Spiritual Murder Leads Only to Spiritual Death: The Fifth Commandment
Type of Event: Worship Service: Sermon only
Date Recorded: 15 Oct, 2006
Location: Pittsburgh, PA 
Topics: Regeneration / Spiritual Growth
Description: "You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)
Similarly to the fourth commandment to honor your father and mother, the commandment against murder is clearly to be viewed in terms of both width and depth. Instead of adding numbers of people to achieve a wider point of view, as we did with the fourth commandment, we include all the stages leading up to murder. This includes wounding or mutilation that proves fatal, but also the feelings of hatred, enmity, and revenge that are the causes of the wounding -- even if the actual murder never takes place. Because of this, those who injure another's name or reputation have the same motivations and fears. The hateful or vengeful person, even if they never hurt anyone, lives "in danger of hellfire."
But this commandment also goes much deeper than the life in this world; a person's real life is in their soul. Making the Word or the life of religion the subject of a joke can be spiritual murder if it then prevents another from thinking reverently about these things. Persuading someone to reject something of religion or worship is spiritual murder because it destroys that person's ability to live the life that leads to heaven. Of course, you do not have the power to close heaven to another, but you can provide real assistance to evil spirits as they try to drag another soul into hell.
Both of these levels of murder come from a rejection and hatred of the Lord. All in the hells want nothing more than to destroy the Lord, the dreadfulness of which is pictured in the final days of the Lord's life on earth. But since they cannot, they instead try to destroy those who would follow Him. Real murder is the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who attempt spiritual murder only end up bringing spiritual death on themselves by choosing the life of hell.
To see that this is true, read Matthew 5:21-26, John 8:37-59, and True Christian Religion 310.
This is the fifth Rise Above It sermon on the Ten Commandments.
(Archived at http://www.PittsburghNewChurch.org/)
References: Matthew 5:21-26; John 8:37-59; True Christian Religion 310
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1Spiritual Murder Leads Only to Spiritual Death (Amos Glenn) - Exo 20:13 (Oct 15, 2006)14m 40s
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