Murder is not something that we have to face on a day to day basis. Murder is going on in our community with babies dismembered and poisoned in the womb (abortion), as well as people who murder themselves (suicide) or employ others to do it (euthanasia). Still, it is hidden away and sanitized such that we can carry on our lives without much thought for it.
Thank God that regular old garden-variety murder has become something of a scarcity in our towns; it is rare for a person in the prime of life to be unlawfully killed by another. Yet, for our church on this Sunday morning past, it became a stark reality. Meters away from church, a few hours earlier a man lost his life at the hands of another man .
The first we knew of it was the closed streets around our meeting place, and the abundance of flashing lights attached to police and ambulance vehicles. As we gathered to worship the God of Life, who made us in His image, they were cleaning up the scene where a man, made in God's image, had lost his life.
Being a small town, it wasn't long before someone discovered who the dead man was, and their connection to his family. Then, over the next couple days the suspect was identified and it became apparent that people from our church had connections to his family too.
This event has is like a cloud over our community, making us question our safety and security. Evil has been obviously manifested in public, and we are justifiably horrified.
So what does it mean for us? How do we as Ambassadors for Christ in this evil age respond to such events?
We go to the Word! There we will find the principles we need to be light bearers, truth speakers and messengers of hope in the midst of the darkness.
Christ Is King
This is the first thing we need to remember. Even when horrible things happen Jesus still reigns. He is overcoming all evil, yet the effects of Christ's victory has net yet reached the corner of every human heart. Not even Christians are fully free from evil desires, and so we should not be surprised when we see wickedness manifested. But the fact that such awful things happen, does not undermine Jesus authority or determination to bring in his reign of perfect righteousness and peace.
"[Christ] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For 'God has put all things in subjection under his feet.' " (1 Co 15:25–27).
Pray
This is an automatic response, but an important one nonetheless. We turn the the Lord and cry out to him!
What do we pray?
We mourn evil, and thank God that he is overcoming it in Christ.
We pray for justice to prevail. God gave us civil authorities for this. Pray that everyone from police to judges and lawyers will aid justice.
We pray for no more bloodshed. Ask that God would take away such evil from our town.
We pray for the family of the deceased man. They have lost a husband, father, mate. They are mourning and we empathise with them in their permanent loss and sorrow.
Pray for the suspected murderer. That he would receive a fair trial.
Pray for the family of the suspect. That they would not be shunned or treated unfairly.
Pray for all. That they would all find true life and true justice in and through Jesus Christ.
"And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily." (Lk 18:7–8).
Don't Gossip
It is tempting to make this news be the discussion topic of every interaction. It is thoroughly appropriate to discuss and consider the events happening in our community. However, it may be tempting to entertain accusations and theories that are not based in fact.
We ought not be carried away by theories and third-hand stories that tingle the ears. We have a wonderful curiosity that wants to know what happened and why, but idle talk and trafficking in hearsay is no way to use that God-given gift.
"A dishonest man spreads strife,
and a whisperer separates close friends." (Pr 16:28).
"For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder." (2 Co 12:20).
What is Murder?
Murder is the unlawful killing of an image bearer by an image bearer(s). Unlawful killing means that is against God's moral law, after all, plenty of civil governments permit killing that is evil in God's sight. Lawful killing would include the death penalty for certain proven crimes, or killing as a result of waging a just war.
Loss of life caused by self defence is not "lawful" per se, but if the killer is not at fault, it's not considered murder. Under the Old Covenant, God had allowances for accidental killing, and those who were guilty of accidental killing could live in exile for a time before returning home. Those who were proved to have deliberately set out to take another's life should lose their own life as payment.
"But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules." (Nu 35:22–24).
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
A big principle of godly justice is that you should never be convicted of a crime unless it is proven. The idea that you can be convicted on the balance of probabilities is disgusting, as is a conviction based on mob outrage. Under God's justice, it is better for a guilty person to get away with it, than an innocent person be punished. If a crime cannot be proved, the person should not be punished for it. If the guilty party gets away with it, God will deal with them soon enough.
The primary way a crime is proven is though the evidence of multiple witnesses. In the modern era we can have witnesses through video and audio recording as well as eye-witnesses. All witnesses can lie (even audio and video can be faked), but this is the closest thing we have to be able to prove what really happened because all the witnesses have to match.
Justice should be impartial, giving each person a fair hearing, and not treating them differently based on their status or history. Lady Justice is blindfolded. The accused may look the part of a murderer, and have a shady history, however they may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and mistakenly identified. Unlikely, I know, but it has happened before! Proof must be shown.
In Australia justice is slow and expensive (two things that God says not to do with justice!), yet the system is still robust enough, and biblical enough, that we can expect the truth to come out in the wash. As a trial is carried out, the truth will probably become evident, so till then we should hold off making judgement calls about guilt or intention unless we saw it with our own eyes.
That means, to give the arrested man a fair go, we should hold off calling him a murderer until guilt is proven. Words like "suspected" and "accused" are appropriate. It may seem like a long shot, but it may be that as evidence is revealed, the case may not be as open and shut as it now seems. I know that if I were wrongfully accused of something, that I would want people to hold off on making judgements till the truth can come out.
"The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him." (Pr 18:17).
"A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established." (Dt 19:15).
There is Hope
Lets say that the facts bear out the apparent truth, that one man unlawfully and wilfully took another man's life on the streets of our town. What then?
Restitution is not really possible in this situation, because there is no way to restore the life or pay back the value of another's life. However the convicted criminal should receive just punishment. God requires a reckoning: the death penalty. Even if our civil authorities will not carry out such a sentence, this is what murder deserves in God's eyes. Our society is apparently more "evolved" than God and will probably lock him up in a jail for several years as punishment.
Like all sin, murder is worthy of eternal damnation. And, this is particularly heinous because it is an attack on the image of God in humanity. Not only should he loose his life on this earth, he is not worthy of eternal life.
Yet there is hope. God has redeemed murderers like David & Paul. Murderer and manslayer alike can look to God in Christ. God can take away sin, even murder. No sin is so big Christ cannot atone for it. Although unworthy, sinners may receive redemption.
Jesus took our sin on himself, even the most heinous sins, and died in our place. He was murdered, and received the punishment that is due to us.
The man who died, and the man who killed, both alike have only to come to Christ to receive eternal life. Neither are worthy. Yet in Jesus there is grace for both victim and perpetrator.
This does not take away the present consequences of the sin committed against another, or the hurt received at another's hands, but this does secure a blessed joy right now, and a place in the world to come where there is no more hurt, no more murder, no more loss and no more sorrow.
I do not know the spiritual state of the man who died, yet at the very least he has had many years under God's common grace and general revelation. He now must meet his Maker either to plead his case on his own merit, or the merit of Christ.
The one who took life, if he be a murderer, has unlawfully taken away something that was not his to take. He has sinned against the LORD God, and he must throw himself on God's mercy in Jesus while there is still time. He will never be able to undo this act, or make restitution - but in Christ he can find a righteousness that he does not deserve, and a saviour who can atone for the eternal consequences of his evil actions.
Murder is a great sin, but Jesus Christ is a greater Saviour.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Co 6:9–11).
Thinking about Murder
Murder is not something that we have to face on a day to day basis. Murder is going on in our community with babies dismembered and poisoned in the womb (abortion), as well as people who murder themselves (suicide) or employ others to do it (euthanasia). Still, it is hidden away and sanitized such that we can carry on our lives without much thought for it.
Thank God that regular old garden-variety murder has become something of a scarcity in our towns; it is rare for a person in the prime of life to be unlawfully killed by another. Yet, for our church on this Sunday morning past, it became a stark reality. Meters away from church, a few hours earlier a man lost his life at the hands of another man .
The first we knew of it was the closed streets around our meeting place, and the abundance of flashing lights attached to police and ambulance vehicles. As we gathered to worship the God of Life, who made us in His image, they were cleaning up the scene where a man, made in God's image, had lost his life.
Being a small town, it wasn't long before someone discovered who the dead man was, and their connection to his family. Then, over the next couple days the suspect was identified and it became apparent that people from our church had connections to his family too.
This event has is like a cloud over our community, making us question our safety and security. Evil has been obviously manifested in public, and we are justifiably horrified.
So what does it mean for us? How do we as Ambassadors for Christ in this evil age respond to such events?
We go to the Word! There we will find the principles we need to be light bearers, truth speakers and messengers of hope in the midst of the darkness.
Christ Is King
This is the first thing we need to remember. Even when horrible things happen Jesus still reigns. He is overcoming all evil, yet the effects of Christ's victory has net yet reached the corner of every human heart. Not even Christians are fully free from evil desires, and so we should not be surprised when we see wickedness manifested. But the fact that such awful things happen, does not undermine Jesus authority or determination to bring in his reign of perfect righteousness and peace.
"[Christ] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For 'God has put all things in subjection under his feet.' " (1 Co 15:25–27).
Pray
This is an automatic response, but an important one nonetheless. We turn the the Lord and cry out to him!
What do we pray?
We mourn evil, and thank God that he is overcoming it in Christ.
We pray for justice to prevail. God gave us civil authorities for this. Pray that everyone from police to judges and lawyers will aid justice.
We pray for no more bloodshed. Ask that God would take away such evil from our town.
We pray for the family of the deceased man. They have lost a husband, father, mate. They are mourning and we empathise with them in their permanent loss and sorrow.
Pray for the suspected murderer. That he would receive a fair trial.
Pray for the family of the suspect. That they would not be shunned or treated unfairly.
Pray for all. That they would all find true life and true justice in and through Jesus Christ.
"...pray without ceasing..." (1 Th 5:17).
"And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily." (Lk 18:7–8).
Don't Gossip
It is tempting to make this news be the discussion topic of every interaction. It is thoroughly appropriate to discuss and consider the events happening in our community. However, it may be tempting to entertain accusations and theories that are not based in fact.
We ought not be carried away by theories and third-hand stories that tingle the ears. We have a wonderful curiosity that wants to know what happened and why, but idle talk and trafficking in hearsay is no way to use that God-given gift.
"A dishonest man spreads strife,
and a whisperer separates close friends." (Pr 16:28).
"For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder." (2 Co 12:20).
What is Murder?
Murder is the unlawful killing of an image bearer by an image bearer(s). Unlawful killing means that is against God's moral law, after all, plenty of civil governments permit killing that is evil in God's sight. Lawful killing would include the death penalty for certain proven crimes, or killing as a result of waging a just war.
Loss of life caused by self defence is not "lawful" per se, but if the killer is not at fault, it's not considered murder. Under the Old Covenant, God had allowances for accidental killing, and those who were guilty of accidental killing could live in exile for a time before returning home. Those who were proved to have deliberately set out to take another's life should lose their own life as payment.
"Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image." (Ge 9:6).
"You shall not murder." (Ex 20:13).
"But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules." (Nu 35:22–24).
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
A big principle of godly justice is that you should never be convicted of a crime unless it is proven. The idea that you can be convicted on the balance of probabilities is disgusting, as is a conviction based on mob outrage. Under God's justice, it is better for a guilty person to get away with it, than an innocent person be punished. If a crime cannot be proved, the person should not be punished for it. If the guilty party gets away with it, God will deal with them soon enough.
The primary way a crime is proven is though the evidence of multiple witnesses. In the modern era we can have witnesses through video and audio recording as well as eye-witnesses. All witnesses can lie (even audio and video can be faked), but this is the closest thing we have to be able to prove what really happened because all the witnesses have to match.
Justice should be impartial, giving each person a fair hearing, and not treating them differently based on their status or history. Lady Justice is blindfolded. The accused may look the part of a murderer, and have a shady history, however they may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and mistakenly identified. Unlikely, I know, but it has happened before! Proof must be shown.
In Australia justice is slow and expensive (two things that God says not to do with justice!), yet the system is still robust enough, and biblical enough, that we can expect the truth to come out in the wash. As a trial is carried out, the truth will probably become evident, so till then we should hold off making judgement calls about guilt or intention unless we saw it with our own eyes.
That means, to give the arrested man a fair go, we should hold off calling him a murderer until guilt is proven. Words like "suspected" and "accused" are appropriate. It may seem like a long shot, but it may be that as evidence is revealed, the case may not be as open and shut as it now seems. I know that if I were wrongfully accused of something, that I would want people to hold off on making judgements till the truth can come out.
"The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him." (Pr 18:17).
"A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established." (Dt 19:15).
There is Hope
Lets say that the facts bear out the apparent truth, that one man unlawfully and wilfully took another man's life on the streets of our town. What then?
Restitution is not really possible in this situation, because there is no way to restore the life or pay back the value of another's life. However the convicted criminal should receive just punishment. God requires a reckoning: the death penalty. Even if our civil authorities will not carry out such a sentence, this is what murder deserves in God's eyes. Our society is apparently more "evolved" than God and will probably lock him up in a jail for several years as punishment.
Like all sin, murder is worthy of eternal damnation. And, this is particularly heinous because it is an attack on the image of God in humanity. Not only should he loose his life on this earth, he is not worthy of eternal life.
Yet there is hope. God has redeemed murderers like David & Paul. Murderer and manslayer alike can look to God in Christ. God can take away sin, even murder. No sin is so big Christ cannot atone for it. Although unworthy, sinners may receive redemption.
Jesus took our sin on himself, even the most heinous sins, and died in our place. He was murdered, and received the punishment that is due to us.
The man who died, and the man who killed, both alike have only to come to Christ to receive eternal life. Neither are worthy. Yet in Jesus there is grace for both victim and perpetrator.
This does not take away the present consequences of the sin committed against another, or the hurt received at another's hands, but this does secure a blessed joy right now, and a place in the world to come where there is no more hurt, no more murder, no more loss and no more sorrow.
I do not know the spiritual state of the man who died, yet at the very least he has had many years under God's common grace and general revelation. He now must meet his Maker either to plead his case on his own merit, or the merit of Christ.
The one who took life, if he be a murderer, has unlawfully taken away something that was not his to take. He has sinned against the LORD God, and he must throw himself on God's mercy in Jesus while there is still time. He will never be able to undo this act, or make restitution - but in Christ he can find a righteousness that he does not deserve, and a saviour who can atone for the eternal consequences of his evil actions.
Murder is a great sin, but Jesus Christ is a greater Saviour.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Co 6:9–11).
Samuel Lindsay