When the law says, “Do not kill,” is it presenting a negative or a positive?
Come now, that isn’t such a difficult question, is it? I mean, you see that not there, right? So that makes it a negative law.
Maybe; maybe not.
Interestingly, I’ve never heard anyone complaining about that law, “Oh, there you go being negative again. You just like to tell people what they can’t or shouldn’t do. Why can’t you be more positive? All this negativity is bad. Lighten up!” No, people don’t respond to “Do not kill” that way.
Do you know why not?
Because they realize that if that law keeps a potential killer from killing them, that law is extremely positive. In other words, they see a positive personal benefit in a “negative” law.
Now think of some other “negative” Biblical commands. For example:
- “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
- “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth” (Matthew 6:19).
- “Speak not evil one of another” (James 4:11).
You won’t have to think for long before seeing that these are extremely positive despite sounding negative. Don’t allow anyone to mislead you!
(originally written in mid-2001 and posted here: Liberty, Not License)
