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unto the Lord". Here at least is a commandment which should be taken as an indication
of what is `well pleasing unto the Lord', and hence of His will for His people.
While it is true there is no specific mention of murder in the prison epistles, bearing in
mind that the Lord Jesus Christ said:
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill . . . . . But I say
unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of
the judgment . . . . ." (Matt. 5: 21-22).
Eph. 4: 26, 31 and Col. 3: 8 make it clear that wrath and anger, the root of murder,
have no place in the life of the member of Christ's Body.
So it is with theft: "Let him that stole steal no more" (Eph. 4: 28). Similarly with
false witness, Eph. 4: 25 exhorts the putting away of lying and the speaking of truth
every man with his neighbour. Covetousness is doubly condemned both as covetousness
and idolatry.
Clearly and logically, nine of the Ten Words will be fulfilled by members of the
Church which is Christ's Body. This being the case is there any good reason why the
Fourth should be an exception?
However, why should we be bound by any of the Ten Commandments when Christ
has made us free from the Law? In writing his first letter to Timothy Paul gives us the
answer, Chapter 1: 8-11:
"But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law
is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and
for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers,
for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for
men stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary
to sound doctrine . . . . .".
So then the law is not for the `righteous' man, but rather for the `unrighteous'. The
principle is laid down in Rom. 3: 31:
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
That is to say, we are no longer subject to the law, nonetheless our conduct does not
make the law pointless; rather it gives point to the law, for those for whom it is intended,
i.e., `the lawless', etc.
Perhaps we can make the difference clearer by referring to Gal. 4: 1-7. Before the
`redemption' which is in Christ Jesus we were infants (better than `child' as in A.V.), but
since "God sent forth His Son . . . . . to redeem them that were under the Law", we have
received `the adoption of sons', and are no more servants, but heirs. "The law was our
schoolmaster" (Gal. 3: 24). It is the difference between the immaturity of the infant and
the responsibility of the mature son; the latter can be relied upon to conduct himself
properly without the need for the discipline of the law. The reason for the existence of