February 10, 2008

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Ten Commandments #6

“Thou Shall Not Kill”

Exodus 20:13

In our study of the Ten Commandments we have seen that God has given us principles by which we are to live our lives for Him.

• We have looked at the first four principles that have dealt with our relationship to God Himself
• And now we are looking at the principles that deal with our relationship to others.

The sixth commandment is one of the shortest and most direct statements found in the Scriptures.

• You would think that this would not be hard to understand
• But misunderstanding and misapplication of this verse has led to all sorts of confusion.
• People who know nothing of the Lord’s mercy and grace in their lives quote this verse.
• This verse has been pasted on signs and placards to protest everything from animal rights to O.J. Simpson.

WHAT DID GOD MEAN WHEN HE INSTRUCTED HIS PEOPLE NOT TO KILL?

THE REQUIREMENT

A. What it means

1.       It forbids homicide or murder

DEAR FRIENDS – I believe that includes abortion!

• I also believe that includes suicide – regardless of Dr. Kevorkian’s popularity
• I believe that includes euthanasia – which is the next progressive step in the direction our society is headed

B. What It Doesn’t Mean

1.       Capital Punishment

Leviticus 24:17 – “Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.”

DEAR FRIENDS - I think that there's much lacking in our whole judicial processes.

·         Your sentence will depend on what judge you stand before and what kind of day he/she has had

·         If he/she has had a fight with his/her spouse  – watch out – you may be in for it

·          If things are well and he/she is in a good mood – your sentence may be suspended

 Matthew 5:38 – Jesus says: “Ye have heard that it has been said, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’"

What does the law actually say?

• The judgment should equal the crime not exceed the crime.

DEAR FRIEND – We live in a society today that says: If you take my eye I will take both of yours

• We are a revengeful society
• We want more than justice

Let us look at the intent of the law. It was given to control excesses.

·           Within human nature is a desire for revenge, I do not want to just get even, I want to get more than my pound of flesh.

·           I want to get even plus.

·           The purpose of the law was restrictive. It was to keep someone who wants to get two eyes for an eye, two teeth for a tooth.

·            I want to hit back harder than I was hit.

2. Self-Defense

Exodus 22:2 – “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.”

• A property owner had the right to protect his property with force - but only with reasonable force.
• The assumption was that if it was daylight, the property owner had the ability to defend himself short of lethal force.

3. War

Ecclesiastes 3:8 – “A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.”

THE REASON FOR THE COMMANDMENT

A. We, as humans, are created in the image of God

• Some would apply this commandment to all life – humans and animals
• However, God specifically grants permission to take the life of animals for sacrifice or food

Exodus 20:24 – “An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.”

Genesis 9:3 – “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.”

B. Because we are created in the image of God, human life is sacred

Genesis 9:6 – “Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it."

DEAR FRIEND - God gives to man the right and responsibility of capital punishment.

A. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning:

·         According to God’s command, when a man’s blood is shed there must be an accounting for it, because in the image of God He made man.

·          Because man is made in the image of God, his life is inherently precious and cannot be taken without giving account to God.

·         By man his blood shall be shed means because life is valuable, when murder is committed the death penalty is in order.

DEAR FRIEND - In its original languages the Bible makes a distinction between killing and murder.

·         Not all killing is murder, because there are cases where there is just cause for killing (self-defense, capital punishment with due process of law, killing in a just war).

·          There are other instances where killing is accidental.

OUR RESPONSE TO THE COMMANDMENT

A. We Should Respect Our Own Life

• Life is a gift from God
• We should be careful how we treat this gift

To believers, Paul writes: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”

God has provided us with all that we need to sustain us in this life

• He has provided all that we need for eternity

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

• God created us and gave us physical life
• And He redeems us and gives us eternal life when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior

DEAR FRIEND – Some people today believe that they should control whether they live or die, but that is not up to us.

Romans 14:7 – “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.”

B. We Should Respect The Life Of Others

• We have already looked at the Scriptures concerning how God feels about the taking of life
• We need to have a positive impact on the lives of those who live around us

FRIENDS – Our responsibility is to live for the Glory of God and be a witness for the Lord to this sin darkened world around us.

C. We Should Address The Attitudes Of Our Hearts

• A person can transgress the law in this commandment and never spend a day in jail
• Jesus showed us that it isn’t just the outward act – but – also the inward attitude
• Jesus explained that it was from the heart that murder takes seed.

Mark 7:20-21 “And He said, "What comes out of a man that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders…”

• So, it's not what goes in, but what comes out.
• And that reveals what is in the man's heart.
• And there's where the true spiritual defilement or purity exists in the heart.
• "Blessed are the pure in heart; they shall see God."

DEAR FRIENDS - That's where real spiritual defilement is; not in what you are eating, but what you are, the inward part of your life, what's in your heart.

There may be someone here this morning who has committed murder.

• Whether outwardly or within their own heart

BUT – God loved us enough to provide forgiveness for all sinners, including murders!

This provision was made on Calvary when Jesus was nailed to an old, rugged Cross.

DEAR FRIEND – He died to forgive sin.

• Not just the sins of some – but – the sins of all!

NON-BELIEVER - This morning – if you have never asked God to forgive you – what are you waiting for?

Why not come this morning and receive forgiveness of sin?

CHRISTIANS – what about our attitudes?

• Do you need to come today and find forgiveness and cleansing?

COME NOW!

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