Exodus 20:15 “Thou Shalt Not Steal”
The eighth commandment seems cut and dry. Don’t take something that does not rightfully belong to you. Yet, if we think this through we will find several ways that we violate this commandment. All of us would agree that we should not physically take something from someone else. Your property is yours and mine is mine. If I rob a bank or steal your car there will be consequences of jail time, but what about some of the more socially acceptable ways that we steal.
When we steal what is the bottom line in our heart? We are doubting God. At the point of salvation, God promised us a home in heaven and eternal life. He also promises the Christian he will supply all our needs. So why would we steal, because we have “wants,” not needs, and we don’t believe God will provide them.
Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Let’s look at some ways we steal and justify it in our own mind.
My first thought goes to the verse in Malachi where we are asked, “will a man rob God?”
Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
This is talking about taking the tithes that are God’s already, and keeping them or spending them for myself. The person who does not tithe or give an offering, again, is doubting God’s ability to provide. They feel they cannot make it on the 90% left over after the tithe, much less give an offering on top of that. May I challenge to give God the first fruits before you spend any of the money he has provided for you. You may feel you can’t give because of circumstances where you have overextended your budget. It would be better to get rid of something than to rob God. Cable TV, cell phones, quick meals, eating out, sports activities, etc. are not worth stealing from the one who made you, gave you physical life, and eternal life. I can promise you with a clear conscious you will never regret giving to God.
How about stealing from the government? Do you cheat on your taxes? Are you stretching the truth when you list your expenses as tax deductible? Luke makes it clear that we are to pay taxes!
Luke 20:25 “And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s”
You also steal by not giving an honest day’s work for your wages. When we lived in VA I was part owner of a business. It never ceased to amaze me how employees sought to get by with doing as little as possible during their shift, yet they felt they were not paid enough. If you agree to work for a certain amount per hour or per job, then you are obligated to fulfill that agreement. Otherwise, you are taking money for something you didn’t do and that is stealing.
We need to stop making excuses for the areas of failure and make sure we are following this command to the letter. Taking anything that is not rightfully ours is stealing. Whether we are taking money or time from God, cheating on a test, that is acquiring answers that are not our own or robbing a bank. All equate to stealing.
Jesus sees stealing as serious, He calls Satan a thief in John 10:10.
John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
The thief, Satan, comes only to steal, kill and destroy. His desire is to take away that which is not his to control. He had nothing to do with creation and has no control over us unless we allow him. As Christians, we should not want to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Satan. We certainly don’t want to be a thief!
Check yourself and make sure you are very honest with all you do. If God brings areas to your mind that need work, pray and ask God for help. He is always there to listen and to refine us for His glory.
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
