Part 6 of the 10 commandments, “thou shalt not kill”
6th commandment, thou shalt not kill.
Exodus 20:13 “Thou Shalt Not Kill”
I witness and testify about Jesus every day, a lot! The first response I usually get is ‘I’m a good guy, I never killed anyone!’ That’s the first thing they usually go to. I always wonder, why is that? Why do people always go there? Because that’s the worst thing people think of. When a guy is arrested for selling marijuana he claims ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t kill anyone!’ Again, people trying to sound biblical and correct. Although they don’t know Christ, they aren’t saved. Saved people know how unworthy they are. Saved people don’t sell drugs. Like the biblical Christians and the Jewish people that claim that Israel is God’s elect, the apple of God’s eye, are ridiculed by dirty mouthed, vulgar people who try to find a verse in the Bible that states otherwise. Most of which have never been out of the states, and have never seen combat. They probably don’t even know where Israel is on a map, nor find it in the Bible quickly.
Romans 1:22-25 Professing to be wise, they became fools
Tell these people the truth and love them. When it gets into a heated argument, just walk away from those guys. There is nothing you can say to change their minds. Like a mail man, deliver the mail. Let them decide to read it or not. We are just called to give them the letter. Not to sit around to see if it’s opened or not. Christians, who are reluctant sinners ourselves, need to warn others of sin. Thou shalt not kill is pretty obvious and seemingly straight forward right? Don’t kill means don’t make hearts stop beating, don’t make lungs stop breathing. But prison executioners kill. Abortion clinic secretaries, accountants, advocates, doctors, nurses, lobbyists are premeditated murderers, contributing to the mass killing of innocent babies. Soldiers and policemen kill. Parents protecting their families kill. Criminals kill. Hunters and fishermen kill. Crazy people kill. Terrible drivers kill (by the grace of God go I), people kill in self defense. People kill for sexual gratification. Drunk drivers kill. All of these people go to hell?
Nope.
Again the question is, are they believers in Jesus or not. I could very easily kill by the way I drive. I would probably kill to protect my wife in a life and death situation. The only thing that dictates where you spend eternity is if you are a believer or not. Soldiers and police have killed, and some of them are righteous men of God, I know that for a fact. Personally, I don’t see how you can work in an abortion clinic and be saved, but there may be some. Killing, fibbing, lusting, coveting, not keeping the Sabbath are all sin. Disobedience of them leads to eternal damnation. The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on Calvary, delivers us from hell. We don’t sin now that we are saved, because we don’t want to disappoint Jesus.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Question is what kind of killing is sin? Looks like it’s an easy answer, but not exactly. Stepping on an ant is sinful? Exterminating? Killing a chicken to eat? God told Peter to rise and kill the animals in the net and eat them. Abel offered cooked lamb chops to offer to God, which God accepted. God skinned a lamb to cover Adam’s private parts, I sure hope he killed it first. Jesus killed thousands of fish, and a fig tree. King David killed 10,000 people and was a man after God’s own heart. King Saul was condemned by God because he didn’t kill everything in the enemy’s camp. Prophets of God killed people. Here’s the clue. Why? What’s in your heart. Do you kill because you have to or do you kill because you hate. Hamas killed 1400 Jews because of hate. Sin. Soldiers and police kill because they have to. Nothing personal. No hate. Take it a step further. I can call you a fool jokingly with love. Not sin. No hate. If I call you a fool with hate in my heart, it’s sin. It’s the same sin as murder. Gossip, slander, lying about someone, ignoring someone is the same as killing them. Watch out Christians!
Matthew 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
We teach the kids at PureHeart School to not kill. How? By loving one another. By respect. By not gossiping. By not slandering. By not calling each other names. By not being a bigot or racist. By not mocking, criticising or being sarcastic. By controlling our tongue. By preferring God, and one another in love. That’s how you don’t break any of the 10 commandments. Love covers a multitude of sin.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;