Murder

Murder is the unlawful taking of human life. Scripture treats it as a grievous sin because every person is made in the image of God.

Exodus 20:13 commands, "You shall not murder." Jesus deepened the understanding of this commandment in Matthew 5:21-22, teaching that anger and contempt toward another person carry the same moral weight as murder in the heart. First John 3:15 declares, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Genesis 9:6 explains the gravity of murder: "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man." The sanctity of human life is rooted in the fact that every person bears the image of their Creator.

Jesus taught that murder begins in the heart with unresolved anger and hatred. Believers are called to guard their hearts against bitterness and to pursue reconciliation. Recognizing that every person is made in the image of God should shape how believers think about, speak to, and treat others.