The Sixth Commandment

The Sixth Commandment – Part 2

Good Day to each of you reading this column—I hope this day finds each of you well and refreshed.

I just came upon the following that I wish to share—His name is Bob. He has long, uncombed hair a shirt with holes, jeans and flip flops. This is how Bob dressed when he was in college. Bob is bright, very bright and very quiet. Bob just became a Christian recently while attending college.

One Sunday, Bob walked across the street from his campus and into a very well dressed, conservative church. Bob walked in with long, uncombed hair, jeans, flip-flops, and his shirt with a few holes.

Well, the service started so Bob opens the church doors, walks in looking for a seat in the jam-packed church and can’t find a seat. People look uncomfortably at Bob, but no one says a thing. Bob keeps searching for a seat, but no one moves, so he decides to head to the front of the church and near the pulpit and squat on the carpet. This is accepted at his college fellowship but this conservative church?

People’s mouths drop, tension is in the air and folks are wondering what will happen next. About this time, the minister sees one of his elders slowing making his way toward Bob from the back of the church. This eighty plus year old man with silver hair, three-piece suit, and cane is slowly making his way toward this college kid. What is going to happen, will this older man say something or usher this college kid out because of his looks?

How can you expect a man of his age and background to understand some college kid on the floor? The church congregation is so silent that you could hear a pin drop. The minister can’t preach the sermon until the Elder does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane to the floor and with great difficulty, lower himself to the floor and sit next to Bob so they can worship together.

The congregation chokes up with emotion—The minister takes a deep breath and says” What I’m about to preach, you’ll never remember. But what you’ve seen, you’ll never forget. Be very careful how you live for you may be the only Bible some people will ever read.

I hope that you have enjoyed this story and will keep this in mind for the future—Let’s turn to the Sixth Commandment and go over some points – Turn with me to Matthew 6: 22-23—(NIV) The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Now turn to John 1: 1-5—(FF) The Word existed in the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was present with God at the beginning. All came into existence by means of Him; and nothing came into existence apart from him. What originated in him was Life; and the Life was the Light of Mankind. That Light shines in the darkness; but the darkness did not absorb it.

John 3: 19-21—FF) And the indictment is this: that the Light came into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their practices were wicked. For everyone who acts vilely, not only hates the light, but shrinks from it, so that his doings may not be detected. But he who does right comes to the light, so that his actions may be displayed; because the origin of his conduct is in God.

According to Wikipedia, here is definition of murder: Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought.[1][2][3] This state of mind may, depending upon the jurisdiction, distinguish murder from other forms of unlawful homicide, such as manslaughter. Manslaughter is a killing committed in the absence of malice, brought about by reasonable provocation, or diminished capacityInvoluntary manslaughter, where it is recognized, is a killing that lacks all but the most attenuated guilty intent, recklessness.

Most societies consider murder to be an extremely serious crime, and thus believe that the person charged should receive harsh punishments for the purposes of retributiondeterrencerehabilitation, or incapacitation. In most countries, a person convicted of murder generally faces a long-term prison sentence, possibly a life sentence; and in a few, the death penalty may be imposed.[4]

The word murder is found 9 times in the Bible, murderer is found 20 times, murderers found 11 times and murders found 4 times—So when the first murder committed? Genesis 4:8 (KJV) Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

This was the first murder—taking a life by shedding human blood. According to Leviticus 17:10-14, blood represents life and if blood is removed from a living creature, it will die. God created life and only God should take life away.

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary says in Exodus 20:13—The sanctity of human life is upheld, and murder, for any reason, is forbidden. But this command is wrongly quoted in opposition to capital punishment administered by the state. The judicial taking of life in punishment for crime is authorized in Exodus 21, as well as in Romans 13.

Yes, we have many Christians in our world who do not believe in the punishment when a person murders another person. The fact is, they do not believe in the death penalty.

When you or I commit a sin, we ask for forgiveness of that sin but that sin still carries a punishment—is this not correct? It is very sad that we, as individuals, try to set up personal conduct as our standard of living when this has been done by God through the Ten Commandments.

Let’s go one step further and include the nation that you live in – do they have the right to say what type of punishment shall be given out to those who violate any of the commandments? No, God through his statutes and judgments hath already declared his punishments.

Turn with me to Numbers 35: 16-20 (NIV) If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooded object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice afterthought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. Turn to Exodus 21:12 & 14 for the double witness on the sixth commandment.

Man’s laws have failed!! Our lands are filled with crime and violence—Read again the above verses and you will see that under this law every nation is justified in executing the murderer.

In conclusion, each nation that refuses, yes refuses, to carry out this law is guilty of failure to administer justice in that land.

I turn to each of you reading this message and ask—Is your pastor teaching God’s law? Christian’s wake up! The Bible doesn’t hold life cheaply.

I must agree with the statement, “It is a serious thing to take life, and for the taking of life the murderer forfeits his life.” We are in a world of darkness, full of doom and gloom, and yet there is a light and that light is Jesus Christ. Open your eyes and let the light show you the path so you won’t be absorbed into darkness.

Christian’s, I urge each of you to read and follow God’s word to the jot and tittle. His laws are perfect, and it is a necessity to be informed and study in our perilous times. Study to show thyself approved.

I look forward to your thoughts.

May God Bless you and keep you safe.

Jeff

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