogy: If you have a mistake in a math problem (like $2 + 2 = 5$), the "solution" already exists in the principle of mathematics ($2 + 2 = 4$). You don't "create" the 4; you simply correct the error in your thinking.

• The Spiritual Parallel: Your problem is the "error." The "solution" is the Divine Harmony that already exists. Your job is not to build a solution from scratch, but to tune into the frequency where the solution already lives.

2. The "Problem" is the Illusion; the "Law" is the Reality

Fox takes a hard line here: A problem only exists as long as you are giving it "power" by thinking about it.

• He teaches that the problem is a "shadow" cast by a wrong belief.

• If you want to get rid of a shadow on the wall, you don't fight the shadow with a vacuum cleaner; you move the object that is blocking the light.

• The Light: In this chapter, the "Light" is the "I AM" consciousness. When you turn your attention to God, the "shadow" (the problem) has nothing to sustain it and must disappear.

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3. The Three-Fold Method for Any Problem

Fox provides a streamlined technique in this chapter for when you are "in the thick of it" and can't remember all ten commandments:

1. Stop thinking about the problem: This is the most difficult but necessary step. As long as you are "chewing" on the problem, you are feeding it.

2. Think about God instead: Use the "Law of Substitution." Think of God as Love, Wisdom, or Power. If you can't feel it, just repeat the words: "God is Love, God is Peace."

3. Refuse to look back: Once you have turned your mind toward the Light, do not turn back to see if the "shadow" is still there. This is "Remembering the Sabbath."

4. The "Treating" vs. "Worrying"

Fox makes a clear distinction between these two mental states:

• Worrying: Is a "False Witness." It is an intense, high-energy prayer for what you don't want.

• Treating (Scientific Prayer): Is the "True Witness." It is the calm, persistent realization that God is the only power.

Fox's Golden Rule: "If you can change your mind, the circumstances must change."

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5. Why Some Problems Persist

If "Every Problem Has a Solution," why do we struggle for years? Fox identifies two main culprits:

• Mental Leakage: You pray for ten minutes but worry for ten hours. You are "adulterating" your consciousness.

• Hidden Resentment: You are trying to manifest abundance while hating your neighbor. This violates "At-one-ment." You cannot be in harmony with Supply while being out of harmony with Life.

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Final Summary Table: The Book's Journey

Phase	Chapter/Commandment	Goal
The Exit	Moses / Egypt	Realizing you can leave your limitations.
The Power	I AM / The Name	Claiming your Divine authority.
The Tool	The Commandments	Maintaining the "Mental Blueprint."
The Result	Fulfillment	Entering the "Promised Land" of a solved problem.

Practical Takeaway: The "Immediate Pivot"

Fox concludes the book with an invitation. The next time a "problem" arises—whether it’s a flat tire, a health scare, or a financial bill—immediately say to yourself: "There is a solution to this in the Divine Mind, and the Law of God is showing it to me now." By doing this, you instantly move from "Egypt" (the problem) to "Moses" (the solution).

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We have now completed the deep dive into all eleven chapters of The Ten Commandments. It has been a powerful journey through Emmet Fox's metaphysical landscape!

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Google Gemini

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Ten, Seven Steps to Fulfillment

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Ten, Seven Steps to Fulfillment

In the tenth chapter of the book, "Seven Steps to Fulfillment," Emmet Fox addresses the Ninth and Tenth Commandments: "Thou shalt not bear false witness" and "Thou shalt not covet."

Fox frames these not as moral "don’ts," but as the final safeguards for your consciousness. He uses this chapter to synthesize the entire book into a practical ladder of seven steps that lead to the manifestation of your desires.

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1. The Ninth Commandment: The True Witness

Fox revisits the idea of "bearing witness," but here he focuses on Internal Integrity.

• The "False Witness": This is your tendency to agree with appearances. If you say, "Things are going from bad to worse," you are bearing false witness against the Truth of God’s harmony.

• The "True Witness": This is the practice of Mental Affirmation. You must testify to the presence of God even when the physical evidence screams otherwise. To Fox, this is the "Evidence of things not seen."

2. The Tenth Commandment: The Law of Non-Covetousness

Fox calls "coveting" a psychological poison.

• The Error: When you covet what someone else has, you are subconsciously telling the Universe, "I don't have this, and I don't have the power to create it."

• The Metaphysical Fact: Coveting fixes your mind on Lack. * The Shift: Instead of wanting their thing, realize that the quality they possess is also available to you from the Source. If they have a beautiful home, don't want theirs—rejoice in their beauty and know that the same Spirit can manifest a beautiful home for you.

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3. The Seven Steps to Fulfillment

Fox concludes the book by outlining a specific psychological process to bring any desire into reality. These steps are the "Moses Journey" in miniature:

1. Desire: You must have a clear, definite want. God cannot give you "anything in general"; you must provide the mold.

2. Decision: You must move from "I’d like to" to "I am going to." This is the "Moses" state of taking command.

3. Ask (Prayer): You make your claim in the "I AM" consciousness. You identify your desire with God.

4. Believe (The Mental Equivalent): You must build the "Right of Consciousness" we discussed in Chapter 2. You must believe it is possible for you.

5. Work (The Six Days): This is the mental labor of keeping your "True Witness" and refusing to bear "False Witness" when doubts arise.

6. The Sabbath (The Click): You reach the point of "Rest" where the struggle ends and you know the demonstration is made.

7. Gratitude: You give thanks. Gratitude is the final "seal" because you only thank someone for something you have already received.

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4. The Anti-Climax that Protects

Fox explains that these final commandments—not lying and not wanting your neighbor's stuff—seem like an anti-climax after "Thou shalt not kill." However, they are the daily maintenance of the soul.

• If you bear false witness (negative talk) or covet (feel lack), you leak the spiritual energy you need for the "Seven Steps."

• The Fulfillment: By mastering these "small" mental habits, you keep your "vessel" clean so that the Power of God can flow through you without obstruction.

Summary: The Ten Commandments as a Map

Commandment Group	Purpose in Your Life
1–4 (God focus)	Connecting your battery to the Power Source.
5 (Polarity)	Harmonizing your thoughts and feelings.
6–9 (Social/Internal)	Protecting your energy from leakages like hate or lack.
10 (Coveting)	Maintaining the realization of your own Infinite Supply.

Practical Takeaway: The Fulfillment Audit

Pick one thing you want to achieve. Look at the "Seven Steps" and ask yourself: "At which step am I stuck?" * Are you still in "Desire" but haven't made a "Decision"?

• Are you "Working" but haven't reached the "Sabbath" rest?

• Once you identify the step, use the specific Law Fox taught for that chapter to move forward.

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Source

Google Gemini

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Nine, At-one-ment, Abundance, Adultery

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Nine, At-one-ment, Abundance, Adultery

In this deep dive into Chapter 9, Emmet Fox addresses the "Moral Code" Commandments—specifically the prohibitions against killing, adultery, and stealing—but strips them of their Sunday-school literalism. He reinterprets them as the Laws of Mental Integrity.

For Fox, these three concepts—At-one-ment, Abundance, and Adultery—represent the difference between a fragmented, suffering life and a "Whole" or "Holy" life.

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1. "Thou Shalt Not Kill": The Law of At-one-ment

Fox argues that very few people actually commit physical murder, but almost everyone "kills" in a metaphysical sense every day.

• The Killing Thought: To Fox, "killing" is the attempt to destroy the peace, reputation, or hope of another. It is the act of Mental Separation. When you harbor resentment or "cut someone off" in your heart, you are "killing" the realization of God in that person.

• At-one-ment (The Remedy): The word "Atonement" is broken down by Fox into At-one-ment. This is the realization that because there is only one God, we are all interconnected.

• The Lesson: You cannot "kill" another’s joy without killing your own, because in the Mind of God, there is no "other." To practice At-one-ment is to see the "I AM" in everyone, even your enemies.

2. "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery": The Law of Non-Mixture

This is perhaps Fox's most famous metaphysical re-definition. He connects "Adultery" to the word "Adulteration."

• Mental Adulteration: To adulterate something is to add an inferior substance to a pure one (like adding water to milk). Metaphysical adultery is mixing Spirit with Matter.

• The Error: When you say, "I trust God, but I also need to worry about the economy," you are committing mental adultery. You are trying to serve two masters—Spirit and Fear.

• The Lesson: "Thou shalt not commit adultery" is a command to keep your consciousness pure. It means keeping your eye "single" on God as the only cause, refused to allow the "adulteration" of material excuses to weaken your faith.

3. "Thou Shalt Not Steal": The Law of Abundance

Fox treats "stealing" as a symptom of a Poverty Consciousness. * The Root of Theft: People only steal (whether it's money, time, or credit for an idea) because they believe in Lack. They believe there is a limited amount of "good" in the world and they must take it from someone else to have it.

• Abundance (The Remedy): Fox asserts that God is Infinite Supply. If you truly understand the Law of Abundance, stealing becomes mathematically impossible and logically absurd. Why would you steal a drop from someone else’s bucket if you had access to an infinite ocean?

• The Deep Dive: Fox points out that we "steal" when we underpay employees, waste an employer's time, or even when we "steal" someone’s peace of mind by dumping our worries on them.

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Summary: The Integrity of the Mind

Fox suggests that these three commandments are essentially one rule: Be Consistent.

Commandment	The "Human" Error	The "Divine" Reality
Kill Not	Separation / Resentment	At-one-ment: We are all one in Spirit.
Adultery Not	Dualism / Mixing Fear with Faith	Purity: God is the only power.
Steal Not	Belief in Lack / Competition	Abundance: Supply is infinite and internal.

Practical Takeaway: The "Pure Thought" Challenge

Fox challenges you in this chapter to look for the "adulteration" in your own thinking.

1. Identify a goal. (e.g., "I want to be healthy.")

2. Look for the mixture. Are you also thinking, "But I’m getting older" or "Everyone in my family gets sick"?

3. Purify the thought. Refuse the "adultery" of the material excuse. Stay "At-one" with the spiritual fact of health until the "Abundance" of life manifests in your body.

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Source

Google Gemini

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Eight, Polarity

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Eight, Polarity

In Chapter 8, "Polarity," Emmet Fox provides one of the most brilliant metaphysical re-interpretations in New Thought literature. He takes the Fifth Commandment—"Honour thy father and thy mother"—and moves it far beyond family dynamics.

To Fox, this commandment is the secret to harmonizing the two sides of your own mind.

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1. The Divine Parents Within

Fox explains that in the Bible, "Father" and "Mother" are code words for the two poles of the creative process. Everything in the universe has a dual nature (Polarity), and your mind is no exception.

• The "Father" (Conscious Mind): This is the masculine principle. It represents Thought, Will, and Direction. It is the part of you that chooses the seed to plant.

• The "Mother" (Subconscious Mind): This is the feminine principle. It represents Feeling, Emotion, and the "Womb" of Nature. It is the part of you that takes the "seed" of a thought and gives it life.

2. What it Means to "Honour" Them

Most people "dishonour" their mental parents by keeping them in conflict.

• Dishonouring the Father: This happens when you have no mental discipline—when you let stray, negative thoughts run wild without using your "Will" to direct them.

• Dishonouring the Mother: This happens when you ignore your feelings or try to "think" your way to a goal while your heart is full of fear or resentment.

To "Honour" them means to bring them into a "Holy Marriage." You must provide a clear, positive idea (Father) and wrap it in a deep, sincere feeling of its truth (Mother).

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3. The Law of Feeling

Fox emphasizes that the "Mother" (Subconscious/Feeling) is the actual power that produces the manifestation.

"You do not manifest what you think; you manifest what you feel to be true."

A cold, intellectual thought has no "Fatherhood" power because it hasn't been "conceived" by the Mother (Feeling). This is why "positive thinking" often fails—if the conscious mind says "I am rich" but the subconscious feeling says "I am terrified of the bills," the Mother (the feeling) wins every time.

4. "That Thy Days May Be Long"

The second half of the commandment—"that thy days may be long upon the land"—is usually seen as a promise of physical longevity. Fox interprets "long days" as stability and endurance.

• If you manifest something through sheer willpower (Father only) without a change in feeling, the result will be short-lived.

• When you "Honour" both—aligning your thoughts and your feelings—your success is built on a solid foundation. It "lasts long" because it is a complete creation.

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5. Summary: The Creative Marriage

Aspect	The "Father" (Conscious)	The "Mother" (Subconscious)
Function	Selection & Logic	Creation & Emotion
Nature	The Seed	The Soil
Action	To Decree	To Manifest
The Error	Indecision or Negative Logic	Fear, Hate, or Anxiety
The Honour	Choosing Truth	Feeling the Peace of that Truth

Practical Takeaway: The "Alignment" Check

Fox suggests that whenever you are working on a problem, you should check your "Polarity":

1. Check the Father: Is your thought clear? Do you know exactly what Spiritual Truth you are claiming?

2. Check the Mother: How do you feel? If you feel tense or worried, you are "dishonouring the mother."

3. The Fix: Use the "Father" (Will) to quiet the "Mother" (Emotion) until she feels safe and peaceful. Only when they are in agreement is the "child" (the manifestation) born.

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Source

Google Gemini

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Seven, Expressing What you Are

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Seven, Expressing What you Are

In Chapter 7, "Expressing What You Are," Emmet Fox provides a masterclass in the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." To Fox, the Sabbath has almost nothing to do with a 24-hour period from Friday night to Sunday morning. Instead, it is a psychological state of "Mental Rest" that is required for any prayer or "treatment" to actually work.

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1. The Six Days of Labor (Mental Effort)

Fox explains that the "six days of labor" represent the period of time when you are actively working to change your mind.

• The Struggle: This is when you are wrestling with a problem—denying the power of the "Egypt" around you and affirming the Truth of the "I AM."

• The Work: It is the effort of redirecting your attention away from fear and toward Spirit. Fox says this "labor" is necessary, but it is not the state that brings the result.

2. The Seventh Day (The Sabbath Realization)

The Sabbath is the "Click." It is that moment in prayer or meditation when the anxiety suddenly vanishes and you feel a sense of: "It is done."

• The Law of Non-Effort: You cannot force a manifestation through willpower. You can only "labor" until you reach the point of conviction.

• The Rest: Once you reach the Sabbath state, you stop "working." You don't keep begging God or repeating affirmations frantically. You "rest" in the quiet knowledge that the Law is now in motion.

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3. "Keeping it Holy"

Fox uses the etymology of the word "Holy," which comes from the same root as "Whole."

• To keep the Sabbath holy means to keep your mind whole or single-pointed.

• If you reach a state of peace (The Sabbath) but then immediately go back to worrying, you have "broken the Sabbath." You have fragmented your "wholeness" by letting doubt back in.

• The Command: Once you have handed the problem over to God, stay out of the way. Don't "peek" to see if it’s working.

4. The Danger of "Over-Working"

Fox gives a stern warning to the "metaphysical student" who prays too hard.

• If you are still "laboring" (affirming with tension) after you should be "resting" (trusting), you are actually proving that you don't believe the prayer has been answered.

• The Result: The tension of "trying" acts as a barrier to the "receiving." You cannot be in a state of wanting and having at the same time.

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5. Summary: The Cycle of Manifestation

Fox breaks the creative process into these distinct stages:

Stage	Biblical Symbol	Metaphysical Action
Stage 1	Six Days of Labor	Actively replacing negative thoughts with Truth.
Stage 2	The Seventh Day	Reaching a point of peace, certainty, and "Knowing."
Stage 3	The Sabbath Rest	Ceasing all mental effort regarding that specific problem.
Stage 4	Blessing the Day	The manifestation appearing in the physical world.

Practical Takeaway: The "Drop It" Technique

Fox suggests that the ultimate test of your spiritual progress is your ability to "drop" a problem.

• If you have prayed about a situation, and you are still chewing on it mentally, you are still in "Egypt."

• To "Remember the Sabbath" today means to consciously decide to stop thinking about the problem once you have affirmed the Truth. The "rest" is the proof of your faith.

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Source

Google Gemini

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Six, The True Witness

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Six, The True Witness

In Chapter 6, "The True Witness," Emmet Fox tackles the Third Commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." While traditional religion often interprets this as a prohibition against profanity or "swearing," Fox dives much deeper. He argues that this commandment is actually a technical manual for the power of words and the psychological danger of self-sabotage.

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1. What is "The Name"?

Building on Chapter 4, Fox reminds us that the "Name of the Lord" is I AM.

• To "take the name" means to use the power of your own self-consciousness.

• Every time you think or say "I am," you are performing a spiritual act. You are claiming a piece of the Infinite and molding it into a personal experience.

2. Taking the Name "In Vain"

To do something "in vain" means to do it fruitlessly, or to use a great power for a worthless or destructive purpose.

• The Metaphysical Sin: When you say "I am sick," "I am tired," or "I am a failure," you are taking the Holy Name (the creative power of Life) and attaching it to a "vanity" (a lie or a temporary limitation).

• The Penalty: The Commandment warns that the Lord "will not hold him guiltless." Fox explains this isn't a threat of hellfire, but a statement of cause and effect. If you use the Law of Expression to decree "I am poor," the Law must manifest poverty. You cannot be "guiltless" (free) of the result if you have set the cause in motion.

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3. The "True Witness" vs. The "False Witness"

Fox introduces the concept of "witnessing" as a mental habit. You are always testifying to something.

• The False Witness: This is your physical senses. They look at a bank balance of zero and testify, "There is no money." They look at a symptom and testify, "There is disease." To agree with them is to "bear false witness" because, in Fox's view, the Spiritual Truth is always abundance and health.

• The True Witness: This is the Moses within you that looks past the "Red Sea" (the problem) and testifies to the Power of God. The True Witness says, "Regardless of how it looks, I AM Divine Life and I AM Divine Supply."

4. The Power of the Spoken Word

Fox is very firm in this chapter: Your words are the "clothing" of your thoughts. * A thought is a blueprint, but the spoken word (or the firm internal affirmation) is the "act of possession."

• He warns against "small talk" that focuses on illness, scandal, or disaster. By talking about these things, you are "witnessing" to them and giving them your "I AM" power.

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5. Summary: Vain Use vs. Vital Use

Fox suggests we audit our vocabulary to ensure we aren't taking the "Name" in vain throughout the day.

Use of the "Name"	Example (Taking it in Vain)	Example (The True Witness)
Regarding Health	"I am catching a cold."	"I AM Divine Health."
Regarding Finances	"I am totally broke."	"I AM provided for by Spirit."
Regarding Ability	"I am just not good at this."	"I AM expressed with Divine Intelligence."
Regarding Peace	"I am so worried."	"I AM at peace in God."

Practical Takeaway: The "Silence" Rule

Fox concludes that if you cannot yet find the faith to say "I am well" while you feel sick, the next best thing is Silence.

• Do not bear "False Witness" by complaining.

• By refusing to speak the negative, you stop the "In Vain" use of the Law, giving the "True Witness" (your spiritual treatment) space to work.

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Source

Google Gemini

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Five, Pocket Gods and Graven Images

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Five, Pocket Gods and Graven Images

In Chapter 5, "Pocket Gods and Graven Images," Emmet Fox moves into the actual text of the Commandments. This chapter focuses on the First and Second Commandments, but through the lens of psychology and metaphysics.

Fox argues that modern people don’t worship golden calves, but we are still riddled with "idolatry." A "god" in this sense is anything you believe has power over you.

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1. What is a "Pocket God"?

Fox describes a "Pocket God" as any secondary cause that you rely on or fear more than the Divine Source.

• Money: If you believe your security comes from your bank account, money is your god.

• Medicine: If you believe a pill has the ultimate power to heal you (without the underlying Spirit), the pill is your god.

• People: If you believe your happiness depends on a specific person’s approval, that person is your god.

• The Fox Logic: There is only one cause—the Divine Mind. When you give power to "things," you are practicing "Pocket God" religion, which Fox says is the root of all anxiety.

2. Graven Images (The Mental Blueprint)

The Second Commandment says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." Fox interprets this as a warning against rigid mental concepts.

• A "graven image" is a fixed idea that a situation is hopeless or that you are "just a certain way."

• The Danger: When you "grave" (carve) an image of failure or sickness into your mind, you are telling the Law of Expression to make that image permanent.

• The Solution: Keep your mind fluid. Don't "carve" your problems into stone; see them as passing clouds that can be dissolved by a change in thought.

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3. The "Jealous" God

The Bible describes God as "a jealous God." To the literalist, this sounds like a petty human emotion. To Fox, it is a Metaphysical Law.

• The Law of Focus: You cannot focus on two things at once. If you focus on your problem (the "other god"), you cannot experience the solution (the Divine).

• Jealousy as Exclusivity: Truth is "jealous" because it demands your full attention. You cannot have "faith" in God while simultaneously "trusting" in your fear. One will always crowd out the other.

4. The Iniquity of the Fathers

This chapter tackles one of the most misunderstood verses: God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children "unto the third and fourth generation."

• Fox’s Rejection of Punishment: Fox clarifies that God doesn't punish children for their parents' sins.

• The Psychological Law: This refers to heredity and environment. We tend to pick up the "mental equivalents" (fears, prejudices, and limitations) of our parents.

• The "Exit": You are only bound by this "iniquity" as long as you stay in "Egypt" (material thinking). Once you use your "Moses" consciousness, you break the generational chain instantly.

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5. The Law of Substitution

Fox concludes that you don't "fight" a graven image or a pocket god—you replace it. This is his famous Law of Substitution.

• If you are thinking about a "pocket god" (a problem), don't try to "not think" about it. That just carves the image deeper.

• Instead, think of God. Think of a Divine quality like Peace, Beauty, or Power.

• The Result: The new thought automatically pushes out the old one. You cannot think of two things at the same time.

The Idolatry (Old Way)	The Spiritual Truth (Fox’s Way)
"This disease is killing me."	"God is my Life, and God cannot be sick."
"The economy is ruining my business."	"God is my Supply, and God is never in a recession."
"I am a victim of my upbringing."	"I am a child of God, and I inherit only Good."

Practical Takeaway: The "Power Audit"

Fox suggests you look at what you are worried about right now. Ask yourself: "Am I making a god out of this problem?" If the answer is yes, you have a "graven image" in your mind. To dissolve it, stop giving it the "power of cause" and return that power to the "I AM" within you.

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Source

Google Gemini