YOU SHALL NOT MURDER (EXODUS 20:13 NKJ)

The King James version reads it like: “Thou shalt not Kill”

• To Kill and to murder have different meanings.
• To Kill means the taking of any life whether human being or animal. Either deliberately or by accident. Legally or illegally, morally or immorally.
• On the other hand, MURDER can mean only one thing: THE ILLEGAL OR IMMORAL TAKING OF A HUMAN LIFE.

God gave the 6^th commandment to set a standard and to protect us:

To protect them from their past, because He remembered what Cain did to his brother Abel in the garden.

To protect them from their future, because He knew the killing culture surrounding the Promise Land.

• In today’s society, we have used that standard to differentiate a good person from a bad person. “I’m not a bad person, it’s not like I’ve murdered anyone!”
• We’ve drawn a circle around a bad person, a murderer. Everyone outside of this circle must be good since they’ve never murdered anyone.
• Self-righteousness has defined the circle. Until Jesus explained the 6^th commandment in the Sermon on the Mount.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17 NKJ)

• Jesus did not destroy the small circle here, He just made it bigger to include everyone.

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

• He not only enlarged the circle, but He declared everyone guilty of murder.
• What Jesus is saying is that murder begins in the heart…in tiny acts of murder. So tiny that they might go unnoticed on the outside. So much so that we can trust in our righteousness: “I’m a good person, it’s not like I’ve murdered anyone!”
• The main thing Jesus is pointing out: Murder begins in the heart and we are all guilty!
• It starts with a single seed offense.
• Offense grows into anger. Anger grows into hate. Hate eventually grows into murder!

Whoever HATES his brother is A MURDERER, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:15 NKJ)

What is the point of the 6^th commandment, if it cannot put us in right standing with God

Therefore THE LAW was OUR TUTOR TO BRING US TO CHRIST, that we might be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. (Galatians 3:24)

• The 6^th commandment was given to us to point us to Jesus as savior, and redeemer.
• Jesus provided a way out – Himself.

GOD HAS UNITED YOU WITH CHRIST JESUS. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. CHRIST MADE US RIGHT WITH GOD; he made us PURE AND HOLY and he FREED US FROM SIN (1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT)

• Our own righteousness keeps us in the circle. God’s righteousness is our ticket out!
• The only way out of the circle of offense, anger, hate and murder is to respond to the voice of true shepherd who stands outside of the circle and calls onto you by name.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJ)

CONCLUSION

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?