Text — Exodus 20:13
Subject — Murder
Theme — The broad definition of Murder per the Heidelberg Catechism
Proposition — … will give us insight as to what we are called to as Christians in terms of our neighbor and remind us of the ongoing necessity to look to Christ alone for a 6th commandment keeping righteousness that can stand up to God’s just expectations.
Purpose — … therefore having examined the broad definition of murder let us continue, as those filled with the Spirit of Christ to seek to love our neighbor, and enemy by seeking their good.
Introduction
Inter-relationship between various commandments
At this point we want to talk about the violation of the commandments in terms of action and not just thought. In a few minutes we will talk about the thought end these sins. However, for now I want to spend just a little time talking about how integrated God’s law is in terms of the sin acted and lived out — this as opposed to the thought or contemplation of the sin.
So, in our opening lets spend just a few minutes talking about the inter-relationship that exists among the 10 words.
1.) The 6th commandment as a violation of the 1st commandment.
God says we are to have no other Gods before Him.
If we disobey God and obey other gods we have violated the 1st commandment
In Murder we are disobeying God and so setting ourselves up to be god over God
Hence violation of the 6th commandment is a violation of the 1st commandment
2.) The violation of the 6th commandment as a violation of the 8th commandment.
When murder occurs theft occurs since murder is the (taking) stealing of someones life.
3.) The violation of the 7th commandment as a violation of the 8th commandment
When adultery occurs someone is stealing someones husband and / or wife.
4.) The violation of commandments 6-8 is a violation of commandment #10
We do not murder, commit adultery, or steal unless we are first animated by wanting something that isn’t ours to have.
5.) Violation of commandment #9 is a violation of commandment #3
When we bear false witness in court, we are at that point taking God’s name in vain since testifying is connected to oath taking.
6.) If you had Christian parents the violating of any of the commandment is a violating of the 5th commandment as it is not honoring to Christian Mothers and Fathers to break God’s Law Word.
7.) A breaking of any of the commandments is a breaking of the 3rd commandments since as God’s people we wear God’s name, and so any living inconsistent with God’s Law Word is a taking of God’s name in vain.
8.) A breaking of any of the commandments is a breaking of the 2nd commandment since in the breaking of God’s commandments there is a serving of some other god and his commandments and the 2nd commandment does not allow us to bow down to nor serve false gods.
We could go on like this but you begin to see how it is the case that though we rightly distinguish God’s law into 10 different commandments they are all bound up tightly together. Now having said that it is not as if all the sins committed as crimes are equally grave. Clearly they are not equally grave since Murder is a capital offense while something like theft is adjusted by restitution. So, clearly among the sins as committed as crimes there are levels of severity.
Now let us turn to the thought aspect of the 6th commandment.
Thought of harm
“That neither in thoughts, nor words, nor gestures, much less in deeds, I dishonour, hate, wound, or kill my neighbour, by myself or by another…”
Now, in as much the thought or contemplation of theft, or adultery, or false witness, or covetousness is a thought that dishonors, hates and wounds my neighbor, just as the thought of murder does, in that much my thoughts of theft, adultery, false witness, or covetousness, are thoughts that make me guilty of murder in my thinking since such thinking is a thinking that dishonors, and hates my neighbor. So, even though a person may be only contemplating adultery in his thinking, since that contemplation of adultery is a thinking that reveals dishonor or hate towards my neighbor, which is forbidden in the 6th commandment, that contemplating of adultery is at the same time a murderous contemplation.
Now if a person goes from contemplating theft to acting out theft, as a Magistrate I can not convict him for murder, though as a minister I would counsel him to repent of the kind of thoughts of hatred towards his neighbor that led him to steal from his neighbor, which is the same counsel I would give, as a minister, to someone who was convicted for murder. I would tell the convicted murderer also that he must repent of the kind of thoughts of hatred toward his neighbor that led him to kill his neighbor. So the actions of theft and murder are different and murder is far more grave in terms of criminal activity, and so is visited with a harsher penalty, but the actions of each are born of the same thinking that dishonors or hates my neighbor. This is why when I am guilty of violating the 7th – 10th commandment both in thinking and acting I am also guilty of the 6th commandment in as much as the thinking and acting done in violation of commandments 7 – 10 makes me guilty of the thinking that is forbidden in the 6th commandment — as I am forbidden to think such thoughts that would dishonor or hate my neighbor.
Now, obviously, no one can be, nor did God ever require people to be tried and temporally punished for thought crimes, still the Catechism teaches, as before God, that when we contemplate these matters (murder – hatred, theft – hatred, lust – hatred,) or if we plot them out, or let burn in our thinking hatred towards a fellow Christian we are guilty of murder as before God. In such thinking we will never be charged with a crime but we are charged with sin before God.
Question 106 of the Catechism reinforces even more that our thought life regarding our neighbor must be wholesome and chaste,
Question 106. But this commandment seems only to speak of murder?
Answer: In forbidding murder, God teaches us, that he abhors the causes thereof, such as envy, (a) hatred, (b) anger, (c) and desire of revenge; and that he accounts all these as murder. (d)
Envy — Pain over the good or prosperity of others and joy at the Misery of others. Envy belongs to whoever wishes to lower others so that he may climb over them.
(a) Prov.14:30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
In our culture we have institutionalized envy via our political process and as such I intend to give envy a whole sermon next week.
Hatred,
(b) 1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 1 John 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
Anger,
(c) James 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
But following God’s word, the Catechism isn’t finished with detailing the 6th commandment for we remember that when we consider the Commandments that for every “Thou Shalt Not,” there is a corresponding “Thou Shalt.” And we find the “Thou Shalts” of the 6th commandment in the answer to Question 107.
Question 107. But is it enough that we do not kill any man in the manner mentioned above?
Answer: No: for when God forbids envy, hatred, and anger, he commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves; (a) to show patience, peace, meekness, mercy, and all kindness, towards him, (b) and prevent his hurt as much as in us lies; (c) and that we do good, even to our enemies. (d)
(a) Matt.7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matt.22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Rom.12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
(b) Eph.4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Gal.6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Gal.6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Matt.5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matt.5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matt.5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Rom.12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 1 Pet.3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Col.3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Rom.12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Rom.12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
(c) Exod.23:5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
(d) Matt.5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matt.5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Rom.12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Rom.12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Now please understand that what is being taught here is that it is not only the case that we are guilty before God of murder when we actually literally murder someone, it is not only the case that we are guilty before God of murder when we merely think hateful, angry, and envious thoughts against our neighbor, it is also the case that we are guilty before God of the sin of murder when we do not prevent harm against our neighbor and do not love and help our neighbor as we ought.
Now this is the standard for Christians and I hope at this point that you, along with me, are recoiling here and thinking, “who can be cleared of the charge of murder then as before God.” “If this is God’s expectation then how can I have God on my side for, at the very least, I am guilty of not perfectly helping my neighbor at every point wherein they needed help and so I am guilty of Murder.
Well, if you are with me in thinking that then that is where we must once again preach the Gospel to ourselves. We God’s law as a guide to life as Christians. We sincerely seek to walk in our newness of life so that we love God and our neighbor and by the Spirit’s agency working within us we begin to do just that. However, we also see, if we are honest with ourselves that our obedience, that God accepts and is delighted in for the sake of Christ, is never, even after conversion, all that would be necessary to stand before God in the day of Judgment without Christ’s righteousness for us.
When we begin to see the high high standard of God’s expectations we are once again reminded of the necessity of Christ’s righteousness for us as Christians. We must remind ourselves daily that I am right with God not by the excellence of my obedience, nor by the Spirit of Christ working in me but by the excellency of Christ obedience for me.
And as this came up recently in one of our teaching sessions w/ some discussion let us review quickly
Of this righteousness of Christ for me that is called Christ’s Active Obedience
Rushdoony could write,
“Biblical justification is by imputation. Although man is not righteous before God, God the Judge imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the sinner and declares him justified. As Berkhof wrote, ‘Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares, on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner.’ From beginning to end, justification is the act of God: He is the lawgiver whose law has been broken. He is the court and Judge before whom all flesh shall appear. He is the Redeemer whose atonement affects man’s justification. And, before all this He is the Creator, who made all things, including man.” (R.J. Rushdoony, “Systematic Theology,” p. 631)
What Rushdoony is saying here is what has been, in the main taught by Biblical Christians throughout the centuries, and that is I can have fellowship w/ God not because of my obedience to the law but because of Christ’s obedience to the law for me. It is not what is worked inside me that gives me standing with God but it is what is worked outside of me that gives me standing with God.
This teaching is contrary to what some have taught in Church history regarding justification. Some have taught,
(Osiander) that justification for a Christian believer resulted by Christ dwelling in a person. Contrary to Luther’s belief that justification was from outside of us and was imputed by God’s grace, Osiander believed that the righteousness of a believer was accomplished by the indwelling of God; thus, God finds one righteous because Christ is in that person.
You see the contrast?
The Scriptures teach that God finds us righteous and so acceptable because God has put the perfect law keeping obedience of Christ on our side of the ledger. Others have wrongly taught that God finds us righteous and acceptable because God finds Christ in a person.
Now throughout history that teaching that Christ outside of us as our righteousness has been charged with encouraging lawlessness on the part of believers.
The accusation has been that if we teach people that what Christ has done for them which is outside of them which is their standing before God then those people will not follow God’s law.
However, as Calvin and the Reformers taught this doth in no way follow.
Calvin,
“For, if he who has obtained justification possesses Christ, and at the same time, Christ is never where his Spirit is not, it is obvious that free righteousness is necessarily connected with regeneration. Therefore, if you would properly understand how inseparable faith and works are, look to Christ, who, as the Apostle teaches, has been given to us for justification and for sanctification (I Cor. 1:30). Wherever, therefore, that righteousness of faith which we maintain to be free is, there too Christ is, and where Christ is there too is the Spirit of holiness, who regenerates the soul to newness of life.”
Calvin, Responsio (found in Ioannis Calvini opera selecta [ed. P. Barth, W. Niesel, and Dora Scheuner; 5 vols.; Munich: Chr. Kaiser, 1926–1952]
What Calvin is saying here is,
By the Spirit through faith believers are united to Christ who is in himself both (1) righteousness and (2) sanctification (I Corinthians 1:30). Hence these graces of righteousness (right standing w/ God because Christ’s obedience is accounted to them) and Sanctification (ongoing Spirit led obedience to God’s law) are
(1) distinct but inseparable, and entirely out of reach unless we are united to Christ;
(2) simultaneously bestowed, something Calvin is careful to emphasize repeatedly.
Consequently it is impossible to entertain either a salvation without works (works as dispensable for salvation) or a justification through our works (works as instrumental for justification).
If we do not hold with Rushdoony, and the overwhelming majority report of Reformed Christians since the Reformation, that it is Christ’s obedience to the 6th commandment as freely credited to our account that is our 6th commandment keeping righteousness then we are left to seeking to have a 6th commandment keeping obedience that is as complete as what the Catechism requires and so we are left with seeking to become our own Messiah.
