Samctity Of Human Life: You Shall Not Murder

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. And while most messages being preached today are going to focus on abortion and the 55 million babies that have been murdered since Roe V wade became the law of the land on January 20th 1973. It has been 40 years since this horrendous decision was handed down by the Supreme Court and it has great harm to America.

But I want to expand the scope of what I believe Sanctity of human life means not only to us as people and Christians but what it means biblically.

ALL LIFE IS SACRED! And while we must protect the most vulnerable and defenseless lives among us, specifically the unborn, we also have to acknowledge that all lives are important to God.

We have to learn that when people murder other people these acts greatly displease God. In Exodus chapter 20 verse 13 we read this: “You shall not murder”. This is a more accurate translation than is found in the King James Version where the verse reads: “Thou Shalt Not Kill”.

There is a big difference between killing in self defense or while defending your home and family as well as defending our country or those in the world that we have said that we will protect against evil people.

The sixth commandment is very specific in what it says. Murder is against Gods laws and rules. And God isn’t concerned about what causes people to murder other people.

Murder is murder whether it is committed in a moment of passion or whether it is committed with thoughtful premeditation or the abortion of an innocent baby in the womb of its mother. Murder in any form is wrong!

In our society today there is a growing disregard for human life and some people have cheapened human life to such a degree that they don’t even look at the ones that they murder as people. They look at them as problems, as inconveniences, as a means to an end. Too many times people are looked on as something (NOT SOMEONE) who is in the way of something that they want or their “happiness”.

So what is going on in people to cause them to want to murder another human being? Let’s look back in Genesis chapter 4 verses 1-8 and read this: 1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a man-child with the help of the LORD.” 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Sometimes people murder other people just out of anger. Look at why Cain murdered Abel. Did Abel do anything to provoke his brother? Did Abel do anything wrong where Cain may have had to kill his brother in self defense? Not at all, in fact just the opposite occurred. Cain tricked Abel into going out into the field with him with murder on the agenda.

Remember what I said earlier about pre meditated murder and how this sin goes against all that God says is right because we as people are all made in His image.

So what was really going on in the mind and heart of Cain as he plotted and planned the murder of his brother Abel? In verse 5 we can see what led to Cain’s poor decision making. 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

What I have learned about why the Lord accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s offering is that it was a matter of the heart. The Lord knew the hearts of both of these young men and I believe that the Lord saw faith and worship in Abel’s heart and offering but on the other hand the Lord did not find the same faith and sense of worship in the heart and offering of Cain. I believe that God saw what kind of man Cain was and it wasn’t a pretty picture.