6th commandment
We may not murder b/c man is in the image of God.
Not all killing is murder. 3 examples
1. Self-defense in Ex 22.2.
2. As an agent of the state in the army, killing an enemy combatant
in a just conflict is not murder – Rom 13
3. Capital punishment is not murder, but punishment for murder.
In the same way, a parent can spank a child for the sin of
hitting his sister. He can’t protest and say, well, you’re just hitting me. No, both the death penalty and a spanking are God-ordained wrath on the wrong-doer.
Positive application – 3 examples
It is wrong to risk your life or safety unnecessarily, for a thrill.
Treat our slower and frailer members with care and respect. An accident can do a lot of damage.
Seek your neighbor’s good, positively, instead of live and let live.
Life must be cherished, preserved and protected from the womb
to the tomb. The state should outlaw abortion, but more importantly the church should show the world how to value life, especially at the beginning and end of it. Near the end, we don’t use medicine to end life before it gets painful, costly or inconvenient. Then again, we can wrongly grasp after every medical treatment to prolong life unduly.
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