Murders
Of all the sins listed as “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5, “murder” may be the most obvious to some people. Strong’s also defines it as “slaughter.” Of the ten commandments, the one forbidding murder may be the most memorable because of its brevity, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).
Yet, as simple as this command might seem, it is often broken. In fact, though it should be a “no-brainer” that murder is wrong, even Christians search for loopholes to justify murder.
For example, some “Christians” defend abortion. They claim an unborn child is a fetus, not a child. Yet, the inspired word of God called Jesus a “child” before he was born (Matthew 1:18). Some play situational ethics with “abortion” saying it is okay to abort a child in certain cases. Yet, the child is innocent of wrongdoing and should not be punished. The Bible refers to children as “innocent” and one of the things the Lord “hates” is the shedding of “innocent blood” (Psalm 106:37-38; Proverbs 6:16).
Many try to justify “suicide.” Yet, the definition of “suicide” is “self-murder.” In the Bible, such a sin was often committed in pride, consider Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), and Judas (Matthew 27:1-5). Righteous men refuse to take their own lives in trials (Job 2:9-10).
Finally, the Bible equates hatred with murder (1 John 3:15). After all, the heart of murder is hate (Matthew 5:21-22). Murder is not merely homicide. Be careful not to practice or justify it.
September 2007