Series: Living God’s Way
Title: Never Take Life
Key Text: Exodus 20:13
The 6th Command to not take life is very relevant in our world when there are so many killings in many ways. From the beginning, murder was one of the biggest marks against humanity when Cain murdered his brother. Taking life is a big issue that many people have experienced in one way or another.
We may not think of ourselves as murderers, but Jesus defined it clearly in Matthew 5:21-22. Over time, the religious leaders had reduced the commandment to a mere technicality so they could say they were not guilty of it. In this verse Jesus makes it clear that God is not just looking at our outward actions, but also the condition of our hearts. In restoring the spirit of the sixth commandment, Jesus is telling us that the act of murder is rooted in unrighteous anger and deserves the same punishment. Jesus taught that the path to murder starts when you let anger grow in your heart. And as Jesus points out, that kind of anger deserves judgement! Then there's unrighteous anger where we diminish others by calling them names or trash people by destroying their reputation. God is saying that all of those things are the same as taking someone's life. The murder weapon here is not an object, but words from our own mouths. God wants us to know that all life is precious to Him.
1. Killing Is Absolutely Forbidden By God (Matthew 5:21-22; Genesis 4:3-8)
2. Killing Will Be Judged By God (Romans 6:23; Numbers 35:6-34; Exodus 21:12; 1 Timothy 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
3. Killing Must Be Repented Before God (Ephesians 4:26-27; James 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:22-24,31)
Apply
1) Killing Is Absolutely Forbidden By God
He is a God of life who commands that no one can take another’s life. It is because we have removed God’s law that life has been devalued, with killing even becoming part of our entertainment. Pope John Paul II spoke of the emergence of a ‘culture of death’ in our society. That might sound extreme, until you look closely at what is happening in the world today in many areas:
Euthanasia: There is increasing pressure for what is termed mercy killing (euthanasia). The current situation in the UK is that both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under English law. Recently the Christian MP Danny Kruger has spoken out in the UK Parliament, warning the government not to go down the same road as Cannada, which has come under much criticism over horror stories emerging as a result of their government policies, including: plans to euthanise people with mental health conditions; cases where people have been euthanised as they have chosen death rather than go into poverty; and people with disabilities coming under pressure to choose assisted suicide, including a Paralympian being offered it rather than having a stairlift installed in their home.
You can read more about this on the care.org.uk website: https://care.org.uk/news/2023/02/christian-mp-speaks-out-against-assisted-suicide
It is so important that we as believers are awake to what is happening in our world so that people can be held accountable before God for these actions.
Suicides: 5,583 suicides were registered in 2021 in England and Wales. You do not have the right to take your own life. It is a gift to be cherished. To take your own life is effectively self-murder. As believers we have a huge responsibility to be the light in a dark world so people can know that Jesus is there for them.
Wars: Obviously wars cause many deaths which is why wars must be avoided wherever possible. It is disturbing that in the war in Ukraine, ordinary civilians are being killed as though they were military targets.
Abortions: Abortion is a very difficult subject, and we have no wish to bring condemnation. But the facts are that in the years since the Abortion Act came into effect in 1968, up to April 2022, an estimated 9,900,961 unborn babies have lost their lives to abortion in England, Wales and Scotland. Nearly 10 million babies have lost the opportunity to be alive with us. That represents lost generations. In 2020, at least one baby was lost every two and a half minutes, or 25 lives every hour. It has been said that the most unsafe place to be in this world is the womb. It is a matter of great concern for Christians to not just see the facts but to see that we have got to represent a different culture.
Crime: One of the tragedies in London right now is that so many young people are being killed. In 2022, 106 teenagers were murdered, with black people in London 3 times more likely to be murdered than other ethnic groups.
Increasingly life is being devalued. As Christians we have a responsibility to value life and to share these values in society. They are based on the absolute and unchanging standards of God.
2) Killing Will Be Judged By God
God is a just judge (Romans 6:23). In the Old Testament there were cities of refuge for those who accidentally took life. That was to protect the life of the innocent and avoid revenge killings (Numbers 35:6-34). But God will judge where there has been deliberate killing whether pre- meditated in cold blood or in an argument or temporary anger e.g. through drunkenness or road rage (Exodus 21:12; 1 Timothy 1:9). Sometimes murderers seem to get away with it. Maybe they were never found or brought to trial. Maybe the law courts didn’t deliver justice. Maybe, like so many Nazis who ran death camps, they hid and were never prosecuted. But be sure of this: ALL will one day be judged by God (2 Corinthians 5:10).
3) Killing Must Be Repented Before God
This includes both actual killing and unrighteous anger. Maybe you need to repent of actual killing. Murder is such a destructive awful experience. We must repent of murder in all its forms. If it applies to you, you must repent of this sin and turn to Christ. You can do that today and he will receive you. Jesus was put to death, falsely accused, and died in our place so that you could be forgiven and healed. Jesus took the judgement deserved by the whole world upon himself so for that reason he can give us a new heart and mind that is free of this sin if we ask for his forgiveness and turn from it. But for most people, the big issue is to get rid of your anger. You can’t be angry in your marriage, family, workplace or in the community. Are you easily tempted to strike back when offended or seek revenge? Have we genuinely forgiven everyone that has offended us from the heart? Is there anger in your home? When you keep anger in your heart, you give the enemy a foothold from which he can use you to attack those close to you. You need to repent, to let go of your anger and seek God’s forgiveness for it (Ephesians 4:22-31; James 1:19-20). God has given every believer a new nature through the cross, but we must each make the decision to stand in that nature . This means we are empowered to be different. It means that every day we’re going to put off our old self and put on our new self and not make excuses for our bad behaviour. Anger is at the root of murder, where we say we’re going to destroy people, put them down and get even with them (Ephesians 4:31). One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, so if there’s anger, it needs to be rooted out by repentance, where we cry out to God so we can live in our new nature free of the control of anger. When we repent, God can make us softer and more loving towards people.
