Sermon
Thou Shalt Not Kill
October 31, 2004
Pastor Leighton Sheley

I'm going to invite you to take your Bibles and open to Genesis, specifically chapter 9. I'm going to be referencing verses from various parts of the Scripture, but there are a few this morning that I really want to make sure that you have followed along in your Bibles.

This morning we're going to be continuing our study on the Ten Commandments, which of course are unique in terms of being a code of behavior because they alone were provided by the hand of God. Sometimes they're called the Decalogue, and God intended them to give us guidance as to how to enjoy a peaceful and productive life, and live in a safe and prosperous community.

The Ten Commandments are the foundations upon which our United States of America was built. Our very first document that established us as a nation, the Declaration of Independence, contains this statement: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are a nation formed under God, the author of life, the author of liberty.

Unfortunately, we are also a nation that has departed far from God and His word. Bible illiteracy is rampant and because of that we are a people who are easily deceived and confused. We're not alone. Great Britain was one of the more Christian nations at one time, but a recent poll indicated that only 9 percent of those polled recalled the commandment not to lie. 11 percent, if they were between the ages of 15 and 24, remembered honor thy father and mother, but if you were one of the older generation, 65 plus, that number of 11 percent rose to 20 percent.

In other words, the younger generations, which are the future, are less familiar with the Ten Commandments than older generations, and this is not a healthy sign. I'm convinced that America is following this same dangerous course.

Paul describes a process of a people falling away from God in Romans chapter 1. Three times he says God gave them over, and the last time that God gives people over is found in verse 28 of that chapter. It says: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (they didn't want to have to think about God), God gave them over to a reprobate mind. A reprobate mind is one that cannot reason, and a large part of Americas and others have become unreasonable and unreasoning.

God said thou shalt not kill, or as it's rendered in some translations, thou shalt not murder. The intent of the original language was thou shalt not shed innocent blood. Now by the time an American child has hit the sixth grade they have already witnessed 8000 murders on television, they have watched over 100,000 acts of violence on television, and of course there are many studies that connect television with behavior, and that's rather obvious when companies will spend millions of dollars on advertising trying to affect our behavior through television.

We live in a violent society. Every 22 minutes in America someone is stabbed, shot, beaten, or strangled to death. We have the highest homicide rate in the world. There is much attention given to the over 1100 soldiers who have died in Iraq, and that's appropriate, but there's not much attention given to the 1162 people who were murdered in Southern California alone in just the year of 2002.

More kids die from violence than from illness.

Now Jesus reinforced and expanded this command when He said, Ye have heard that it was said of 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.

Now Jesus clarified that just because you haven't physically committed murder doesn't mean you're not guilty of it.

James describes one of the sources of murders, he says: From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have. So James identified a connection between lust and murder.

Jesus identified a connection between the devil and murder when He said to the Pharisees in John 8:44, You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning. Now the devil's goals and God's goals are diametrically opposed. Jesus, who is God incarnate in the flesh, said I am come that they might have life and they might have it more abundantly.

Regarding the devil He said, the thief, cometh not but for to steal, kill, and destroy. What Jesus was saying is I come to give, the devil comes to take, to steal; I come to give life, the devil comes to give death; I come to give life abundant, the devil comes to bring destruction. He wants to destroy.

Now some might say, Pastor, it's only four words, Thou shalt not kill, what can be so difficult to understand about this commandment? And yet as we shall see it is often misunderstood and misapplied, so today we want to look at what it does not mean and what it does mean.

First, thou shalt not kill does not apply to animals. Genesis 9:3 states, Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. People are not required to be vegetarians but it is a choice that God allows. And you'll note that this directive was given after the flood, and the wording of it suggests that before the flood mankind were vegetarians.

Now there's a ridiculous notion that humans are merely a higher form of animal life, and we have evolved from some lower form such as apes or monkeys and so forth. According to God's word mankind is not just another type of animal, but rather a very special creation. Genesis 1 describes the creation of mankind. God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Now we'll all note that when God created the first family He created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, not Ann and Eve, not Adam and Eve and Ann or Steve. A family begins when one man and one woman are brought together by God to become a family.

Now I'm going to invite you to turn to Genesis chapter 9 and verse 6. Unlike any other creature mankind was made in the image of God. Unlike any other creature God made mankind to rule under Him. Mankind is unique and highly valued by God. Jesus declares that the life of a human, the soul of a human, is worth more than all that this world has to offer in treasure when He says: For what does a man profit if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul?

The value of human life relates to be created in the image of God. In Genesis 9:6 God says whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, and then provides us the reason why; For in the image of God has God made man. Most certainly mankind is very special among all of God's creatures.
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Now this section, this particular section of the Bible, is also very important for another reason in that it provides us insight into civil government. You see it is right here where we find that it wasn't...the civil government was not devised in the imaginations of men. It was God who established civil government.

Before the flood, there was no indication of any civil government. God says My spirit will no longer contend with man because his heart is continually disposed towards violence. So it would appear that the only form of civil government before the flood was God's spirit contending with man. Hereafter the flood God declares: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. Here is where God established civil government. And He also makes it clear for what reason civil government was established.

Now I ask you in looking at this verse if you see any reference to a post office, any reference to supporting the arts, any reference to redistributing the wealth. What we see here, do we not, is that God created government to protect against the shedding of innocent blood. Let me say it another way - God is pro life. God created government to be pro life.

Now some might say, well if all men are created in the image of God and God commands us not kill, does it seem reasonable that under no circumstances at any time should any human life be terminated? And here we are going to find that that's not taught in the Scriptures.

If you would take your Bibles and turn to Exodus chapter 21. Now in Exodus chapter 20, the preceding chapter, God has given us the Ten Commandments and some people might think that's all He said, but in fact God continued giving additional instructions for several chapters after the Ten Commandments. And so I'd like to bring your attention now to Exodus 21:12, which reads: Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. Capital punishment was not the imagination or initiative of man, it was God's initiative. Capital punishment is God's idea.

Verse 13: However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God allows it to happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate. Now those places are later identified as cities of refuge with the accused would go and wait for trial and be protected from the family of the one who was injured to might want to take vengeance into their own hands.

If the loss of life was accidental than capital punishment was not required. I believe we call this manslaughter, accidental death. But, verse 14, if after the trial it was determined that the man had schemed and killed another man deliberately, God says, take him away from my altar and put him to death. Now traditionally places of worship have been sanctuaries from persecution and prosecution, but God says that anyone who intentionally schemes and deliberately kills another person is to have no place of sanctuary, even at God's altar.

Now some might say well what is he doing at the altar? It's possible that he just might be trying to avoid prosecution, but it's also possible that he might be in sincere repentance for what it was that he did. What is God's position on this? It doesn't matter why he is at the altar. If he wants to repent before God, that's between him and God, but justice must be served - take him away from My altar.

Verse 15: Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death. Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.

Verse 28: If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death.

Now this reveals to us that God holds us responsible for our knowledge. If we have knowledge we are responsible to use it to protect against the shedding of innocent blood. If we have knowledge and do not protect against the shedding of innocent blood, we are as guilty as if we had committed the murder our self. We are responsible for what we know.

Verse 30: However, if payment is demanded of him, he may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded. This reveals to us that in some circumstances the courts may determine the degree of responsibility, up to and including capital punishment for gross negligence.

Now if you would turn to Exodus 22:2, which reads, If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. Self-defense is a God-given right, however the force used should be proportional to the danger evident.

Now we've done a little research into this verse and came across some excellent commentaries to understand it better. Richard Zorick^{(spelling ?)} said, one conclusion that can be drawn from this is that a threat to our life is to be met with lethal force. After the sun has risen, seems to refer to a different judgment than one permitted at night. At night it is more difficult to discern whether the intruder is a thief or a murderer, furthermore, the nighttime makes it more difficult to defense oneself and to avoid killing the thief at the same time. During the daytime it had better be clear that one's life was in danger otherwise defense becomes vengeance, and that belongs in the hands of the magistrate.

Kaufman^{(spelling ?)} said here is the foundation of the principle that a man's home is his castle, as it was not considered murder to kill a thief in the act of entering a residence at night. The last proviso was altered in the case of breaking and entering in the daylight. The difference being that in daylight the thief could be identified, apprehended, and brought to justice.

And in this distinction we see the truth that human life is of greater value than property, and, that the life even of a thief is of consequence in the eyes of God. God is concerned about the life of a thief.

In verses 18 and following we find additional behaviors that God says should result in capital punishment. Do not allow a sorceress to live. Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death. Whoever sacrifices to any God other than the Lord must be destroyed. And since we are in this part of the Scriptures, it is important to be reminded of God's command in 22:28, which says, Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people. I wish that at particularly this time that command was better known and taken seriously.

Now, to Exodus chapter 23:7 we find these words, Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. Now here God provides a warning against participating in a sham court where false charges are brought against someone, and a warning against putting an innocent or honest person to death. And here we find the basis of the American justice system principle where a person is considered innocent until proven guilty, and proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If only one out of the 12 jurors is not convinced of guilt, the death penalty cannot be enacted.

Now there are additional behaviors that should result in capital punishment, according to God, including homosexuality, incest, offering human sacrifice, false prophecy, blasphemy, rape and divination. Thou shalt not kill does not prohibit going to war. Ecclesiastes 3:8 says there is a time for war. God says there are some things that are worth fighting for. There are some things that are worth dying for. It's right to fight in order to preserve freedom. It's right to fight in order to defend innocent people.

It's right to fight to stop the spread of evil. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. When Abraham returned from warring against the four kings, he was met and blessed by Melchizedek, king of the Most High God. It is appropriate to go to war to relieve unjust suffering of others, and certainly no reasonable person would question the righteousness of America entering World War II to alleviate the suffering and death being caused by Adolf Hitler. Sometimes military action is the only way to save innocent lives.

The apostle Paul was approached by some Roman soldiers that had converted to Christianity and they were asking for direction as to how they should conduct themselves now as Christians, and Paul did not say leave the military. He did say be good soldiers. Well that brings up the question, what is a bad soldier? A bad soldier is one who uses his tools and training to act unjustly upon others. A bad soldier is one who tortures or kills noncombatants. A bad soldier is one who rapes or robs. Paul said don't be a bad soldier; be a good soldier, be ethical.

Now we've looked at what thou shalt not kill doesn't mean, let's look at what it does mean. Thou shalt not kill means do not commit suicide. Suicide is now the number two killer among college students. It's the number three killer among high school students. More kids are killed by suicide than traffic. And some people say, well it's my life, I have a right to live it as I want and take it. And God says no you don't. I gave life and I'm the one who takes it away.

1 Corinthians 6 says: know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God.

Now there are times in the lives of many when they consider suicide, and some among us this morning have considered in this last week or this last month. Thoughts of suicide are usually related to depression or feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, that there is no hope. But I say to you today do not despair thinking life is not worth living. Do not give up hope. God made you for a purpose. God has a plan for your life. Your goal is to seek Him with all of your heart. If you do, you will fulfill life's purpose, and when you have fulfilled life's purpose, God will take you home to a reward that He is preparing.

God said I will never leave you nor forsake you. Some might say, but pastor you don't understand, I've messed up so bad that I don't think God can forgive me. I don't think God can use me. I'm worthless to God. The Bible says, He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. He's not going to leave you unfinished.

And whatever you have done is no surprise to God. He knew about it before time. He knew about it when He was planning your days, and His plan covers it all. Don't try to short-circuit God's plan and God's timing. It's God who gives life. It's God who takes it away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Suicide is murdering yourself. Do not commit murder.

Thou shalt not kill means do not commit mercy killing, sometimes called euthanasia, which means good or happy death. Euthanasia is causing the death of someone supposedly for humanitarian reasons. It's usually promoted as a way of ending the suffering of someone who is living with some terminal or painful disease, or perhaps they are old or deformed. Now the Bible says it's okay to relieve the suffering of someone who is in the process of dying, but is not okay to directly or indirectly cause someone to die, even if they request it or consent to it.

Job 12:10 says it is God who directs the lives of His creatures. It is God who determines that life is worth living not someone else. It is God who determines when we will breathe our first; it is God who determines when we will breathe our last. It is appointed unto man once to die. We have an appointment with death.

Thou shalt not kill means do not commit abortion. The Bible declares the womb to be a sanctuary where God is present and at work. Psalm 139 says: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. God was present and at work in the womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God has a plan for the days of every child conceived, and He has a purpose for their conception. Some of the misunderstanding today is over the meaning of words. One popular definition of 'fetus' is a mass of tissue with the potential of becoming human. That is a gross misrepresentation of what the word fetus really means. The word fetus describes a phase in the growth of a human. After conception a human moves through sequential phases beginning with a phase of fetus, baby, toddler and so forth.

A fetus is every bit human and endowed by his Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life. Life begins at conception. It is the position of the Bible. It is the conclusion of science. Any other attempt at describing when human life begins is arbitrary, and that is why in the same hospitals doctors in one room can be feverishly working to save the life of a 20 week old preemie while performing abortions down the hall or in the other wing.

The Bible does not differentiate between the child inside the womb or outside the womb. The same word is used for both. A person is every bit a person whether they are in the womb or outside, and every bit as entitled to life. Now I'd like to underscore how important this is to God so if you turn in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 21:22 you're going to find that God gives specific instructions and protections against injuring an unborn child.

Exodus 21:22, If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. This is the punishment that would be perpetrated on someone who intentionally caused an injury. God wants to protect the unborn child.

Now from a human perspective we may have unplanned pregnancies, but there are no accidental conceptions. God must be present for a child to be conceived. Now maybe we didn't plan it, maybe it came as a result of some evil, but God can take that which is intended for evil and make it work for good. There are no accidental conceptions. God says if a baby is conceived it's because I planned it. I numbered the days of the child before it was born. I had a plan for their life. I gave them the capabilities, genetic and otherwise, to fulfill the purposes for which I created that life. God has a purpose for every child conceived.

God says a fetus is not a mere piece of tissue it is a life that has been planned. Now there are some shocking facts about abortion. Twenty-six percent of pregnancies in America now end in abortion. One out of four children who are conceived are killed before they are out of the womb. Over 30 million Americans have been killed through abortion. That is more than all of the wars all put together. Every year between 400 and 500 babies who are aborted live after the abortion procedure. 97 percent of abortions are not the result of or related to rape or incest or because the mother's life is threatened, they are simply a matter of convenience - 97 percent.

There's a popular argument...no child should be brought into this world unwanted, and the fallacy of that argument is that every child that is conceived is wanted by God. God wanted that child. Now I know that when we talk about issues like this, many men and women in our congregation have previously been involved in abortions, and I want to assure you that my intention is not to drag any kind of guilt out of the past. My intention is to influence the future if we can to perhaps save a life, to perhaps help someone with a decision so that they don't make a decision they will regret for the rest of their life.

The good news is that people can repent of this sin like others, and God does forgive. Did you realize that most of the Bible was written by murderers? Moses, King David, the apostle Paul, but they came to God, they asked forgiveness, God forgave them, and used them mightily, and He can you also. That is the message of God's grace.

Paul said there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. If you come and you've repented, there is no need to carry the condemnation, there is no need to carry the guilt. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And it will be refreshing for us to know that Jane Roe, one of the primary principal participants in the Supreme Court decision known as Roe V. Wade, that ignored hundreds of years of legal precedents in order to open the door for abortion on demand in America, Jane Roe has repented. She has been restored to her church. She's received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and she is spending the rest of her life trying to reverse the decision that she played such a key role in. She is an example of God's grace. God is good.

Thou shalt not kill applies to stem cell research in this regard. There are two types of embryonic stem cells, those harvested from adult stem cells, which harms no one; and those harvested either from an aborted fetus or one created by artificial fertilization with the intention of being destroyed. The creation of human life with the intention of destruction is murder.

Now if I can illustrate this way, and if you'll follow me, years ago I played football and if I could just summarize the concept of football. Football is a group of guys working together to push towards one goal while another group of guys works together towards another goal, and those goals are diametrically opposed. Okay? You can use the same kind of definition on war; two groups of people pushing against each other towards opposing goals.

In the spiritual realm there are two sides; there is the kingdom of God's light, and there is the kingdom of darkness. Everyone is in one of those kingdoms or the other. There are no spectators. Now I want to be on God side, which means I want to be working towards God's goals, which means I want to be working against the goals of God's opponents. Does that make sense? Okay.

So that brings up the question, who are God's opponents? And God gives us the answer in Revelation 21:8. This is what He says, But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Those are God's opponents, and not only does He list them for us, but He also tells us what He's going to do with them when time has run its course.

Now the tense of the verb is in a continuous tense of this, these descriptions. What does that mean? Well it's not describing an event; it's describing a lifestyle. Christians make mistakes and sometimes we make mistakes that would fall into one of these categories, but they are an event not a lifestyle. These are lifestyles, continuous tense.

Now did you know that in America there are organizations that support, promote, and protect these lifestyles? There are organizations that support, protect, and promote these lifestyles in America. And so we did a little online research this week and I have to confess that although it's first on the list and it's the top of the list, we could find no organization that represents cowards. Now aside from the obvious, I guess it's because anyone who would step up to lead such an organization automatically disqualifies themselves from its membership.

So even though we weren't able to find an organization that represented cowards, we were able to find organizations that represent murder - called abortion - the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

And then there's an organization that supports unbelief in God - the ACLU. In fact, it supports same-sex marriage, abortion, and many other goals that are contrary to God's goals. And there are several organizations that support homosexuality.

Now as we did this research something occurred to us. Did you know that virtually all of these organizations support or endorse the same candidate, and the same party? They are pushing for the same goal. Now I don't want to be pushing for the same goals as God's opponents. I want to be on God's side. So how do I know that I'm on God's side?

Well let me propose to you it's not because of feelings. Feelings are fickle. Feelings are easily manipulated, and can be by those heartrending ads that are being run. I don't trust feelings for these kinds of decisions.

How is it that I know I'm on God's side? Evidence. You say, okay, what evidence? Well, first off, my understanding of the purpose of government is not arbitrary. I know who created government. I know why government was created. Secondly, I know which candidates and which parties are pro-life, and I know which ones aren't. Third, I know that I am not pushing towards the same goals as the opponents of God. Evidence.

Now for me that's conclusive enough. I'm on the right side. I'm on God's side. Now Pastor has said, and rightfully so, that the decision that will be made by this nation on Tuesday is one that will affect this nation dramatically for generations to come. This is an important decision on the part of our nation for where we're going, and that's why it has reached such a level of contention.

Should we be participants in the decision process? We have a responsibility to. We have a responsibility to be salt and light in this world. We have a responsibility to future generations. Should we be concerned? Yes. Should we be worried? No. Why? Because God is in control. Amen.

Let's pray. Lord we are so thankful for Your holy word and the clarity that it gives us in how to conduct ourselves. And Lord we are so thankful for this great nation that You have provided for us; a nation built upon Your word and Your truth. And Lord we are so thankful that our salvation is not dependent upon us keeping these Ten Commandments, because if that were the case then all of us would be doomed, for all of us have broken these commandments.

Lord thank you for Your graciousness and Your goodness towards, us as individuals, and as a nation. Lord we thank you that our hope is not in this planet, it's not in this country, it's not in the ground under our feet, it's not in the bank account. Our eternal trust, our eternal reward, our eternal inheritance, our unshakable salvation is found in You. Thank you Lord, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. God bless.