I am my Brother's Keeper

"thou shalt not kill" Ex. 20:13

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_We are not good at keeping the things God gives us. Adam was asked to keep the garden and look where we are today. Remember the Sabbath day to "keep" it holy. We are not very good at keeping things. Here is something else we must "keep." I am to be my brother's keeper. No man is capable of keeping the ten commandments. Even after conversion we find it impossible to live in such a state of perfection.

The Christian life involves breaking ground and beginning again. It involves finding God's blueprints for the New life and following them carefully. It involves faith and you being where God wants to live. These are the Foundations of a "faith life." If God is going to live in you, He will change the neighborhood. When God moves in He "brings His stuff." The evidence that God lives in us is our "Testimony." God's Spiritual presence changes everything.

Eph. 2:8-9 speaks about "good works." Notice it does not say "by" good works. We are saved by Grace. How can others see that God is in and working in our lives? Look for the love (Jn. 13:35). We are people in Love. The Ten Commandments are not so much a goal as they are a gage and a guide. As a gage they make it clear that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." And to any who might foolishly consider the possibility of reaching such an impossible goal, Jesus made it clear when he spoke to the rich young ruler, "that there is none good but God." Theologically, the Ten Commandments are a teacher which lead us to God, or more precisely to see our need for God. Practically speaking, the Ten Commandments are a guide. The law came by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He was the only one to ever have lived the commandments, for he was God incarnate. He fulfilled the law in life and in death. The very same commandments that condemned us confirmed Christ to us as holy.

It is only by the grace of God that we are what we are, and that we might ever hope to be what we should be. We shall never be sanctified by a law that could not save us. Yet the ten commandments were written for our good. They were written on the conscience of men long before they were written in stone. Every memory and heart still has faint traces of truth in that he knows what is right and wrong. But time has so faded the ink of this internal reminder of holiness that it can barely be seen. But it is there. When the conscience is held up in just the right way before a certain kind of light, enough of God's law is legible to still cause guilt when violated, and conviction when considered. Every society has attempted to reconstruct these moral guiding principles. Every heart knows that it is wrong to murder. Men everywhere know that it is wrong to steal. Many are ill equipped to explain why, but they just know it is.

Jesus gave us his commentary on the sixth and seventh commandments. For while Moses may have given us the height, Jesus gave us the depth and width. It is not enough that we do not have the actual blood of a brother on our hands, we must beware of having it upon our hearts. It has been said of old that "thou shalt not kill, but I say unto you: he that hateth his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment..." Matt. 5:22 As a skilled carpenter knew how to use "just the right" tool, Jesus used the law like no other before. He showed the utter hopelessness of anyone attempting to earn salvation by doing good works or keeping the commandments. It is only when one turns from Sinai in despair and brokeness, that he may lift an eye Mt. Calvary and see God's gift.

What need do believers have of this commandment? Is murder commonly found among the saints? Do we need to be warned about such a heinous crime or has this commandment done it's work? Is this thunder from Sinai only to be used as a weapon against the world, the war mongers, or woman who enter temples of human termination (modern abortion clinics)? Or is there also a principle that may be fashioned into a conviction from this sixth command of God? There is.

As long as we have our human nature the spirit of Cain lives. He will still kill Abel if given the chance. Jesus said we are to love our enemies, not kill them. We are to give them a cup of water if they are thirsty and feed them if they are hungry. We are to treat every man as we ourselves wish to be treated. This is the "golden rule." We should never do anything to hurt or harm someone in a hateful way.

I must point out the qualifying word "hateful." Jesus' explanation of the commandment clears up much of the misunderstandings that have raged around this most peaceful commandment. The commandment is better understood when rendered "thou shalt do no murder." Some have carried the word kill to the extreme and lament over inadvertently stepping on an ant. Others insist that no Christian should ever take up arms even in defense of the innocent, and others hold vigils outside gas chambers and protest the implementation of justice upon murderers.

While I am admonished to "turn the other cheek" if struck for my faith, no where am I told to allow the rape, molestation, and murder upon the innocents. I am to defend the weak, the truth, and the faith even if it might mean taking of the life of an attacker. That armies and police are empowered to protect society is clearly seen in Romans 13. The man who is stopped for speeding on the interstate, has no right to charge the policeman with breaking the very same law in order to catch him. The policeman may have had to exceed the speed limit, but he broke no law. In like manner, the murderer should not attempt to hide behind the skirts of the mother of that madness.

We live in a world that is filled with hate. It is that devil of hate that spawns a million demons of destruction. Christianity is the only hope in such a world. When I respond to hate with hate I only throw another log on a raging fire. When I refuse to respond in kind to abuse or ill treatment, and chose kindness instead, I set loose an angel that destroys a demon. "A soft answer turneth away wrath" Prov. 15:1. The book of Proverbs is filled with axioms for successful living. "A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife" 15:18.

There is no promise that the same world that crucified Christ shall not seek to hurt you. This world is no friend of grace. We shall be misunderstood, misrepresented, mauled, and maligned in this world. Friends shall betray us (as Judas did Christ) and friends shall forsake us (as Peter did also). People will seek their own interests even if it means taking away your rights. People will hurt us. Only we allow them to harm us.

Because there is so much pain, conflict, and competition involved with life, kindness is one of the hardest lessons to learn and principles to practice. It is in this area that God's grace can be most sufficient.

The first lesson a Christian learns is that of forgiveness. God has forgiven us although we did not deserve it. We must forgive others whether they deserve it or not. This is an idea that seems incredible to the human mind. We want to get even, we want to see our enemies barefoot in the snow at Canossa. We want to prove we are right and defend our rights.

How can we forgive and forget some great hurt someone has inflicted upon us? How can we get that hatred out of our hearts that is so corrosive, that it is burning a hole in our soul? How can we forget what our memory parades before us every day. How can we get relief as well as justice?

If we are to survive emotionally in this world we must learn to forgive. In order to forgive, we must learn how and why it works.

There are several principles that will help us survive the wounds we have so wrongfully received (Assuming we have wrongfully received them). Sometimes we have contributed to our own sorrow. But let us assume that we are innocent and did not deserve to be wronged.. Assume that for some reason we have been treated like an enemy, robbed, ruined, or betrayed by those we trusted, what can we do?

The first thing we can do is realize that God is sovereign. He knows when the sparrow falls to the ground. Nothing misses his eye. He allows everything to happen for a greater good. (Rom. 12:28; Matt. 10:29, 12:36, 18:21).

The second thing we must remember is that the Lord forgave us and has told us to forgive others. (Matt. 6:14,15). No one was more unjustly treated than our Master and yet he left us an example and asked us to walk in his steps (Lk. 23:34, 1Pet. 2:21).

The third thing to remember is that there is a lesson to be found in every experience. We learn more about Christ, grace, goodness, and glory with every lash upon our back. (Ps. 119:71; Lk. 24:26; Heb. 2:10 )

The fourth thing to remember is that truth will triumph. ( 1Cor.15:4; James 4:10).

This seems all well and good until we are the one who is deeply wounded. This all seems logical to the head but does little to ease the pain in my heart. How can I forget? How can I live and see the criminal go unpunished? How can life be so unfair? How can I learn to sing again?

Here is where the we leave the mechanics of forgiveness and come to the miracle. Only God can forgive sins. It is not your prerogative nor is it in your power to forgive sins. All sin is against God. Even David who committed the blackest of sins prayed a truth when he said "only against thee have I sinned"(Ps. 51). Had he not sinned against Bathsheba, and Uriah? Had he not sinned against his people, his high calling, his country and family? From our point of view he did, but all sin is ultimately against God. That is why God said "Vengeance is mine..I will repay" (Rom. 12:19). Every sin touches God. When evil men stretched out their hand against the church it has stretched a hand out against God (Acts 9:4). When a child of God is refused a cup of water God feels the thirst and the guilty will not escape (Matt. 25:44-46). Judgment day is coming and Christ is the judge. The ability to forgive comes in realizing that "the judge of the earth shall do right" (Gen. 18:25).

Not only shall every wrong be adjudicated and considered by the Judge of eternity, every sin has its own consequence. No one will get away with wrong. When our hearts cry out for justice, let us be assured that God is listening (Ex. 3:7; Ps. 34:15).

When someone willfully harms, defrauds, or hurts me, I must release that person to God for judgment. As long as I hold on to the wrong I must carry it. It becomes heavier and heavier every day until it has stolen all my strength and power. He who has not learned how to forgive carries an accumulated and combined weight of a lifetime of injury that must exceed that of the Gates of Gaza upon Samson's back. Giving a grievance to God allows him to carry it, trusting that the "Judge of the earth shall do right." When I refuse to let go of a hurt, I am in danger of becoming a spiritual masochist who must love the pain he carries. I must give it up if I want the wound to heal. As long as I try to protect that wound it will only fester and become worse. If not washed away by forgiveness, a hurt can soon turn into bitterness.

When I release someone from the courtroom of my jurisdiction into that of God's I am not forgiving that person of sin; only God can do that. If that person asks for forgiveness I can tell I will, in as much as they have harmed me, and promise to release them as much as I am empowered to do, but that they must be responsible to God and ask forgiveness from him as well. When that happens there can be complete restoration and renewal.

Only if a person repents are they candidates for forgiveness. The person who truly repents has a willingness to pay for any damages done. The boy who breaks the neighbors window may be forgiven, but he must also pay for the glass. Some things are not as easily replaced as a window pane. The rapist may come and ask for forgiveness and even receive it, but the victim must let justice run it course and the criminal must face the consequences of his actions. The victim may release one to the power of the authorities and to God, but he should not stand in the way of justice. Forgiving a rapist does not require building or rebuilding a relationship with that person. Window panes may be replaced, but some things can never be the same.

But what if a person does not repent? Whether they repent or become sorry for their crime or wrong against us is no longer our affair once we turn the case over to God and the the offender into God's jurisdiction. To do otherwise would mean we would have to carry each offense against us in our heart. Soon the weight will become too great and we will destroy our own lives and happiness.

Our pride demands immediate justice. Our pride demands we be compensated. Our pride demands the offender be made to suffer as much as we have. Remember, pride is sin. Don't allow pride to fool you and rob you of a trust that believes that God is in charge and shall make all things right.

When Cain came back from the fields alone one day God asked him about the whereabouts of his brother Abel. With that he asked a question that was recorded for time and eternity, "Am I my brother's keeper? Cain's question must be answered in the affirmative. He became his brother's killer instead. The sixth commandment might be an appropriate inscription for the first tomb stone. We are to be our brother's keeper. From the littlest brother to the oldest, we are obligated to seeking their good. Jesus spoke of the danger of offending a "little one" (Matt. 18:6). What does it mean to "Offend"? The Greek word is Skandalizo: To cause to be caught or fall, or to cause someone to sin. Jesus offended some people (Matt. 13:57) but he never led anyone to do wrong or to sin. James spoke a great truth when he said "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man." Think about the significance of that statement. God will never do anything to tempt you or lead you to think wrong or act wrong. In the same vein, no godly person ever willingly tempts another to go in the direction of evil.

Pause to read Romans Chapter 14. Which brother is the weak one and which is the strong? Is the strong brother the one with the long list of dietary restrictions? Is the strong believer the one who is ever conscious of days and ceremonies? The one who has many religious restrictions about diet, days and deportment would seem to be the stronger Christian. The fact is, he is the weaker.

We are to be careful that we do not "offend" or cause the weaker brother to stumble. This weaker brother needs limitations and restraints to keep him walking straight. He is not strong enough to stand spiritually erect without them. The stronger brother must be careful that he not despise the weakness of a well meaning brother. We are to be careful that we do not destroy a brother or the work of God for meat. In other words, if eating meat will cause my brother to stumble, I will not eat meat (1Cor 8:13). My brother is more important than a bargain I might get on cheap meat sold from the back door of some pagan temple. I might know that meat is meat, but there is a "principle" at stake in the mind of a brother who is especially sensitive to even touching meat prayed over by idolaters.

There is a simple measuring rod that can be used to judge whether an activity or thing is permissible in the believer's life or not. It provides the believer with a litmus test for life's activities. It is found in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

If an activity or an object cannot stand up against this test it does not have God's approval or blessing and should be avoided at all cost.