Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.
Humanity’s ability to create life is limited to God’s sovereignty within the process. Colossians 1:16 tells us that all things have been created both “by Him and for Him.” No one is born apart from the will of our God. It is for this reason that we have no authority to murder another human being. The giving and the taking of life belong to God alone.
While murder may not be your greatest sin, you should remember that Jesus associated it with hatred (Matthew 9:21, 22). James 4:2 reminds us that murder comes directly from a lustful heart. This is something that we are all familiar with on a personal level. In fact, Scripture is full of stories that illustrate the truth of this statement. Cain killed out of jealousy (Genesis 4:5-8). King David sleighed one of his solders out of sexual lust (2 Samuel 11) and the apostle Paul murdered Christians in the name of God prior to his conversion (Acts 26:9-12). Each of these stories demonstrate how easily it is to progress from ungodly desire to murder. They remind us of the disgust God has in one human taking the life of another.
It is foolish to believe that you will never be tempted to murder if you have ever had a sinful desire to take something which the Lord has not given you. Whether it’s an unwanted baby, an act of revenge, or the outcome of unchecked rage, murder is only one step away from holding on to the sins of ungodly desire, lust, or jealousy. Those who wish to keep God’s commandment not to murder must daily beat the temptation to lust.