The Sixth Commandment (Part 3) Exodus 20:13 Sunday 4 th November 2018 Glenvista Baptist Church 26 th Message in The Ten Commandments Exodus 20:13 (ESV) 13 You shall not murder. Introduction. a) God has stipulated clearly in His Word what He prescribes for His people. His will is abundantly clear. He has not left us in the dark as to this matter. He has lovingly provided stipulations and guidelines, out of love for His people, within which we are safe and within which we enjoy the benefits of His covenant. This, God has given us through His law, and ours is the duty to seek to know how God would have us apply His will as per His stipulations. b) Our study thus far of the Sixth Commandment has comprised of the following: we have seen clearly that life has sanctity because man was made in the image of God (imago Dei). We have also very clearly seen that murder is wrong for numerous reasons, but that murder goes far deeper than simply meets the eye. Jesus redefines the commandment by pointing that hatred and envy of one s brother is as good as murder and is a sin that needs to be dealt with ruthlessly by eradicating it from our lives. c) In our second exposition on this vital topic we looked at the areas in which the Scripture makes killing permissible and we saw that Christian wisdom needs to be applied in each of those areas. Then we specifically commenced by looking at those areas that are not permissible. The Scriptures are abundantly clear that premeditated murder or premeditated homicide falls under the prohibition of this command; that murder through negligence is prohibited by this command; that abortion, euthanasia and suicide are also strictly prohibited by this command. We started off by looking at abortion, and I want us to move on and consider the areas of euthanasia and suicide today. d) We have seen that regardless of society s view on capital punishment, that it is abundantly clear from the Word of God that it was part of God s law for murder. We see very clearly that by the time of Noah God saw it as appropriate to respond to murder with capital punishment (Genesis 9:6). When we then reach the giving of the Ten Commandments fifteen hundred years before Christ, it was sufficient for God to merely underline what was already in place, as seen in Exodus 21:12 and Leviticus 24:17. Exodus 21:12-12 Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. Leviticus 24:17-17 Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. May God grant us the abundance of His grace as we proceed on this vital matter. 1
Point 1 What types of Murder are Prohibited by the Sixth Commandment? (v13) Exodus 20:13 (ESV) 13 You shall not murder. a) We simply continue where we left off last Lord s Day. We have seen clearly thus far that murder is prohibited under the following circumstances: {1} Firstly, the commandment specifically prohibits premeditated killing/premeditated homicide. {2} Secondly we noted that murder through means of negligence or carelessness is condemned by this command. {3} Thirdly, the Sixth Commandment prohibits abortion, euthanasia and suicide. We have looked at the Scriptures teaching on abortion, and this morning I want us to look very specifically at the biblical prohibition against euthanasia and suicide. b) EUTHANASIA: We have thus far considered the precious nature of life in light of its sanctity, which comes from the very fact that the image of God is upon man. Once we have accepted the biblical principle that human life commences at the very point of conception, we need to understand that to break this principle, however heartrending the underlying reasons for it may be, is simply to add murder to our action. That applies to abortion, euthanasia and suicide. As we come this morning to euthanasia I believe it is necessary and would be helpful to define this act. One definition reads like this: Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. Another definition: Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or an irreversible coma. Other synonyms for euthanasia are mercy killing, assisted suicide or physician-assistedsuicide. This type of practice is usually exercised towards the elderly and often these folk are left to feel to be a burden to society or to their families. c) We do however this morning need to state the most important principle that speaks against euthanasia, and that is the fact that God nowhere has given us the right to take life. Subjective and emotive reasons that lead to the authorizing of killing life can never be seen as acceptable in the sight of God. God never will approve of such an act, as His prohibition is abundantly clear, You shall not murder. From a biblical perspective therefore to take life simply because an ageing frail human being is suffering much and no longer enjoys quality of life and to bring such a life to a premature ending, is nothing but murder. So whether someone if suffering unbearably, and simply cannot face the future as a result of little quality of life, certainly is no validation from a biblical perspective to end such life through what is called mercykilling. Pain and suffering never can be the place from which the Christian response to euthanasia commences. In the very same way the discovery that children can feel pain in the womb, is not the place where the argument against abortion begins. Euthanasia and abortion are wrong because they are nothing but murder and such God prohibits. The value of life, dear friends is not based upon the ability to feel pain or communicate but on the fact, as we have already seen, that every human being is created in the likeness of God and that God alone controls both life and death. d) Now friends we need to admit this morning that this is a difficult issue. For none of us would ever want to take a person s life into our own hands and end it prematurely. Yet on the other hand no one wants to sit by and see someone suffer intensely and none 2
of us therefore would want to assist the process of dying to be longer than necessary. The question is at what point do we let the person die and take no further action to extend or prolong his life? When we look at the society in which we live it certainly would be true to say that we live in a culture of death. Abortion on demand has been practiced for decades. And we are faced with the fact that euthanasia is proposed as a suitable means to solving various social and financial problems. e) But friends we need to consider this from the Word of God. Society has in this instance once again a total reversal of values and a total reversal of the biblical model. The Word of God teaches us that death is an enemy. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:26 that 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. In Genesis 2:7 we see that life is a sacred gift from God as God breathes life into the nostrils of man. Euthanasia spurns the gift of life God gives to man and embraces the curse. Therefore we must conclude that the overriding truth that God is sovereign drives us to the conclusion that euthanasia and assisted suicide are wrong. As mortals we cannot escape physical death. Psalms 89:48-48 What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah The writer of Hebrews confirms this truth in Hebrews 9:27 when he writes, 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment Yet friends as much as this is true, God nonetheless remains sovereignly in control over when and how a person s death occurs. Both the book of Job as well as Ecclesiastes confirms this truth - Job 30:23-23 For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living. Ecclesiastes 8:8-8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. This means euthanasia and assisted suicide are man s attempt to usurp from God the authority he has over death. God alone has the final say over death. Hebrews 2:9-9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:14-15 - 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Revelation 21:4-4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. f) We also need to affirm this morning that death is something that will come to us all. It is unnatural as a result of the fall, but it will nonetheless come our way. That does though mean that death often comes with a prolonged period of intense physical suffering for some, whilst for others the suffering might be short lived. Now even though none of us enjoy suffering we still have no right to make an end to its by taking life as a means of compassion. God s purposes are made know often through suffering and the book of Ecclesiastes affirms this, when the writer says 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14) Therefore we can surmise that even towards the end of life, even when God brings about adversity and calamity, life still has meaning and purpose, because of God s image, and suffering fulfills something of that purpose. g) Never therefore should we seek to prematurely end a life. That means that death may not be actively hastened for that would be wrong. It also implies that passively withholding lifesaving treatment is also wrong. Yet it must be stated that to allow death to simply go its natural course in the life of a terminally ill patient cannot necessarily be viewed as wrong. So we ought to remember that God has given the faculty of 3
medicine, but He most certainly has not given it to both heal and kill. Life is precious and man has no right to take it flippantly into his own hands. h) SUICIDE: Now that brings us to the area of suicide and I confess that this is a sensitive and even painful topic, yet nonetheless one the Scriptures speak to. I am very aware that there would be folk in the church today who in some or other way have been affected by a suicide. So this topic needs to be addressed with much wisdom and compassion. That though does not allow us to water down what God says to this matter and I seek to represent to you as best as I possibly can what God has revealed pertaining this issue. I want to though address this issue very particularly from the perspective of the suicide of one who knew Christ as Lord and Savior. Is suicide an unpardonable sin? Does God consign to hell those who believe in Him, yet come to such a point of despair that they inevitably take their own lives? Now this question cannot be answered subjectively, but must be answered from the point of the objective truth of God s Word. And dear friends, in order to answer this question we need to understand something of the truth of the gift of everlasting life which God gives unto those who repent of their sin by faith and through grace. Everlasting life is a gift of undeserved grace out of the hand of God our Father. Everlasting life is exactly what the word says it is everlasting. That means there is no end to it. This life has a quality that cannot be taken away from it. In actual fact the apostle Paul describes it in such a way that he qualifies that not even death can rob it of that quality. He writes in Romans 8:38-39, 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. i) Notice that nothing else in all creation can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus. If nothing else in all creation can separate the believer from Christ, can we then assume that not even suicide can? Let me attempt answering this first in the case of the unbeliever. The unbeliever who commits suicide, will first and foremost come before the judgment throne of God, not as one who primarily killed himself, but primarily as one who rejected Christ and the offer of the Gospel. It is for his rejection of Christ that he will be cast into hell forever; not because he committed suicide. Committing suicide was for the unbeliever simply a hastening of his journey to hell; and was a fruit of his unbelief and not the root. John 3:18 tells us that it is primarily the unbelief of the unbeliever that condemns him Jesus says, 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. j) In the case of the believer though we need to say that this controversial topic has often been addressed in emotional ways and not by teaching what the Scripture teaches. For some who perhaps come out of Roman Catholic teaching it may have been embedded in their minds that suicide is a mortal sin that irretrievably sends people to hell. Influenced by the thought of Augustine and Aquinas, this belief dominated through the Reformation. It was Martin Luther, however, who said that the Devil is capable of oppressing (not possessing) a believer to the point where such an individual just cannot bear to live anymore and commit the sin of suicide. So, what does the Bible say to this matter? Let us first commit to our memories some of the essential truths which we know well: 1) Humanity is totally depraved (Isa 64:6; Rom 3:10-18). This does not mean that we are all as evil as we possibly can be, but it does mean that every human capacity intellect, will, heart, and emotions is tainted by sin. 4
2) Even after a Christian is converted he is still capable of sinning. The only sin he cannot commit is the unpardonable sin, which is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:25-32; Matt 12:22-32). 3) When looking at the life of King David we see that a Christian is capable of murdering another person, Like David murdered Uriah, and that such sin is incapable of invalidating the salvation of the believer. 4) The sacrifice of our Savior at the cross has paid for all our sin, past, present and future (Col 2:13-24; Heb 10:11-18). 5) That means that every sin a believer will commit tomorrow has already been dealt with in the sacrifice of Christ our Savior. At the cross Jesus justified His people, declaring us all positionally righteous. This, Christ accomplished through one single sufficient sacrifice that never needs to be repeated again. And therefore we need to understand that Jesus did not make His people justifiable at the cross, but that He justified us (Rom 3:23-26; Rom 8:29-20). k) Now with those essential truths we need to answer the issue of suicide in the case of the believer from the perspective of the Doctrine of the Eternal Security of the Believer. Most theologians who hold to the eternal security of the believer, holds to the fact that nothing, not even suicide, can separate the true believer from Christ (Rom 8:38-39). Nothing can snatch the believer out of the hand of the Father and Jesus made it so clear - John 10:27-28 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. So then, let me summarize this position: 1) If it be true, as it is, that a Christian is capable of committing any sin, then surely it could be true that a Christian would even commit suicide? 2) If we believe that Jesus blood atones for sin, does it mean that we are not going to believe that his blood has atoned for this sin in a believer as well? 3) In light of the fact that suicide is not the unpardonable sin, it must therefore mean that suicide is pardonable in the lives of the elect? 4) If great men like Moses, and Job, and Elijah and Jeremiah and even the apostle Paul, severely struggled at times so much that they despaired even of life itself, then surely it is reasonable to believe that for instance a believer with schizophrenia or severe depression would possibly consider ending his own life? 5) I would however suggest that on the basis of Scripture, Church history, and the experience of God s people, that suicide indeed is rare amongst believers. 6) We need to admit that suicide is a serious offence and cannot be taken lightly. But we simultaneously need to say that if a genuine born again believer is capable of taking another s life, that it would be reasonable to assume that a genuine born again believer would also be capable of taking his own? l) I think you can therefore see that the subject of suicide and salvation indeed is not an easy matter to respond to and that it requires careful application of the Scriptures as well as wisdom and a great matter of spiritual sensitivity. 5
Conclusion: a) In conclusion then this morning, I need to take you back to where we started. Life has value because man has been created in the image of God. We have considered two areas this morning namely euthanasia and suicide and both these we have seen pleases God not. Both these are seen as murder, yet both are not the unpardonable sin. b) These three messages on murder have exposed us to the primary issue namely the fact that murder goes beyond the obviously evident and speaks to the matter of our hearts as well. We can be so angry with someone that we actually wish ill upon them, and this is seen in the same light as God would see murder. It therefore goes far deeper than meets the eye, and time and again the call has been for us to beg that God would search our hearts and show us if there is any iniquity within from which we need to repent and abstain. c) Our God is a gracious God. We have seen clearly that He loves the penitent sinner and in light of our discovery that there is only one sin that is classified as the unpardonable sin, we can rest assured that upon repentance God forgives the sin of abortion, murder, suicide and euthanasia. d) We do however need to say this morning that there always is a better choice than murder. Murder is a sin. A sin that does not please God. God is not glorified in this sin and His people need to at all costs steer away from this. We are therefore to flee to Christ and turn our back on sin. And for those who do not fear God and do not turn from their sin, there remains the wrath of God. For them there remains hell and the punishment all deserve who turn not to Christ. For dear friends, if there is no hell, there is no need for a cross. The cross shows us the depth of our sin and the height of God s holiness, the purity of God s wrath and the greatness of God s mercy. The cross assures us that hell exists. The cross demands that we look to the one hanging there and put all our faith, all our hope, all our trust in him. e) Cast your self therefore upon Him, for He is merciful and just. Amen! Soli Deo Gloria (For God s Glory Alone) Glenvista Baptist Church 4 November 2018 6