“The Sixth Commandment”
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The late J.I. Packer once wrote… As murder storywriters assume, and as most of us learn in experience, we have in us capacities for fury, fear, envy, greed, conceit, callousness, and hate which, given the right provocation, could make killers out of us all--baby-batterers or Blue-beards, professional thugs or amateur hit men. G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown explained his method of detection by saying, "You see, it was I who killed all those people"--in the sense that he looked within himself to find the mentality that would produce the crime he was investigating, and did in fact discover it there. ...
Brown, though fictitious, states fact. When the fathomless wells of rage and hatred in the normal human heart are tapped, the results are fearful. "There but for the grace of God go I." Only restraining and renewing grace enables anyone to keep the sixth commandment.
Here it is the famous 6th commandment. The universal one. Interesting to note that as far as the 10 commandments go, the world has much disdain for it. There is and continues to be a continued push to have public displays of the 10 commandments especially on government buildings removed because it is offensive. I remember the incident in New Mexico several years ago that went all the way to the Supreme Court to have a privately funded 10 commandant monument removed because it was offensive. Dr Phil Ryken tells of a cartoon that has two public school administrators watching a line of students passing through a metal detector. One of them says… “this is the latest in school safety devices…That light and horn go off if a student tries to smuggle in a gun, knife, bomb, or a copy of the 10 commandment.
Much of our current culture do not see much significance in the 10 commandment or even see them as important these days. Some assert they serve no real purpose… never have and never will. But interesting. One command seems to be pretty universal in its acceptance. It is the sixth commandment. No one really approves of murder. Most all cultures have some kind of prohibition against it… last time I checked homicide is still a criminal act in our country. But, ironically, it is one of the most severely violated of the commandments today.
We have lost the essence of what it means for a human being to being created in the imago dei… in the image of God. This is fundamental to our understanding of the nature of thou shalt not kill. To get rid of this, is a kin to building a house without a foundation. Humanism finds this to be a problem. Let’s honest… according to humanism, we know that murder is wrong, but know one can give a really good answer to the question why. Even the brightest philosophers in the world when asked why is the taking of life, wrong… cannot but answer. It just is. But if a life is not a life grounded in the Creator then the basis of that life becomes the creature and it causes life standards to become relative. Therefore, the reverence for life is reserved for certain kinds of life, for certain kinds of human beings. Sound a-lot like today.
It is this kind of thinking that has permeated society and distortion after distortion continue to add to it. We have even lost the real essence of this commandment. But Shane how do you know? We feel like we are safe from violating this commandment. We all believe its wrong, but we all believe we have not done it. Ironically, it is one of the most severely violated of the commandments today. Let’s check it out.
“You must not murder.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
The Sanctity of Life
The Deeper Meaning
Life More Abundant
The first thing we will look at the biblical and theological basis for our understanding that life is precious. The second thing we will uncover is the understanding that the sin of murder has a deeper meaning than simply illegally taking a life. Third, we will examine the even greater requirement to the commandment. Not just refraining from negative action, but doing a positive action. Finally, we will see how the Lord turns our murderous deeds of death into a life and a life so much more abundant.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world lead us to a distorted understanding of the basics of human life as image bearers of God, it is the truth of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see the salvation of the image bearers of God passing from death to life and life more abundant.
I. The Sanctity of Life
- Life is precious.
A. This command is simply two Hebrew words long. Lo Ratzach… precision is used here because in the Hebrew there is 8 different words for kill. This word is never used for the legal system or penal sanctions, for hunting animals, or for the military. So it is pretty clear to assume that this command is not forbidding killing, but the unlawful killing of a human being. I think many of your translations have it correct when it says you shall not murder. Life is precious.
B. The reason why this is important is because we will find instances in the scriptures where the killing of a person is warranted and even commanded. We see self defense as a reason. Defending a nation is a reason. The Bible makes it clear that it is ok to kill during wartime and only if the war is just.
“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!
C. Just war theory. When it is waged by a legitimate government, the cause must be worthy, with a force proportional to the attack, against soldiers and not civillians, and when all other means of resolution has failed.
D. The book of Joshua and the conquests… David and the kings. Governmental institutions have been given the sword by God to keep the peace. It bears the wrath of God for the wrong doer. Capital punishment self defense are all important aspects of scripture and warranted by the Lord for the simply reason that humans are made in the image of God. In other words, it is because we believe that life is precious is the reason why when someone takes a life unlawfully should be put to death. Because we are the image of God, to do damage to another person unlawfully is to deface one of the masterful pieces of the living God. John Calvin once wrote...
“Our neighbor bears the image of God: to use him, abuse, to misuse him is to do violence to the person of God who images Himself in every human soul.” -John Calvin
E. But it is interesting that for the most part all people believe that murder is wrong, but the more we progress away from the divine and more toward humanistic ideologies… the more distorted it becomes. Murder is only wrong for certain things and certain kinds of people. This is huge but to give a brief glimpse into this issue. Wesley Smith in his book culture of death writes,
“There are a small but influential group of and health care policy makers actively seek to persuade our culture that killing is beneficial, suicide is rational, natural death is undignified, and caring properly and compassionately for people who are elderly, prematurely born, disabled, despairing, or dying is a burden that wastes emotional and financial resources.”
F. We need to be clear that this kind of thinking is getting through to people today. Some people are convinced that some lives are less worth living than others and some lives are not worth living at all. Don’t believe me… abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide are all common and some even protected by law, but all according to the scriptures is murder.
G. Gimme a moment here to discuss Abortion. Just so that we are clear, Christians have always believed that the unborn child is a person made in the image of God. The sixteenth century reformer John Calvin writes,
“The Fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, and it is almost a monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy.”
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
H. A child, family, is a living being who in the womb does not just have a relationship with its mother, but with the living God. The young, the helpless, the weak, the infirm, the diseased, the disabled, the depressed… all are made in the image of God. All have His stamp upon them. Every life is precious in His sight. Like the song says, life is precious life is sweet.
II. The Deeper Meaning
- But I never killed anyone.
A. In the introduction I said that this is one of the most severely violated commands. But Shane I never killed anyone and I don’t know anyone who has. Murder does happen but I bet no one in our church service today has killed anyone. When we think this we fail to realize the nature of this commandment.
B. The Heidelberg Catechism is super helpful here.
Q. What does God require in the sixth commandment?
A. I am not to dishonour, hate, injure, or kill my neighbour by thoughts, words, or gestures, and much less by deeds, whether personally or through another; rather, I am to put away all desire of revenge. Moreover, I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself. Therefore, also, the government bears the sword to prevent murder.
Q. But does this commandment speak only of killing?
A. By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder, such as envy, hatred, anger, and desire of revenge, and that he regards all these as murder.
C. In light of this, we find that its not so easy to keep the 6th commandment. It goes beyond the actual act of murder. We murder in the heart all the time. Ever been angry with someone? Ever call someone an idiot or a moron? Ever curse someone?
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
D. Anger is an awful thing. It causes so much evil. We cannot deny the fact that it is a sudden and violent passion that rises up. We even say it… If looks could kill. We cannot deny that when there is anger there is something murderous in the air.
E. Ever been Envious? Ever been Jealous? Ever Hate someone? Ever bore a grudge? Ever wished for revenge? Envy and jealousy rose up in Cain to murder his brother.
Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
“Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
F. And what of our words? Ever say bad and dishonoring to other person?
You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
G. This is what Christ was trying to get us to see when it comes to our angry or mean words we say to others. When we dishonor, disrespect, put down, gossip, speak censorious words, racist, sexist, you name it… it is murderous weapons that kill.
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
H. So hopefully we see how many of the common emotions and passions are seen in the eyes of the Lord to be murderous. This is why I say we violate this command regularly. But we today are deceived into thinking that murder and its judgement only come to those who actually commit the act of unlawfully taking a person made in the image of God’s life. The scriptures make it abundantly clear that, that is not the only thing the Lords considers to be murder. We may not be murderers with our hands, but we are murderers in our hearts. And if that was not enough… The Heidelberg continues
Q. Is it enough, then, that we do not kill our neighbour in any such way?
A. No. When God condemns envy, hatred, and anger, he commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves, to show patience, peace, gentleness, mercy, and friendliness toward him, to protect him from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies.
I. It is still not enough that we do not kill with our hand nor our hearts. It is not enough that we don’t… we still have to do.
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
J. And the best place to show this positive aspect of the commandment. The good samaritan.
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
K. The men who did this horrible thing was truly guilty of violating the 6th commandment. Though they did not kill Him they were still in violation in light of all that we have already addressed before. They at least committed half a sin.
But committing half a sin is like digging half a hole. But the robbers were not the only ones who broke the 6th commandment that day.
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
L. Jesus shows their violation when they did not do good to their neighbor. They did not help the poor guy. They saw a need, but they decided to walk on by. They looked the other way. They pretended not to notice. They had something more important that they had to attend to. Its just better not to get involved. What Jesus is making very very clear is that the worst thing this man experienced was not the mugging and beating, but the rejection by people who are supposed to know better, who I guess were just too apathetic to do anything. Our apathy toward the preciousness of life is a violation of the commands of the Lord.
M. Many will say Shane, man there is so much so we just fall into the do nothing at all category. We can teach this truth. We can pray for peace. We can intercede for the unborn, the sick and the disabled. We can care for those who are sick and dying. We can send relief. We can support our governments to develop policies to uphold the truth that mankind are image bears of God and our lives are precious. This is not an option. It is not just a good idea. It is not a simply successful life principle to consider. This is command of the Lord. This is the essence of the 6th commandment.
N. It is not enough that we do not take life unjustly, but we are to guard it as well. It is not enough that we keep our selves from robbing people we also have to help them in their time of need. It is not enough that we do not murder someone… We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves.
III. Life More Abundant
- We pass from death to life.
A. Wow Shane ok, so I am a murderer on more than one count. Matter of fact, many many many counts. I have truly fallen short on many occasions. I have murder in my heart. I have fallen short.
B. Let me also add this. And this is the kicker. If you have sinned at all. Broken the least of the commandments. Broken only one of the commands. If you are to receive salvation at all, you are a murderer. All those saved by Christ. Why? Because Christ was murdered and he was murdered to pay for our sins. We did our part in raising the cross of Christ. We did our part in His death. Rembrant picture.
C. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Many of us can say now that we have broken all of the commandments. But no matter how great our sins or how many our sins. There is hope for us today. Because where sin abounds there grace abounds even more. The bigger the sin the bigger the grace of Christ. We can be saved and cleansed today. We know this because of what Jesus prayed for his murderers...
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
D. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried… The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance… He became sin who knew no sin… We came to seek and to save that which was lost.
E. The promises continue. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart… All who call upon the name of the Lord. If you confess you sins he is faithful and just
F. Murderers can be saved today. Salvation belongs to the Lord. The precious blood of Christ washes away the murderers blood of our sins.
