With Malice Aforethought

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him [Christ Jesus], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:6-7 (NKJV)

Today’s devotional thoughts may upset some, but in light of Scripture I offer no apologies. To God sin is so heinous in its ability to destroy us that it is the one thing we are to hate with every ounce of our being and to be ready to put it down every time it whispers rebellion in our ears. The Apostle Paul makes a valid and graphic case of how we are to deal with it. We are to crucify it with malice Aforethought.

 Malice Aforethought is a legal term that Webster defines as the intention to kill or harm, which is held to distinguish unlawful killing from murder. In other words, its violence thought of beforehand and done with deliberate and malicious intent to do harm. The 1611 King James translation of the Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13) as kill is unfortunate and has caused much confusion. It has been misunderstood to forbid all death, whether justified or not.

The Hebrew word rȃtsach (raw-tsakh’) can be translated as kill, but in this sense and context, its meaning is better translated murder. After Noah and his family were brought through the worldwide flood (Genesis chapters 6-8) God instituted capital punishment for murder as every human is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 9:6). 

As those of us who aspire to the laws and commandments of God we cling to the love and teachings of Christ. We know and believe murder is wrong, but Paul tells us there is one part of our Christian experience where a violent attitude toward the sin that rests in our carnal (ungodly) appetites is appropriate and to be exercised as needed. That’s the side of us that consistently gets back up from the cross after we nail him or her to it. While accepting Christ unfortunately doesn’t destroy sin, a relationship with Him frees us from remaining a slave to it. We have the choice to take those old natures and nail them to the cross when they tap us on the shoulder and say “Hey, I’m back. Let’s sin.”

We want to have a willingness to crucify them. Crucifixion is vicious and is meant to be done with malice aforethought. Put him, or her, to death! When we show those appetites mercy, they always bring us degradation. We must be willing to first die to self, with a determination toward Old Man extermination.

It’s not a one-time-fix. So, when is this old geezer gonna die? We’ll be rid of him when we draw our last breath, or our bodies are regenerated when Christ comes for His church (1^st Thessalonians 4:17). Until then it’s a daily, and sometimes hourly, struggle. We have to crucify them every time he/she shows up. We can’t white-knuckle it, but by the Power of the Holy Spirit, we can nail it! When we hear the old man say, “Hi there, guess who’s back?” we have the choice to turn our minds and our wills over to God and ask Him to empower us to resist. Pray it. “Jesus, I can only do this with Your help and power. Please help me.” He is our strength. When it’s necessary we must nail that buzzard to the cross-with the greatest of malice aforethought-every time.  

Ken