Many people are of the view that the only way we can actually murder or kill someone is when we actually commit the act of killing the person. That may be true, but it is not the whole truth. According to the Bible you can murder someone without actually killing them, we do this in our heart.
How so?
Jesus said to those who were listening to him one day in one of his sermon “You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21-22)
Jesus was saying saying to his listeners that they do not have to pull the trigger, or physically kill someone for God to see it as murder, they can kill someone in their murder, why? Because out of the heart flows the issues of life, therefore the Bible encourages us to guard it carefully (Proverbs 4:23).
[tweetthis]You don’t have to kill someone physically to murder them, you can do this in your heart[/tweetthis]
Many people are not murderers per-say or have any intention to kill anyone, but for those that have an evil heart, it is very easy for them to murder someone in their heart
See my article: Dealing With People That Have a Wicked and Evil Heart
So now you may be wondering, how can we then murder others in our heart? Here is how:
1.Being Angry. All of us get angry at times, nothing is wrong with that, even Jesus gets angry when he overturn the money changers in the Temper. That is not the kind of angry Jesus is talking about, he is referring to the kind of angry that causes you to devise wicked plans in your heart towards the person ‘I can’t stand him, I wish he was dead’. Our words have power that is why we should be careful of what we say and do when we are angry. Anger is oftentimes the first step to murder as many people have used anger to commit acts of murder. That is why the Bible says “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). A step toward a sin is as bad as the sin itself as God knows our heart if you have an evil heart or not.
2. If you are someone that love to insult others. Insulting someone is done to make someone feel small, worthless, and insignificant with words and actions. Insults are very dangerous and is the most common form of abuse. Insults or verbal or emotional abuse can cause a person to be withdrawn, affects their self-worth and self-esteem, have suicide idealogy as they feel worthless, have no purpose, or can’t do anything right or unlove. The Bible tells us that we are all a part of the Body of Christ, therefore our attitude towards each other should be of love- love does not try to hurt the other person or cause any harm.
Jesus says in Luke 6:45 “…For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”
3. Hatred. To this the Bible says “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15). To hate someone is to hold a grudge against that person, hatred is a deep and abiding anger and disdain towards another person. Hate is very toxic as it eats you out inside and can lead you to physically harming others. Most dangerous crimes have been committed through hate.
If after reading this article you realise that you are guilty of murdering others in your heart, you should take these steps:
- Repent. Repentance is always the first step we should take when we realise or acknowledge we have done something wrong.
- Acknowledge that this is a problem that not only affects the other person, but also you. For example hatred will lead to bitterness and when you are bitter it robs you of inner peace and joy. It will also affects your relationship with God
- Why do you have an evil heart? Or why do you normally allow your anger to lead to murder? Why do you insult people or why do you have hatred in your heart? You need to take a step back and look deeply at these questions.
- Whenever you are tempted to get angry, insult someone or harbor hatred in your heart step back emotionally or physically from the situation. This may not be easy to do but nothing is impossible or hard for God to do. If we ask him diligently in prayer and constantly studying his word so we can be transform, he will do the rest and give us a heart to love.
To conclude this article, I would like to finish with the words of Jesus “The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”- Luke 6:45
What other ways have you notice that a person can murder someone in their heart? What are your views on this issue?
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