Baptist Catechism 72 & 73

Q. 72. What is the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment is, “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)

Q. 73. What is required in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others. (Eph. 5:29,30; Ps. 82:3,4; Prov. 24:11,12; Acts 16:28)

Q. 74. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto. (Gen. 4:10,11; 9:6; Matt. 5:21-26)

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:25–34

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” (Acts 16:25–34, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Baptist Catechism 72

Our catechism says that the sixth commandment is, “thou shalt not kill”, and that is indeed the way the King James Version translates the sixth commandment as found in Exodus 20:13: “Thou shalt not kill.” But more modern Bible translations have preferred the word “murder” instead of “kill”. “You shall not murder” is what the ESV says. Really, either term will do. In fact, both are prone to misunderstanding and must be explained.

“Thou shalt not kill” may be taken to mean that humans should never kill anything. Animals should not be killed for food, therefore. But we know this is not the meaning, for animals were rightly killed for food and sacrifice in the days of Moses and long before that. And “thou shalt not kill” may also be taken to mean that a human must never take the life of another human. And that is not true either. The rest of the law of Moses teaches that men may kill in self-defense, in righteous war, and as agents of the state to uphold justice. For example, Genesis 9:6, says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:6, ESV). This principle of retributive justice runs through the law of Moses and is even found in the New Testament (see Romans 13). So, if you memorize the sixth commandment as “Thou shalt not kill”, you must keep in mind that it does not mean thou shalt not kill anything or under any and all circumstances. No, you do not break the sixth commandment if a violent intruder breaks into your home and threatens your family, and you take his life. 

The translation, “You shall not murder”, can be misunderstood in other ways. It is a better translation, I think, for it clarifies that it is the unjust taking of a human life is forbidden. But the word “murder” may be interpreted too narrowly. Not only does the sixth commandment forbid murder, or perhaps we might say, murder in the first or second degree. It also forbids carelessness, which leads to the death of another human being. We might refer to this as murder in the third degree or manslaughter.  

So take your pick. When reciting the sixth commandment, you may say “Thou shalt not kill”, following the KJV, or “You shall not murder”, following the ESV. Whichever translation you choose, the important thing is that you understand what the commandment means. 

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Baptist Catechism 73 -74

Our catechism is very helpful. Today, we will ask, what is required in the sixth commandment?

And the answer given by our catechism is, “The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.” This is what is required. I’ll leave it to you to reflect on question 74, which asks, What is forbidden in the sixth commandment? It teaches us that “The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.”

Before we consider the answer to question 73 piece by piece, I should say a word about the basis for the sixth commandment. I will do this by asking, Why are humans permitted to kill animals for food, but forbidden from taking the life of another human without just cause? I should also say, I do not believe that humans are permitted to kill animals indiscriminately — that is to say, randomly, recklessly, and carelessly. No, humans are to be good stewards of the created world, and they are not to be brutal, not even with animals. 

But with that said, the question remains. Why do the scriptures forbid the taking of human life without just cause? And the answer is that man is made in God’s image. There is something particularly dignified about human life. Human life is to be highly respected because the human being is the pinnacle of God’s creation. The human is made in God’s image, and this cannot be said of anything else in all of God’s creation, not even the angels. I have already quoted from Genesis 9:6, but hear it again. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6, ESV). It is because man is an image-bearer of God that murder is to be punished with death. 

Think of how perverse our society is. In our society, murders are often permitted to die of old age, whereas the lives of millions of unborn children are snuffed out in the wombs of their mothers each and every year. This perversion is rooted in the fact that our society has forgotten that man is made in God’s image. If we were to remember this, then human life would be treated with dignity at every stage. Murders would get their just reward, and the lives of the innocent would be protected.

 So, what is the basis for the sixth commandment? Man is made in the image of God. And what does this commandment require? “All lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.” 

What does the word lawful mean? It means that we are to preserve life so long as it does not require us to violate God’s moral law. This can get a little tricky. Is it ever right to tell a lie to preserve life? In general, no. But what about those who hid the Jews from Hitler’s troops during WWII? Did they do wrong when they deceived Natzis? I think not. I pray that we will never be faced with such difficult choices. But in general, the principle stands. The sixth commandment requires “all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.”

I do appreciate that our catechism draws attention to the obligation we have to preserve our own life. Human beings are made in God’s image. And this means that you are made in God’s image. Not only do you have the responsibility, therefore, to preserve the lives of other image-bearers. You also have the responsibility to preserve your own life! 

Christians should not live recklessly, therefore. This, too, can get a little tricky when it comes to application. Just how cautious should we be? You will notice that our catechism does not provide us with a detailed application, but only with the principle. And I am glad about that! The Christian should not be reckless. G.I. Williamson in his commentary of the Westminster Larger Catechism (by the way, both of these resources — the Westminster Larger Catechism, and Williamson’s commentary on it — are very useful tools for the study of the Baptist Catechism, which very similar to the Westminster Shorter Catechism)… back to my point: G.I. Williamson in his commentary of the Westminster Larger Catechism lists “dueling, bullfighting [and] shooting the rapids of the Niagara River in a barrel” as a clear violation of the sixth commandment, but he admits that attempting to cross the Atlantic in a small sailboat may not be a violation. I think it is right that we are confronted with the principle that the sixth commandment requires “all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life”, and then, in general, to leave it to each person to work out the specifics. 

Does this mean that we should watch what we eat? Probably. But I’ll refrain from telling you what you can and cannot eat. Does this mean that you should exercise? Probably. But again, I’ll leave it to you to work out the details. Does this mean that you should avoid toxic pharmaceuticals as much as possible? I think so. But this, too, is a matter of Christian liberty. But if I heard that you were drag racing your car on Domenigoni Parkway, I’d surely rebuke you. I’d rebuke you for a number of reasons. You’d be breaking a civil law— a civil law rooted in the sixth commandment, by the way. And you would be in clear violation of God’s moral law, given that you would be recklessly endangering your own life and the lives of others. 

Some live recklessly and deserve to be rebuked. But some do also live fearfully. And perhaps this is more of an issue in our day. There is a delicate balance that we all must strike, therefore. We must not be reckless with our lives, but neither can we be driven by fear. No, we must live our lives to the fullest. This means that we must live courageously and with wisdom to the glory of God. We cannot allow fear of sickness or death to hinder us from loving, serving, and worshipping God, nor can we allow fear to hinder us from loving one another. We must live courageously and with wisdom to the glory of God. I suppose this will always require us to assess risk and reward. 

Not only does the sixth commandment require us to endeavor “to preserve our own life,” it also requires us to endeavor to preserve the lives of others. This means we are to seek our neigbors’ good and prosperity, live careful lives, and defend the weak and vulnerable, so far as we are able. I suppose if we were to push this principle of the preservation of life too far, we would never leave our homes. Certainly, we would never assemble. When we leave our homes, we take risks. We might get into a car accident and be killed, or kill another. And many in our day are concerned about the spread of diseases and the warming of the planet, etc. Brothers and sisters, I hope you can see that as true as it is that we have a moral obligation to preserve our own life and the lives of others, this principle, if pushed to far,  can be misused by those with civil authority to take away freedoms. In fact, this truth can be misapplied and used as a weapon against God’s people to keep them from doing what God has called them to do, namely, assemble together on the Lord’s Day in Jesus’ name. Think of how the world, and even the church, were locked down a number of years ago. And what were we told? It is for the common good. It is for the health of the public. I suspect that this is not the last time well will see this wonderful and sacred truth twisted and misapplied. 

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Conclusion 

Q. 73. What is required in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ‘I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1–9, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 18:35-43

“As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” (Luke 18:35–43, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We’ve encountered a lot of blindness in Luke’s gospel.

Luke has repeatedly told us about scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers who were blind to their sin and their need for a Savior. In Luke’s gospel, we have encountered men who were blind to the true identity of Christ. Perhaps they regarded him to be a good teacher, but they could not see that he was the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate, as he claimed. Luke has presented us with men blind to their mortality, the frailty of this life, and the folly of trusting in their riches. Most recently, we have considered the rich young ruler. That man could see clearly with his physical eyes— he had them fixed on this world and the things of this world—but he showed that he was spiritually blind when he, after hearing Christ call him to repentance and faith, walked away very sad. 

At this point in Jesus’ ministry, even the disciples of Christ were blind concerning the work he would soon do to accomplish redemption. The previous passage says, “And taking the twelve, he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (Luke 18:31–34, ESV). Christ commanded his disciples to “see” these things, but they could not see them. Though they regarded Jesus to be the Messiah and followed him, they could not yet comprehend that the Christ would usher in the eternal kingdom of God by dying and rising again.  

This theme of spiritual blindness is a major theme in Luke’s gospel that will continue to develop and find its resolution only after Christ’s resurrection. In Luke 24, we will hear of two of Jesus’ disciples on the road to Emmaus.  The risen Christ appeared to them, but Luke tells us  “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:16, ESV). Jesus spoke with them, and eventually, “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:31, ESV).

Clearly, Luke wants to see that spiritual blindness is a major problem that must be overcome. Here in the passage open before us today, Christ demonstrates he that has the power to open blind eyes. The healing that we will consider today was physical, but it illustrates the spiritual. Christ opened the beggar’s blind eyes to demonstrate that he has the power to give spiritual sight to those who are spiritually blind. He is able to illuminate the eyes of the mind and heart to enable those who were once blind to the things of God, Christ, and salvation through faith in him so they might see clearly. 

The Story

Let us now briefly consider the story. In Luke 18:35, we read, “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.”

Jericho is a city in Judea about 18 miles south of Jerusalem. There is a road to Jerusalem that passes through Jericho. This was the road that Jesus was on as he resolutely journeyed toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would suffer there and be killed by lawless men. 

Luke tells us there was a blind man who sat on the roadside begging. This man would have been unable to work. He was completely dependent on the generosity of others for his sustenance. 

One day, this blind man heard a crowd going by, and he inquired what this meant. Some in the crowd “told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ And so he cried out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”

Notice a few things about this scene.

First of all, notice how far the word about Jesus had spread and how popular he had become. Great multitudes followed him. Even this blind beggar knew who Jesus was and who he claimed to be. 

Secondly, consider how marvelous this blind beggar’s profession of faith was. He confessed that Jesus was the “Son of David”. This was no mere acknowledgement that Jesus was a descendant of King David. No, it was a profession of faith acknowledging that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah— the long-awaited King of God’s everlasting Kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7). When the poor beggar cried out to Jesus, saying, “have mercy on me”, it showed that he believed Jesus could rescue him out of his miserable condition. 

Thirdly, notice that those following Jesus erred in attempting to silence him, presumably because he was a lowly person of no repute. The crowd had their own plans for Jesus. They desired certain things from him and did not want him to be distracted or delayed by the requests of this lowly individual, and so “those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent.” This shows us that even the crowds that followed Jesus were still largely blind and ignorant concerning the mission and heart of Jesus. Perhaps there is a warning here for the church to be sure that we are always in sync with the heart and mission of Jesus. 

Fourthly, notice that the blind beggar was persistent. He was so thoroughly convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and that he had the power to rescue him out of his miserable condition, he cried out all the more, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

It should be apparent to all that though this man was physically blind, spiritually, he could see. He is to be contrasted with the rich young ruler. That man could see with his physical eyes. They were fixed on this world and his possessions. And yet he was spiritually blind. He could not see the surpassing worth of Christ and his kingdom. As you likely know, riches and pleasures do have a way of blinding people spiritually. But this man who was blind as it pertained to this world and the things of this world could see Christ and his kingdom in a way that others could not. As you likely know, the Lord often uses afflictions in this way in the lives of his people. Worldly afflictions are often used by our Lord to heighten our senses and desires for things spiritual and eternal. 

Though the crowd attempted to silence this man, we are told that “Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.’”

Some might be tempted to criticize the man, saying, why didn’t he ask for the forgiveness of his sins or life eternal? Why did he ask for physical healing? As has been said, when he called Jesus the “Son of David”, it was a profound profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. That profession shows us that this man had an interest in things spiritual and eternal. Now, he requests relief from his physical affliction. This teaches us that those who have faith in Christ are permitted to ask for relief from physical affliction.

We know that Christ healed sick people often in the days of his earthly ministry to demonstrate that he was indeed the Lord’s Messiah. This blind man had undoubtedly heard of these miraculous deeds. Having now confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, and having now an opportunity to request something more from Jesus, he displayed great faith by requesting the recovery of his physical sight. This quest provided Christ with an opportunity to show forth his glory.  

“Jesus said to him, ‘Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.’” And Luke tells us, “ immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God.” The response of the blind beggar demonstrated that his faith was true.  He was not looking for a hand out from Jesus. He was not merely looking for relief from his physical afflictions. After Christ healed him, he followed Jesus. After Christ healed him, he gave glory or praise to God. 

Notice that this miracle was performed before the multitude, and that it was a true miracle was indesputable. Luke tells us, “all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (Luke 18:35–43, ESV). They gave praise to God because they could see that God was at work in their midst in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.

Natural Blindness

Dear brothers and sisters, given the way that Luke presents this story in his gospel surrounded by passages about spiritual blindness and the opening of spiritual eyes, it is clear that this event involving the healing of a blind man, was meant to show that Christ has the power to give sight to those who are spiritually blind. He healed a man of physical blindness to manifest or show forth his power to cure spiritual blindness. 

Friends, the Scriptures are clear. Now that man is fallen into sin, by nature, we are spiritually blind. By nature—that is to say, left to our natural selves and apart from the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit—we cannot see the truth about God, our sin, or Christ the Savior. Even if these truths are presented to us, we are blind to them! We cannot see or perceive these truths, in our natural condition.  

Paul speaks of this natural, spiritual blindness in Ephesians 4:17-19. He speaks to those who have faith in Christ, saying, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:17–19, ESV). This was our condition before Christ healed our spiritual blindness, enabling us to see.   

When Christ healed this blind man (and others—see Luke 7:21 & John 9), it was a demonstration that he was the Son of God and Son of David, just as he claimed. It was also a demonstration that he could heal this spiritual blindness.  

But how does he do it? How does he give his elect eyes to see? In the remainder of the sermon, I would like to consider the healing of our spiritual blindness in regeneration, sanctification, and finally, glorification. 

Regeneration

At the appointed time, Christ heals his elect’s spiritual blindness and gives them the ability to see through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.  Chapter 10 of our confession of faith speaks of this regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, when it says, “Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone; and giving to them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.” 

The way that God effectually calls sinners to repentance and faith in Christ is by regenerating them through the preaching of the Word of God and by the internal working of the Holy Spirit. And what does the Spirit do within us to make us willing and able to believe in Christ? Three things are mentioned. The Spirit enlightens the mind, takes away the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh, and renews the wills. It is only by this internal working of the Holy Spirit that we can see, love, and choose to trust and follow after Christ. 

The point is this: If a sinner is to ever see and understand that truth about God, their sin, and their need for the Savior, Christ the Lord, he must heal their spiritual blindness.   

Sanctification

Those who are healed of their spiritual blindness by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit will certainly be sanctified further so that they come to see the truth about God, their sin, and Christ the Savior more and more clearly. It is not that we are regenerated over and over again. No, regeneration happens once at the beginning of the Christian life. It is a new birth. It is an obtaining of the ability to finally see. Those who are regenerated by the word and Spirit experience something similar to what Paul experienced when he was converted—he was struck with blindness, and then one day, the scales fell from his eyes and he could see. But what will someone who is cured of blindness do with this ability to see? Will they not immediately begin to take in the world around them to consider it and to grow their understanding of what they see? Will they not explore the world, take it in, study it, and grow in their appreciation for it? So it is with all who are enlightened spiritualy and savingly in Christ Jesus. The newfound ability to see God, their sin, and Christ, as revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture, will lead to a lifetime of growth in knowledge in the things of God.   

Paul speaks of this dynamic in Ephesians 1:15–21, where he says, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:15–21, ESV)

Glorification

Finally, regeneration and sanctification will end in glorification. It will be in glory—in heaven, and in the new heavens and earth—that we will see God, Christ, and ourselves with perfect clarity. The Apostle John speaks of this in 1 John 3:2, saying, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, ESV)

Conclusion

To those who do not yet know Christ, I must exhort you to cry out to him, saying, Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Give me eyes to see. 

To those who do know Christ—to those who have been regenerated and given the gift of spiritual sight—I ask you:

Are you grateful to God for the mercy and grace he has shown to you?

Are you using this gift of sight to contemplate God,  his creation, and his word so that you might grow in your knowledge of him? When you come to his word, are you praying as the Psalmist did, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18, ESV)?

Are you using this gift of spiritual sight to consider the sin that remains in you so that you might turn from it truly?

Are you using this gift of spiritual sight to contemplate Christ, the marvelous salvation he has worked for us, and the hope of eternal life that we have in him? 

Brothers and sisters, if Christ has given you eyes to see, then use them to follow after Christ, to contemplate God and Christ, to grow in your knowledge of the things of God, and to give God praise.  

Baptist Catechism 54 & 55

Q. 54. Which is the second commandment?

A. The second commandment is, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)

Q. 55. What is required in the second commandment?

A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word. (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32)

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 12:28–32

“Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. ‘Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.’” (Deuteronomy 12:28–32, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

As we continue our study of the ten commandments and come now to the second of the ten, I wanted to remind you of what 1 Timothy 1:8 says. There, Paul tells Timothy that “the law is good, if one uses it lawfully…” (1 Timothy 1:8, ESV). The law is good, brothers and sisters. It is good in and of itself—it must be, for it comes from God. And it is good for us. The law shows us our need for a Savior. It is also a light for our feet as we sojourn in this dark world. So then, the Christian must know God’s law and strive to obey it. 

But as we study God’s law, do not forget how Paul qualified his statement. “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully”. There is a warning here. The law is not good for us if we misinterpret and misuse it. How do people misuse the law? Well, stated very simply, men and women misuse the law when they see it as a way to earn their right standing before God through the keeping of it. As we continue with our study of the ten commandments, please do not make that mistake. The law is good, but do not forget that we are sinners. We have violated God’s law in thought, word, and deed. We are guilty, therefore, in and of ourselves. No amount of law keeping moving forward—no amount of good deeds—will take away the problem of sin and guilt. 

Christ alone can remove our guilt. Christ alone can make us right before God. Christ alone can free us from our natural bondage to sin.  The law can’t fix these problems. Only Christ can, for he kept God’s law for his people, died in their place, and rose again on the third day. We must trust in him for the forgiveness of our sins. 

In this sermon, we will begin to consider the second of the ten commandments, which is, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…” (Exodus 20:4, ESV). 

Before we go there, you should probably be aware that the Lutheran and Roman Catholic traditions combine this commandment with the first, which is “you shall have no other gods before me.” They count the ten commandments differently, therefore. According to them, the first commandment is “you shall have no other God’s before me”, and “you shall not make for yourself a carved image.” They still have ten commandments, though. They get back the one they lost by dividing the last commandment, which forbids covetousness, into two. I believe that our numbering is more natural. For one, the last commandment, forbidding covetousness, does not need to be divided into two parts. It is more natural to see it as one. And two, commandments one and two (according to our numbering) are clearly distinct. The first commandment teaches us who we are to worship, and the second commandment teaches us how we are to worship.

You would do well to remember that the first four commandments are all about the worship of God. The first tells us who we are to worship. The second tells us how we are to worship. The third instructs us concerning the attitude of our worship (we are to have reverence for God’s name). And the fourth tells us about the time of worship (one day in seven is to be devoted to God as holy). Who are we to worship, brothers and sisters? God alone. How are we to worship? The second commandment teaches us not to worship images but in the way God has appointed in his word. 

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Catechism Explained

Next Sunday, we will ask, “What is forbidden in the second commandment?” It will be then that we talk more directly about the prohibition of images in worship. Today, we are asking, “What is required in the second commandment?” Clearly, the second commandment forbids something: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…” But what does this commandment require? Our catechism is right to say that “The second commandment [requires] the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word.” (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32)

Think of it, brothers and sisters. When God says, no graven images, he is saying something about the manner or “how” of worship. The first commandment teaches that God alone is to be worshipped. But how?  The second commandment says something about how—not with images. Here is the clear implication to be drawn from this command: It is not up to us to decide how we are to worship the one true God. When God says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…” He is not only claiming the right to be worshipped but the right to determine how. This is what our catechism is getting at. It is drawing our attention to what is clearly implied in the second commandment. God not only demands our worship, he demands that we worship in a particular way, and this way of worship is revealed in his holy word.

Here in the second commandment, graven images are forbidden. But as we continue reading the law of Moses, we find that God was even more specific concerning the manner or way of worship for Old Covenant Israel. Read the book of Levitus. There, you will find many laws that God added to the second commandment concerning the way of Old Covenant worship. And I trust you know that God has also revealed how we, who live now under the New Covenant, are to worship. The point is this, we are not free to determine for ourselves how God is to be worshipped, but are bound to “[receive, observe, and keep] pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word.” 

This principle is implied in the second commandment itself, but it is explicitly stated in that Deuteronomy passage that was read earlier. There, God spoke to Israel through Moses, saying, “Be careful to obey all these words that I command you…” And “do not inquire about their gods [the false gods of the nations], saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way…”; and “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”

Brothers and sisters, God’s law establishes that we are not to go beyond or take away from what God has commanded regarding the worship of his most holy name. Notice that our catechism teaches we are to receive what the word of God says regarding the proper worship of God. Having received his word, we are to observe or obey what the word of God says regarding the proper worship of God. And having obeyed his word regarding worship, we are to keep or guard it purely and entirely. 

All of this might seem obvious to you and rather inconsequential. But I will tell you, it is not obvious to all. And it is certainly not inconsequential. This doctrine informs everything we do when we assemble together as Christ’s church for worship. Why do we assemble for corporate worship every week and on Sundays and not more or less frequently or on some other day? Answer: God’s word. And why do we do what we do when we assemble? Why do we pray, sing, read and teach the Scriptures, baptize, and observe the Supper? Answer: God’s word. 

Now, are we free to make certain decisions based on preference or prudence? Of course. We meet at 10 am and not at 6 am because 6 am would be unnecessarily burdensome to the people of God. The sermon is typically 45-50 minutes long and not three hours long, though I suppose it could be. This is a matter of wisdom. People (at least people in our culture) have a difficult time listening to a sermon that is longer than 45 minutes. The specific time for worship (assuming it is on the Lord’s Day), the place, the language spoken, and the particular order in which we do things are called circumstances of worship. The circumstances may change, but the elements of worship may not. When the church assembles for worship, the word of God is to be read and explained, the people of God are to pray and to sing, baptism is to be applied (occasionally as the opportunity arises), and the Lord’s Supper is to be observed. These are elements of worship under the New Covenant. The circumstances may change; the elements must not.

You should know that Christians and churches have different opinions about this. What has just been described to you goes by the name “the regulative principle of worship”. This is the Reformed view, and it is our view. It is our belief that the Scriptures regulate our worship. In Christ, we are free to worship as God has commanded only. And we are forbidden from adding anything to our worship not commanded in the Holy Scriptures. 

There is another view, and it goes by the name “the normative principle of worship”. According to this view, the church is to do what God has commanded in worship but is also free to do whatever is not expressly forbidden in the Scriptures. In other words, the only things off-limits are those things that God’s word directly forbids. 

Do I need to tell which view is more common today? I think you know. When churches include as elements of worship things like drama, poetry, painting exhibitions, dance, musical performances, and the like, they show that they have adopted the normative principle of worship. They imagine that they are free to do whatever they wish, provided the Scriptures do not forbid it. Think of where that will lead. In fact, the situation is far worse in some churches. Some incorporate into their worship things forbidden—like images of Christ. And others neglect to do what God has commanded. The reading, preaching, and teaching of God’s word are neglected in many churches.  And so too is the proper observance of the Lord’s Supper. These have forgotten God’s law, which says, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:32, ESV)

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, we are not immune from this. We, as a congregation, must be resolved to “[receive, observe, and keep] pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word.” We must be on guard lest we neglect or go beyond what God has commanded. Man has this awful tendency to think that his ways are better than God’s ways. Some have called it “will worship”. We are prone to bow before the altar of our own desires and creativity. We must resist this, brothers and sisters. Instead, we must be eager to submit to God, to receive his word, and to be found faithful in the keeping of it, knowing that his ways are best.