Preserve the Sanctity of Life - Get Free from your Hate & Killing Sins
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This evening as move from inward attitude govern all our relationship - submitting out of reverence to Christ, honouring of personhood and especially role God’s ordained for each relationship, to the outward attitudes and behaviors - God as Supreme lawgiver - wants to empower, to guide, train, direct, and indeed regulate our relationships for His glory and our flourishing.
Need to review the uses, Christian uses of God’s law - to shows us how hopeless it is to be saved by this law, The law can’t merit our relationships acceptance with God, not even a bit - by the law - , yet NT upholds a good purpose in salvation of the law. It points us to our need for atonement, blood sacrifice, acceptance in another righteousness without the law , without objectively being found guilty and wanting - wont’ turn to Christ , won’t turn to him for forgiveness to bear our sins, won’t turn to him I need your righteousness. But other great purpose of the law - for society - educates right way to live , perfect standard to base society, including smallest society the home upon , written on hearts every culture recognize in some way these ten.
But most important for our purpose in our Christian living (gratitude) is the third use of the law still in effect as guide for thankful living - such a thing as an evangelical obedience , a gospel obedience - If you are a forgiven- sinner, and God’s Spirit renewing you to live like Jesus, to be remade in the image of the Son of God- reflect God’s image in your relationships with each to her. you need this command - Stop all form s of wrongful killing in your life - Like in need to understand how this law applies to how you live with your brothers and sisters - friends, family, fellow Christians, neighbours - not people you’re against, and physically want to kill, but those you may insult slander, or gossip about, those in frustration you may lash out and call a fool.
And you need to understand how this prohibition is to change the way you live with those who are against you, you enemies whether because you have a legitimate reason to be against them or they are just against you. As The Messiah explains it, of whom it is said when he comes - radically inward writing of His law on the hearts of the people ()
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
that the last days, and the people of the Messiah of the last days, betwen the comings. Is this you?
Key Truth: Children of God, indwelt by the Sprit of Christ, give up your hate & killing crimes against all others, to preserve the Sanctity of Life walking in Christ’s love!
Here definitions are vital. Too many Christians like the Pharisees that Jesus was talking to have twisted the definition to exclude any wrong they have commited against other image bearers of God, against God’s creation. What had they done? In their parsing of the law, the “traditions of men”, What Jesus means when he says, “You have heard it said” - Rabbis over the years - all different situation even into the middle ages - binding traditions explaining the law - RATZACH … just outward physical act; and further that inward it was legitimate to hate your enemies and just love those who are worthy in your life! But in the Messiah Constitution of the Kingdom of God which begins the gospel of Matthew - he isn’t abolishing the moral law or replacing it with a different law, he is reinstating this moral law and giving it its fullest and true inner meaning. Antinomoies. You have heard said, …but my followers who came into the kingdom poor in Spirit, knowing need Saviour, but following me, soon to be abiding in y Spirit - this is how they keep the commandments!
A.
Here definitions are vital. Too many Christians like the Pharisees that Jesus was talking to have twisted the definition to exclude any wrong they have commited against other image bearers of God, against God’s creation. What had they done? In their parsing of the law, the “traditions of men”, What Jesus means when he says, “You have heard it said” - Rabbis over the years - all different situation even into the middle ages - binidng traditions explaining the law - RATZACH … just outward physical act; and further that inward it was legitmate to hate you r enmeies and just love those who are worthy in your life! But in the Messiah constitituion of the Kingdom of God which begins the gospel of Matthew - he isn’t abolishing the moral law or replacing it with a different law, he is reinstateing this moral law and giving it its fullest and true inner meaning. Antinomoies. YOu have hear tid siad, …b ut my followers who came into the kingdom pooor in Spirit,iknowing need Saviour, but following me, sson to be abiding in y Spirit - this is how they keep the commandemtns!
A. What is RATZACH / Wrongful Killing? And Have I Committed it?
RATZACH isn’t all killing or just killing. There are actually 8 different words in the OT that God could have used for this command but he chose this one to communicate with Moses as he spoke and indeed wrote. There is a killing that underlines the inner meaning of this command:
And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
As God makes covenant with Noah and the creation, God’s establish what living in a covenant relation with gracious God means. He is Sovereign author of life, all human life. He is the inventor, sustainer, the ruler of all human life. And bearing his very image is sacred trust that He is sovereign over and none are to wrongfully take. From conception, where in , God said I knit you, body and soul unity, in your mother's womb, I knew your name before your birth - to the very end of life when through suffering, God, in whose eyes the dying of His saints is so precious () God is still sovereign over life!
This is why God is so clearly against us taking His role as Sovereign over life and death and snuffing out nameless babies in wombs, and frail, suffering aged or sick. As so many of our courageous Christian doctors and nurses trying to uphold - oath to protect life, alleviate what suffering we can. Do you understand that God gives us all life and the purpose is so that as puts it:
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
We are all to live and tell of God’s glory, and even an unbeliever unreconciled to God - in the degree that he or she reflects beauty love, service they are doing that. So all killing is wrong that actually or potentially steals that ability away and actually robs God!
The word God chose is never killing of animals but of other people. But it is not the word used for the government- upholding the sanctity of life of the image bearer by punishing murders, nor is it used of the killing of an army rising up in defense of innocents, or mortal combat, nor of self-defence! In these cases, government, God who Alone is to be Sovereign over all matters of life and death - delegates power to the state to bring justice and defend life, even by force. He never gives that power to private individuals who have been wronged, in personal vengeance, Read
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
but ot the community, to the goverment of the community.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
This is why the NIV and ESV have chosen to translate this command as “You shall not murder” which gets closer to what God is saying: “You shall not in a premeditates way take innocent life or deliberately kill a personal enemy!” It would seem that’s the way the Pharisees left it too. But that doesn’t go far enough.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Just like the honour commandment, is not just about parents and children, but whole host of relationships. So too Thou shall not wrongfully kill - broader than that one kind of wrongful killing called murder. That’s what all the rest of the book of the covenant, the second giving of the law and Leviticus, would spell out - here is the broad comprehensive Principe that reflects a deep and personal thing about the God, whom we serve and the God whom we are to reflect. Our God is not a destructive God - but a God who preserves life.
So much so that when humans about to murder or have murdered, there is another type of killing that prevents greater evil - justly killing a tyrant - stop him in his tracks, not just defending sacred life of victims, but also preventing this murderer from further evil and greater evil.
Why wrongful killing, goes beyond murder. If you voluntarily do something that will probably endanger others, even if intent was not to maliciously kill, but your actions caused that killing, not murder, but voluntary manslaughter. And even if your actions were accidental , unintentional that killed another - but culpable , including your own life, as in stupid risk-taking behaviour, and in suicide. You see that doesn’t preserve the sacredness and sanctity of life given by God - that too is covered by this idea of wrongful killing, even if it isn’t murder.
Consider even the case of Windsor area mother - daughter in her womb, unborn baby Cassie, and her partner in rage didn’t kill her but did kill the pre-born baby. ARPA intervened and MP sought to introduce life preserving bill - consider this murder!
But do you understand, that in both OT and NT this command not to kill, to preserve the sanctity of life as a gift from God is broadened to the positive personal loving neighbour and enemy alike?
B. What is Preserving the Sanctity of Life
How many of you have committed murder - Don’t rush t answer that and don’t put your hand up - but abortions are happening, and even by some who Christians - and often in ignorance. Some dn’t realize it is murder because our law doesn’t reflect God’s! And their sin of commission - is caused by our sin of omission of not working to raise awareness of the precious ness of that life of a pre-born baby. Every hour 12 more pre-born babies aborted! Do you know how many adoptions there are in Canada a year, only 1,700; Do you know how many abortions? 100,000! Only 330,000 live births! Do you know no law like most other industrialized nations - counseling , 48 hour wait period - We are to work to preserve life, God’s law says we can’t be apathetic participate, or condoning murder in our land!
But that is clear we are to preserve physical life. But how many of you have wrongfully killed someone here.. That was really Jesus question to those Pharisees. How does Jesus explain this law that God has before us tonight:
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
What? Is Jesus changing the immutable ten words . No! Jesus is saying this law does not just forbid wrongful killing, it also forbids the desire to wrongfully kill another! Do you know what that word You fool actually is in Aramaic, that was an insult word - do you ever use those words in thinking of another, speaking behind a persons back, ever say that under your breath, to your parents won’t let you do something, . Ever in road rage, -
If you grew up with NIV, might remember this word is RACA. It literally meant - you are empty, devoid of value! This isn’t Job or Jermeiah moaning wish I was never born. It is in your heart you saying , God I have determined in my heart that person in front of me, I am not just against what they do or day, I think in their person they are worthless , a piece of dung! God, this person I’m thinking about, or about to talk about - you were mistaken in giving them life - and I not only count them worthless to your purposes, but I am gong to think talk or act against their life against your image in them!
That’s why we read the amplification of this law in Leviticus - that person’s name their repurutation you are not to slander. That person you are not to do anything that endangers or damages them. Yes may have to rebuke, may even have to take law, But what did it say
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
Here is the climax
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
What do we call this? Golden Rule. Not like liberal Christianity doesn’t have the gospel, the new birth of the Spirit, say if you just try to do this you;ll be saved! But true historic Christianity - calls this the Golden Rule too - It is the foundation of Christian ethics.! Not how we are saved ,but it is how saved people begin and grow in living! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! = The preciousness of others!
By way of application, think of the last time you were really angry with someone, last time bore a grudge, Could be easy when you struck out , verbally lashed out, but could also be when you gestured - what did this commandment mean to you then? Face and mind eyes darkened to that person! See it’s a battle to preserve life!
It’s been so since the Fall into sin for all of us. Where did the first seeds of family conflict manifest themselves, outside of the Garden of Eden? Where do we see the seed of murder rearing it’s ugly face and raising its clenched first? Remember Cain and Abel’s offering, he start comparing, he gets angry, his face, his countenance falls!
Catechism is wise, rolled eyes to one another, Gottam University of Washington - couples 15 minutes - trace 15-20 years, predict with 80% accuracy, and 90% if observed them for an hour if stay together. How? Looking for what he called the four horsemen of the apocalypse. What do these horses of destruction bring: blaming, stone-walling, criticizing, but number one indicator = contempt, contemptuous speech and action - even an eye brow.
Cain:
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Do you feel it? Seeds of very single single are planted in every human heart. Though don’t all outwardly act on them, they are there and that potential to act on them, must be nipped in the bud. This command with a new heart, can free you to live the Jesus-way. When you feel the countenance of your face hardening in disgust, when you hear your voice lashing out. And that will bring us to the conclusion
C. Positively, How Do Fallen, though Saved Christians, Keep this Command Not to Wrongfully Hate or Kill?
The Jesus-way to live isn’t: “Love the nice guys in our lives, but hate your enemies, and you are free not to love the meanies, and less desirable ones, and the people so different than us. Maybe rich, maybe poor, Maybe “sinners” maybe righteous. Just love your friends and the family you like? NO. Look Jesus says:
Look Jesus says:
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
In Christ, who perfectly loved his neighbours and his enemies, we have forgiveness, we have his record. That’s faith in Christ. But now as those saved, obedience in Christ is to do all our relationships as he did them, reflecting his father justice and love and mercy:
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Now we are starting to get to the radical place of the commandments, God’s covenant way - you live in relationship to me, here is what I promise including forgiveness, but also direction for real promise-land living. Live a world where violence, power struggle, rivalry turns nastily sinful , world of hate - though law is necessary to restrain. It can’t get you to ability to actually reflect this love . For all our talk of legal individual rights in this country - no talk of responsibility - and the law can’t work that in your heart - only a right relationship with God through Jesus can now do that!
Why many religious people - so quickly reduce this command to mere external activity that they don’t do. But that never leads to fulfilling the law! Is that all this commandment, first specific behavior one means to you? This is the one that starts fleshing out honouring one another in all our relationships. Is it just - doesn’t apply to me?
But listen to the Apostle closest to Jesus, John the beloved disciple, Jesus’ best friend. The one who experienced love of God probably more intensely and then sought to hold them up to Christian community he says:
Why religious people - so quickly reduce it to mere external activity they don’t do , without fulfilliing the law! IS that all this commandment firs spefici one - fleshing out honourioig aone another in all our relationsihps , is it just - doens’t aply to me?
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
This year a man , basically off the street -given a Bible, given food, given loving practical help, offered study Bible with him, - ended up in seedy downtown streets of our city - actually heard him on CBC national radio - filmed friend tazered when arresting - and he died , full of such hate for police. We live in a city where there is hate! And just an hour down the road in TO by July higher murder rate than NYC. Mass shooting is not just in USA but in Canada , Where is all this violence coming from?
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
Why for entertainment average kid seeing 8000 TV deaths and 100,000 act of screen violence - just soaking it in condition and desensitized. Movies get more and more brutal and more and more brutal. Even in you and me , what is the course of strained family relations. How about all this abuse at St Michael’s, but even in church circles - where is this all coming from? Answer is the fallen human heart.
And this old law - no wrongful killing, no degrading the sacred life God’s given to each of us, in Christ that’s got to become a new modus operandi, new way that we operate with friends and enemies.
New hardware of new heart, born again, saved forgiven receiving the Spirit, isn’t enough on it own; you’ve got the engine but you need these train tracks! The old law becomes new law when with the Spirit, we start to live for Christ in all our relationships, positively protecting the sanctity of each other.
Why Jesus says ven with this commandment -
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Conclusion: Fascinating reading Crown and Covenant series by Douglas Bond - British Redcoats in killing years, control Presbyterian church, both sides eager to fight - but many only in defense - uncertain what to do with unjust king, Remarkable to see Reuben and myself - justified rising up, but also so clear not a personal vengeance, and in the conflict, helping neighbour, barn to burned, one Corpral Boig - let them hide, forced by father and why given higher rank - saved their lives as scurry to well; later Duncan setting free captured minsters, and Boig is the last of the three soldiers - tired to give them food, keep them alive, but notices not - and he stays his shot seeing that not fleeing, not about to kill them as battle went bad.
Reminder that is legitimate anger, conflict, distaste for what peole do, legitimate wars and policing and governing in this fallen world, but our king teaches us on that personal level with friend or with enemy - every person entitled and given by us -sanctity of life.
Let’s start in the Spirit with those closest. We live in a society where hate-crimes , crimes against humanity taken most serious. DO you understand that this is what God wants to free us from, not just with war criminals like Hitler, Assad, ugo Miro Slovich.. Not just Christians who though upholding God’s standards for marraige and sexual behvious, nonetheless act of hate in attacking their enemies.
Do you understand that God wants to rule in our hearts by His love and His protection and justice. That’s what this command empowered by the Spirit writing int your heart enables us to do.
Character in that novel, had a father, Sandy - . Rather, lets read it together:
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Rather, lets read it together:
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Next time you feel your anger rising, not righteously, but morphing into sinful wrarth, whether inwardly or outwardly, think how will overcome this now with good. We murder in spirit each other and Jesus can free us from that!
Next time we see , our society - dishonouring God by robbing and attacking the sanctity o f life - vulnerable - whether its weak Innocent bullied, or the frail and voiceless discarded - let’s consider how can we overcome this evil by good.
Keeping the 6th commandment is not just avoiding murder, or even hate, it is positively overcoming those in our own lives and in our society in loving action!