Last night at Bible study, we took an in depth look at the Sixth Commandment: "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13).

In one sense, this command is extremely simple and straightforward. God commands us to not use violence to take the life of another human being. But there is much more to this command than originally meets the eye. 

When Jesus taught this commandment, he said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22). 

Jesus shows us that sinful anger towards others is considered breaking the Sixth Commandment. Jesus wasn't stretching the truth when He said this. He was faithfully interpreting the original intent of the command. Jesus understood that our actions cannot be divorced from our heart motivations. Our actions are driven by our emotions. This means that the root of murder is anger. The person who murders simply has unchecked anger that they've allowed to reach its full extent. 

To understand this command, we also need to recognize that whenever a sin is forbidden in the Bible, the opposite duty is also required. The command to not murder implies a command to protect, promote, and love all human life. 

This is the true logic of the command: If we love our neighbors, we won't murder them. In fact, if we love our neighbors, we won't say, do, or even feel anything negative against them. If we love our neighbor, we will only seek their good. For this reason, the Apostle Paul tells us: "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10).

You see, Jesus calls us to more than surface level obedience that merely externally conforms to the letter of the law. It's not enough to avoid sin. He wants us to proactively obey God's Word from the heart. And this is only possible when we have a new heart. We can only love our neighbors, even those who are difficult to love, when we realize that Christ loved us even when we were His enemies. His love led him to lay down His life, even to the point of  being murdered by wicked men, so that we could have eternal life. It's possible for us as believers to genuinely obey the Sixth Commandment because we have the Holy Spirit, and Christ has given us His example to follow. This doesn't mean it will be easy to love those who make us angry. But it's a little bit easier when we consider the great love with which Christ has loved us.

Sunday morning worship is a Saturday night decision! One of the best ways to get the most out of our time together in corporate worship is to come prepared, going to bed early on Saturday night, and by reviewing the sermon text, our song list, and our responsive readings. To help you prepare for Sunday worship, I've provided each element of our worship below for your review prior to Sunday.

 

In Christ,

Hunter Hanson