We continue in the 2nd table of the Law of God here with this subject. We now move to the responsibility to the neighbor who is by definition whomever Christ puts at our elbows though that person may not necessarily be liked by us or is needy of us. The Lord broadens our the sin of murder. our old man of the flesh always seeks this out while the beginning of that new obedience allows us to live a new and holy life no longer being in subjection and dominated by that old man of the flesh. It is elaborated further when we are told you cannot love God if you do not love the neighbor whom you have seen or do not love the neighbor as yourself. Very strong language here!

Difficult: If we ask where does murder come from its root has its attitude to the neighbor in revenge, envy, jealousy, etc that are all rooted in the old man of our flesh. It is the old man's nature on full display! It is prone naturally to hate both God AND the neighbor and we carry that nature with us and are the very things we have to struggle against each and every day. The neighbor impinges on us! Who can say we are free from envy? We have a natural disposition and we are jealous of the neighbors assets that are truly God given. And then envy turns into hatred if left unchecked and that person becomes detestable in our sight and we are angry...all things that lead up to murder naturally though we check ourselves before. But be aware that God Almighty counts ALL these things as MURDER!

Possible: Loving the neighbor however is possible in Christ! The world can never accomplish this as the ROOT is never dealt with and it is still there. It is escaped only in our Lord Jesus Christ who changes the very root and we are able to deal with our neighbors in that NEW root within us...the new Spirit within us! We have a list in this particular Lord's day that parallels the world and just make sure you mark that we take the same things with us in the flesh and we must crucify and nail them down with the new man in Christ!

Commanded: He commands us to LOVE our neighbor and do unto them as we would have them do unto us! To PREFER the neighbor in Love! And yes, even to promote them! We live in a world that is a "dog eat dog" world with traits that come to the fore in self service, self promotion and such, yet the child of God is called to love, prefer, honor the neighbor in meekness.

Read I John 4:21 and I John 3:10. He who does not do in righteousness and does not love the neighbor is NOT OF GOD. A very tall order that we must take on!