Sermon Tone Analysis

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 ()

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:

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:

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

but ot the community, to the goverment of the community.

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.

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:

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

Here is the climax

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.