62. How does this commandment apply to some specific issues today?
A. It forbids aborting the life of an unborn child (also called elective abortion).
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Read Luke 1:41-44, where the unborn baby John leaped for joy, acknowledging the unborn Jesus as Lord.
Note: Human life is God's gift. The living but unborn are persons in the sight of God from the moment of fertilization (conception). Therefore, every human life is precious to Him and is also to be precious to us. Any destruction of embryos through the use of abortifacient drugs or in connection with procedures such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) is laso, therefore, contrary to God's will. In some rare and exceptional cases, a medical procedure that is acutally necessary to save a mother's life may tragically and unintentionally result in the death of her unborn child.
B. It forbids killing oneself (suicide), seeking help in killing oneself, assiting a person in taking his or her own life (assisted suicide), or killing a person who asks to die or whose life is deemed as too burdensome (euthanasia).
Psalm 31:14-15 But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in Your hand.Note: When omeone is near death, certain treatments may only prolong suffering and not enable either recovery or physical well-being. In such cases, it is important to note that allowing death to occur when someone is irreversibly dying is different from causing death (which is forbidden by God).
C. It forbids acting violently or abusively toward a child or spouse (child abuse or domestic abuse).
Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
D. It forbids engaging in reckless and self-destructive behavior (for example, substance abuse).
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.E. It forbids hating, despising, or slandering other groups of people (prejudice, racism, and so forth).
Acts 17:26 [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.James 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, ... saying, "You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."
Eventual commentary
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