THE 5TH COMMANDMENT:GOD PROTECTS HUMAM LIFE

Lesson 16Faith Foundations

Course One

THE SPECIAL GIFT OF LIFE

What does God forbid in the Fifth Commandment?

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

1. According to Psalm 119:73 why would we say that all life belongs to God?

His hands made us and formed us.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

2. Recall the account of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-12. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel’s sacrifice pleased God because it was offered in faith. Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t offered in faith. Describe how that one sin led to other sins until Cain eventually committed murder.Cain became jealous, which led to hatred, which then led to murder.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

3. How did God show Cain that his sin was very serious?

God drove Cain away so that he would be a restless wanderer. Farming would be very hard work for Cain.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

4. Why was it wrong for Cain, and why is it wrong for anyone else, to end or shorten a person’s life?

God gives life and determines the length of life.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

5. Even though our government has legalized abortion, it is wrong. It is a sin against the 5th Commandment. What do the following passages tell us about a baby in a mother’s womb? a. Psalm 51:5A baby is sinful from the time of conception. It is a human life.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

5. Even though our government has legalized abortion, it is wrong. It is a sin against the 5th Commandment. What do the following passages tell us about a baby in a mother’s womb? b. Psalm 139:13God creates a baby in a mother’s womb.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

5. Even though our government has legalized abortion, it is wrong. It is a sin against the 5th Commandment. What do the following passages tell us about a baby in a mother’s womb? c. Psalm 139:16God has set the number of the days of our lives.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

5. Even though our government has legalized abortion, it is wrong. It is a sin against the 5th Commandment. What do the following passages tell us about a baby in a mother’s womb? d. Jeremiah 1:5God forms a person in a mother’s womb.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

6. What does Psalm 90:3 tell us about the end of life?

God brings our lives to an end.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

7. Read Genesis 9:6. Evaluate this statement: By giving the government the authority to put a murderer to death, God is showing the great value of life.

Agree. A life is precious. By requiring the life of a murderer, God is showing the value of the life the murderer took.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

8. Read Matthew 27:3-5. When Judas thought about how he had betrayed Jesus, what did he do to himself?

He took his own life by hanging himself.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

9. What is so sad about people who, like Judas, commit suicide?

They show their lack of faith and cut short the precious time of grace that God gives them to learn about their Savior and believe in him.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

10.Maria’s grandfather is very old. Since he suffered a stroke, one side of his body is paralyzed. He can’t walk or use one hand. He can hardly talk. Maria’s grandfather wants her to find a doctor who will help end his life. Maria doesn’t know what to do. What would you advise her?Even when life is difficult, God has a purpose for allowing the life to continue. It isn’t up to us to end life. Tell her to assure her grandfather that he is still loved and important.

KEY POINT #1

God forbids us..to take our own or our neighbor’s life.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

11.Recall the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 27:1-35. How did the brothers feel toward Joseph?

They were jealous of him and hated him.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

12.What did their hatred lead them to do?

They plotted to murder him, stripped him and threw him into a well without food, and later sold him into slavery. They also lied to deceive their father.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

13.Read 1 John 3:15. Why is hatred such a dangerous sin?

Murderous thoughts are the roots of hatred. Hatred leads to murder and other sins.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

14.Gerald smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol every day, and bragged that he could eat as much as any two other men. By the time he was 41 years old, he had many health problems. His doctors warned him that he wouldn’t live long if he didn’t change his ways. When he told his family that he didn’t intend to change his ways, his father suggested that he was breaking the 5th Commandment. What do you think?Gerald’s father was right. Gerald was carelessly ruining his own life.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

15.Explain how we may be interfering with God’s time of grace by such sinful words and actions.a. Using illegal drugs. Using drugs not prescribed by a doctor could harm our health, kill us, or affect our thinking so that we hurt others.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

15.Explain how we may be interfering with God’s time of grace by such sinful words and actions.b. Drinking alcohol in excess.Drinking too much hurts our bodies and affects our thinking so that we may commit other sins.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

15.Explain how we may be interfering with God’s time of grace by such sinful words and actions.c. Riding a bike carelessly or driving a car recklessly. We could get injured or killed riding carelessly, and by driving without care for ourselves or other people, we could endanger or end lives.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

15.Explain how we may be interfering with God’s time of grace by such sinful words and actions.d. Using unkind words to embarrass or belittle classmates.Unkind words hurt our classmates’ feelings. These words may also harm a person’s reputation or health.

GOD WARNS AGAINST DEADLY THOUGHTS

15.Explain how we may be interfering with God’s time of grace by such sinful words and actions.e. Playing rough or carelessly on the playground. We might hurt others around us, especially smaller or younger children, if we aren’t careful.

KEY POINT #2

God forbids us…to hate, hurt, or harm our neighbor or

ourselves.

WHAT DOES GOD FORBID IN THE 5TH COMMANDMENT?

1. God forbids us to take our own or our neighbor’s life.

2. God forbids us to hate, hurt, or harm our neighbor or ourselves.

SUMMARYGod forbids us to murder, hate, hurt, or harm our neighbor or ourselves.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

You shall not murder.What does this mean?We should fear and love God that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need.

1 John 3:15

Anyone who hates his brother is a murder, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.