Print this page

October 3 – LD 40, Day 3: Murder

Exodus 20:13 - Thou shalt not kill.”

Murder is the willful taking of another man's life by one who has no authority to do so.

That deed is, first of all, the actual killing of a person with or without the use of weapons. It is the destruction of a human earthly life, in direct opposition to the revealed will of God. Today, abortion is one of the most open violations of this commandment. But besides abortion, murder has become such a common occurrence in Western culture that there have to be extraordinary circumstances in order for it even to catch our attention. Television glamorizes murder and those who are closely involved with it. The sin of killing by murder is the crassest expression of rebellion against this sixth commandment of God. But it is not the only violation.

The acid test of whether our appreciation for this commandment is merely intellectual, or whether we desire to give God all the glory in the keeping of His commandments, comes when the declaration of God is applied in such a way that it hurts us. When the sixth commandment says to us, "Thou shalt not kill," that ought to wound us very deeply, because in its prohibition and negative form, the sixth commandment points its finger at our own corrupt hearts.

The commandment says, "Thou shalt not murder." That is, thou shalt do all within thy power to care for that life which is God's gift, His prerogative to give and to terminate. The Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that this includes, "that I hurt not myself, nor willfully expose myself to any danger.” Your life is not your own. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You have no right to destroy it! You have no right to abuse your body by any means, whether by gluttony, the use of illicit drugs, excessive alcohol intake or the addictive use of tobacco and smoking, which has been demonstrated beyond any doubt as doing harm to the body.

We need to be honest with the law of God. If we continue to give no regard to the law in its personal application, then the word of James 1:22 comes home to our conscience, "be ye doers of the word, and hot hearers only,deceiving your own selves."

Last modified on 27 September 2015

Additional Info

  • Date: 3-October
STEVEN R KEY

Steven R. Key (Wife: Nancy)

Ordained: September 1986

Pastorates: Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI - 1986; Randolph, WI - 1991; Hull, IA - 2000; Loveland, CO - March 2010; Emeritus, Jan. 2023

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lovelandprctest1/home

Contact Details

  • Address
    709 E.57th St.
  • City
    Loveland
  • State or Province
    CO
  • Zip Code
    80538
  • Country
    United States
  • Telephone
    970-667-1347