Murder originates in the heart. Nothing from the outside defiles a man but originates in the heart governed by carnal human nature.

God's called-out ones must curtail 'installment plan' serial sins which carry them to a fatal point of no return.

Anger and hostility, driven by self-centered competitive pride constitute Satan's spiritual mark that divides nations, ethnic groups, families, and the church.

The commandment against murder is the one most universally followed by man. But Jesus shows there is much more behind it than merely taking another's life.

Our society is becoming increasingly violent. The sixth of the Ten Commandments covers crime, capital punishment, murder, hatred, revenge and war.

In the sixth commandment, God rules against the taking of human life, revealing how precious life is to God and should be to us.

God alone has the prerogative of giving and taking life. As ambassadors of God's heavenly Kingdom, we do not take up arms on behalf of any nation on the earth.

What God is most interested in is the heart behind the offering, and what is in the heart will be seen in what we are willing to do for the sake of a brother.

The saints of God face a tireless, unremitting adversary. Our chief adversary, Satan the Devil, will always be present to challenge us.

How we interact with our brethren matters to God! The many miss the mark. It is our job to make sure that we are among the few hitting it.

Jesus Christ placed a high priority on reconciliation, warning us that before we engage God at the altar, we had better make peace with our brother.

Though the Old and New Testament are complementary to one another, the emphasis of justice in the New Testament switches from national to personal in scope.

We are ambassadors in a foreign land, awaiting the return of Christ, when we will help our Warrior King subdue all the rebellious nations of the earth.

Jesus emphasized the spirit of the law, which places deterrents on the motive (anger, resentment, envy, revenge), preventing murder from ever taking place.

Jesus, showing the spirit of the law, warns against rash divorces, taking oaths, invoking God's name frivolously, realizing that a covenant is binding.

God does not want basic compliance, but growth in godliness. Jesus encourages the Pharisees to emulate the generosity of God rather than stinginess.

Assassinations have occurred frequently. There is an extremely dangerous kind of assassination—namely, character assassination through murmuring and gossip.

We dare not let the sun go down on our wrath. Uncontrolled anger can be a major cause of mental and physical illness. We must reconcile with our adversaries.

The sixth commandment, forbidding murder, is rare among the Ten Commandments in that a clear line can be drawn between its commission and its consequences.

We are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.

Bitterness divides one member of Christ's Body from another. Individuals often look for a 'doctrinal' reason to justify leaving a congregation.

Jesus magnifies the Law in Matthew 5, moving beyond the behavior into the motivating thought behind the deed, warning that we do not retaliate in kind.

What is the mark that we so often miss? Most of the time, it is this newly revealed half, the spiritual intent of the law, the standard that God set for us.

We are obligated to uphold a higher standard of morality, responsible for the letter and spirit of the law, as well as the prompts of our consciences.

We need to nurture fellowship with our spiritual siblings, forgiving others as Christ forgave, steadfastly resisting pride and division within the church.

Like the older brother in the parable, we may have looked down on those who have stumbled. We are not equipped to judge anybody else's repentance.

It is easy to follow in Satan's footsteps, courting his daughter Envy, reaping the disquiet which accompanies her. Envy comes from pushing God from our thoughts.

We are admonished to seek the narrow, difficult gate rather than the wide gate and the broad, well-traveled easy way, representing Satan's reprobate teachings.