Ten

Here is a link to last week’s series, Ten.

“You shall not steal.”

Exodus 20:15

When we read the commandment for today, we immediately think of ne’er do wells. People who slip money out of a cash register where they work, opportunists who take unattended items that don’t belong to them, robbers, thieves and burglars. That’s who we think of when we think about “You shall not steal.”.

But consider these examples:

• Annie works in an office, and her lunch break overlaps with the manager’s own lunch break. She uses the ten to fifteen unsupervised minutes to take longer breaks for herself every day. Annie rationalizes that she is such a stellar employee that she deserves the little extra break.
• David is compensated for travel time to and from work. He purposefully goes out of his way to run a personal errand on the way in to work twice a week. David believes he needs this time each day to handle his personal issues, as if there is just no other way.

But even if no one else knew about David and Annie, God knows. By the way, I failed to mention, both Annie and David are born again believers. What is missing? You can find the answer to that in 1 John 3:6

People steal in many ways, often convincing themselves that if no one else knows, then no harm has been done. But for believers, great harm is done.

Primarily, we dishonor God by such behavior, but also, this sin demonstrates an absence of love and care for our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. And there is potential to destroy any testimony you may have with non-believers, too.

Do you know the primary impetus in obeying the ten commandments is to demonstrate our love and reverence for God? But living according to God’s moral law also reveals our character as believers, and it shows our love for others.

Look at this passage from the New Testament:

“You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:9

Applying Exodus 20:15 in context to the actions of thieves and robbers should help us to apply the command to ourselves when we scrutinize our own hearts.

People who brazenly take what does not belong to them for any reason are demonstrating total disdain for God and others. Their actions reveal their heart. (Luke 6:45)

We simply cannot justify any sin. Did you click the link above from Luke 6? What does your heart tell you?

Believers still make sinful choices, including thievery. If you are truly redeemed, you will confess and turn from those sins.

When Jesus came he gave us two new commands. They did not nullify the ten commandments. They completed them.

If we would only obey the commands of the Savior, we would treasure and follow the ten commandments as we should.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself…’”

John 13:34 & 35

Share the Good News in your world!

Isaiah 52:7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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