“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
With it being October, I also want to continue with the Halloween-themed topics: spirits, the dead rising again, and murderers, and how they relate to us spiritually according to the Bible.
Whether you’re a fan of horror movies or not, no doubt you’ve heard of famous (and classic) slasher villains. Villains such as Michael Myers from Halloween, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, and Ghostface from Scream.
Ghostface (Scream), Michael Myers (Halloween), Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) – Google Images
Perhaps you’ve seen all the movies, or the parodies they’ve spun off, or even seen people dressed up as them at Halloween parties. Whatever the case is, we know they are a bad bunch. They’re killers. Murderers who come out at night. And we know to stay away from them for obvious reasons. But what does this have to do with us spiritually?
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe’s famous short story is quite an insight into the darkness within people. Driving us to commit atrocities such as theft, murder, and a host of other horrible deeds. According to the Bible, the source of this is sin and the devil. On the surface, we are often kind to those around us. We may say and do polite things to others when we’re in public or at work, but what about our inner thoughts and feelings?
“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Matthew 15:18-20
How often have you said something kind or did something nice to a coworker or acquaintance, but inwardly you were thinking nasty thoughts? I know I have. There have been, and still are, some people that just rub me the wrong way. Although I know I shouldn’t be rude or do mean things to them regardless of how they make me feel. Let’s take another look at what Jesus said in Matthew 15: “But what comes from the heart defiles a person”. While we may appear nice to others on the outside, we must remember that God sees our inner hearts and judges us accordingly.
O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.Jeremiah 20:12
Don’t Be Spiritual Slashers
Let’s re-read that passage in the opening of this post.
“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
It’s easy to get angry at people and just say whatever rude or nasty thing that comes to mind in the heat of our anger. I know I’ve said some awful things to people in the past. In this passage from Matthew, Jesus reminds us of the Law that God gave to Moses – one of the Ten Commandments saying not to murder (Exodus 20:13). While we know physically murdering people is wrong, and to be honest you don’t need religion to know that, Jesus is giving believers a deeper and more spiritual explanation.
Jesus says that anyone who murders will be judged and also says that anyone who insults their brother will be liable to go to hell. Does that mean that anytime we call someone a mean name, we are damned? Not necessarily, but we must understand where those feelings come from.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:15
The Apostle John tells us that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer – not a physical murderer mind you (while that could happen) – but a spiritual murderer. The weapon we use to kill someone’s spirit isn’t a knife or some other physical weapon, but our own words.
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
James 3:6-10
Words Can Give Life, Or They Can Kill
With our own words, we can either build others up and lead them closer to knowing God and coming to salvation. Or, we can kill their spirits with harsh words and false teachings. In the Bible, John 1:1-4 says God’s Word gives us life. Jesus also says his words, which are God’s, also give life (John 6:63). Jesus also tells us of how lies, false teachings, can make us into spiritual murderers. In John 8:44, Jesus calls out the Pharisees and tells them their words are killing people’s spirits, as they speak the devil’s words and not God’s.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44
We must be mindful of what we say to others when we are angry, and especially when we are talking about God’s Word. If we don’t know God’s Word well, if we don’t write it in our hearts like it says in Hebrews 8:10-12, then we may mislead others by what we teach or preach. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul tells us to keep watch on ourselves.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
2 Timothy 4:16
Let us build others up instead, and love others as Christ and God have loved us. We must truly love others as that shows we know God and Christ. Our love for others shouldn’t just be kindness or saying nice things, but leading them to the truth of God’s Word and salvation. But for that, we must know the Word first. Jesus tells us that the Law and Prophets can be summed up as “Love God with all your heart and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself,” (Matthew 22:36-40). The Apostle John also tells us that if we love God, we should love others.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:7, 20-21
So, we must beware of those who might try to kill our spirits with false teachings and lies, and also keep watch on ourselves. Let us not become spiritual murderers but show the love of God and His Word by learning and understanding it correctly. Once we’ve gained the right understanding of God’s Word, then we can teach it to others and be those who help save people’s spirits instead of killing them. I hope you can learn God’s Word and not become a spiritual murderer, but a savior.
Written by Kenny
Read More
Join Our Bible Study!
Are you interested in learning more about the Bible? Maybe you have lots of questions you want to ask, but don’t know where to go to ask them! If so, we’d love to help!
Consider signing up for our Bible Study where you’ll be connected with a teacher who will guide you through the basics and foundations of the Bible. They will also answer any questions you might have along the way!
You also can learn more about the study by clicking the link below!
Check Out Our Other Content!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram for daily verses, prayers, and encouragement!
Do you spend most of your time on YouTube? Or maybe you like to listen to Podcasts in your free time? We’re there too! Check out our YouTube and Podcast channels also!
One Reply to “Beware of Murderers in the Night – Halloween May Have Killers, But Let’s Not Become Spiritual Killers”