The emphasis in the Ten Commandments is on the external and the tone is basically negative. By contrast, the Gospel of Mathew presents the Works of Mercy. These have become the new commandments for the followers of Jesus. Salvation is being determined not according to the way we have lived the Ten Commandments, but on how well we have observed the Works of Mercy.
We may think of the sins we have committed and worry about how they have separated us from God. Salvation is equated not to the traditional Ten Commandments but to how well we have served the less fortunate individuals in our midst. The surest and most direct road to salvation is to be found in performing the Works of Mercy.