What possesses someone to go out, shoot, and kill people? People that he does not know? People that have done nothing to offend him? Last week we were apprised of another mass shooting. The images shown on the news were shocking and terrifying. Some lost their lives that day. Lives taken by someone who later took his own life.
The sin of murder goes all the way back to the first family when Cain murdered his own brother, Abel. You could say it goes back even further, for Jesus called the devil, "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44 NKJV). This likely refers to the devil's hand in sin coming into the world thereby bringing death in as a result: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).
It should go without saying that human life is most valuable, and to take the life of another by murder is of the highest sin. To judge the magnitude of a transgression, all one has to do is to look at the punishment. To rob a bank may get a person ten years behind bars. To rob someone of his life may get him life behind bars or even the death penalty. After the flood, which destroyed a world filled with violence, God said, Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man (Genesis 9:6).
In the verse above, we are given the reason why it is wrong to murder: people are made in the image of God. This is not said of any animals, only man (cf. Matthew 6:26). We have God's spiritual nature. In other words, we've been given the ability to be like God. This involves our mind and the fruit that comes out of our hearts. We have also been given an eternal soul which will ultimately live with God eternally or live eternally without him. The law of Moses stated the following: Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death. Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, animal for animal (Leviticus 24:17-18).
Since God is the giver of life (Acts 17:25), it stands to reason he is the only one can take life. He does this through the natural process of death (Genesis 3:19), and through his "ministers," that is, the civil government, to whom he gives authority to legally "bear the sword" (Romans 13:1-4). Those who usurp this authority and murder will land in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8).
Yes, life is so valuable. To lay down one's life for another, Jesus said, is the greatest act of love one can show (John 15:13). May our lives adorn the image of our God so that the world may know why life is so sacred. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9).
Brotherly, Jamie
