Is the Sixth Commandment, Do not Kill?

“Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13

I have killed people.  Because of me, peoples’ lives have ended.  Does that mean I have broken this commandment?  I was in the US Navy, and I plotted our ship’s course and basically aimed the gun at targets where people were.  They died because of what I did, but I did not break this commandment doing it.

The word “kill” means to murder.  I did not murder because what I did was in an act of war.  God sent armies out to battle.  He would not want anyone to disobey His commandments, so going to war must not fall under this commandment.  He also ordered people to be executed so an execution for crimes is not under this commandment.

This commandment is when a person takes it upon themselves to murder someone else.  They are playing God by deciding when a person’s life should end.  They are ending a person’s chance to know God.

Ending a person’s life is serious.  It means that if they do not know Jesus as their savior, they will never again have the chance to accept him.  If they are believers, it means they will never get the chance to grow closer in their relationship with Christ.  Their opportunity to become more like Christ has ended and to serve Him in this life has ended.

Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus says we should not even be angry without cause or call a person a fool.  The problem is found in our hearts.  It is not just our actions that condemn us but our dark, inner desires.  It is this sinful, self-satisfying, rebellious heart of ours that gets us into trouble.  Our hearts want to rebel against God.  It doesn’t want a relationship with Jesus.  It wants its own way.

We must fall down before God and repent of our rebellious spirit.  We must not rely upon our hearts to lead us, but rather upon Christ.  Murder is an action of the heart.  Faith is a sacrifice of the heart.

Photo Credit: Murder's weapon on the table by VanDammeMaarten.be

Technorati Tags: kill, murder, crime, heart, revival, commandments, christ, jesus, hate, anger