Understanding the usefulness of the Law (1)

"Do not think that I came to destroy [abolish] the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy [abolish] but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus made it clear that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. How did Jesus fulfill the law?

First, Jesus was “born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). This means that from birth Jesus was under obligation to keep the law, observing every ritual and obeying every ordinance. Though every Jewish person was also born under the Law, Jesus is the only person—ever, to actually succeed in keeping God’s law flawlessly.

Second, Jesus obeyed the Law in every conceivable way to earn the reward due those who are perfectly righteous. Other than Jesus, there has never been, nor will there be, another who is perfectly righteous. Jesus did not earn that reward for Himself, since being God, He was already intrinsically righteous. He earned the reward due the righteous to give that reward to those He came to save namely, those who—though unrighteous—trust in Him for salvation (Galatians 4:5).

Third, since all of the ceremonial law pointed to the Jesus as Messiah, because He fulfilled it all, the ceremonial law is no longer required. By offering Himself as the one and only sinless sacrifice that actually takes away the sins of His people, the Old Testament sacrificial system has ended. By serving as the one and only Great High Priest, the Old Testament priesthood has ended. By offering His sacrifice on Calvary, the Old Testament Temple has ended.

Instead of offering sacrificial animals, etc., those who trust in Christ offer “the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Instead of looking to mere human priests, we look to our one and only Great High Priest, the God-Man, Jesus, who “ever lives to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25). Instead of worshiping in a temple building, those who trust in Christ Jesus are the temple of God (1 Peter 2:5, Ephesians 2:19-22).

Jesus “fulfilled the law,” but He did not “abolish the law.” What are the uses of the Law for New Testament believers? Next time.

Ten Commandments, Epilogue (4)

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21

We have already seen that Moses was a type of Christ, mediating between God and His people.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:17

Jesus is, of course, the greater and ultimate Mediator. In what way? Moses mediated God’s law that condemns us. Jesus mediates God’s grace by which those who trust in Him are saved.

There is another difference between these two mediators and what their mediation accomplished. As the mediator of the Law, Moses (and subsequent priests) went into the presence of the Lord, but the people had to remain at a distance. This was illustrated by the veil of the temple that separated the people from God.

As the Mediator of saving grace, when Jesus died, the veil that separated the people from the presence of God was torn in two. It was torn from top to bottom, illustrating that God opened the way for people to enter God’s presence—which sinful people could never do.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, Matthew 27:51

Now those who are “in Christ” may enter the presence of the Lord!

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

A last thought about coming into the presence of God. Though we may come boldly because of the finished work of our Savior and Lord, let us come reverently. The presence we enter is still the presence of Almighty God. The redeemed are justified (declared holy in God’s sight, though in practice we will not be holy until we are in Heaven), but God didn’t become less holy!

Ten Commandments, Epilogue (3)

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
Exodus 20:18-19

When God gave the Ten Commandments, the people were terrified, rightly and understandably so. Everyone who understands the impossibility of obeying God’s law perfectly (with or without thunder, lightning, trumpet blasts or smoking mountains) should be afraid of God, of His law, and of His righteous wrath.

But those who have found grace in the sight of the Lord should have another emotion: Love. Consider David’s words on Psalm 119:

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:97 (repeated in vs. 47, 113, 119, 127, 159, 163, 165, & 167)

Here are a few reasons to Love God’s Law:

• It is God’s law, and God is love.

• It reveals our guilt, leading us to seek God’s mercy through faith in Christ Jesus.

• It reminds us of God’s holiness and of His requirement that believers are to be holy as He is Holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).

• It instructs us what holy living looks like (not to be saved but because we are saved by God’s grace).

• It is the basis of preaching the gospel to the lost, since without the knowledge of one’s guilt, no one will seek forgiveness in Christ Jesus.

Let us both fear and love God and His law!

Ten Commandments, Epilogue (2)

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.
Exodus 20:18

When God gave the Ten Commandments, the people were terrified, understandably and rightly so. They may have been afraid primarily because of the thunder, the lightning, the heavenly trumpet blast, and by the fact that mountain was smoking. They almost certainly did not initially understand the fact that the law they were given was impossible for them to obey.

But for whatever reason they were afraid, they were rightly afraid of God! That is why they pleaded with Moses:

Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." Exodus 20:19

Though they almost surely did not understand the theological implications of what they said, they cried out for a mediator because they were afraid to stand before God. They were looking to Moses to do for them what Christ does for all who come to God through Him. Moses is a classic example of an Old Testament “type of Christ.”

Christ’s ultimate fulfillment of this prophetic picture sets Jesus apart as the one and only perfect Mediator between sinful people and the one and only true and holy God.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5

Jesus claimed to be this sole Mediator in the upper room when He said:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

Salvation begins with being aware that we are all—every one of us individually, and all of us together—guilty before a Holy God (Romans 3:11-12). The next and absolutely necessary step is to come to God through faith in Christ alone.

Are you aware that your sins will condemn you to God’s righteous wrath for having broken His perfect Law? Do you understand that trusting in Jesus (because of what He did by dying and rising to pay His people’s sin debt) is the only way to be forgiven? Have you, like the children of Israel did with Moses, cried out to Jesus to stand before God on your behalf for the forgiveness of your sins?

If you have, then listen to and follow Jesus. If you have not, I pray that God will reveal your need, and that you will trust in Christ’s exclusive sufficiency to present you to God!

Ten Commandments, epilogue (1)

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.
Exodus 20:18

So what happened after God issued the Ten Commandments? Note the following.

God gave the Ten Commandments. Who else could publish His Law, complete with, “thunder, lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking”? Because the Ten Commandments are God’s commandments, given by Him, with no small amount of drama, let us all all receive them as such. What does it mean to receive and respond to the Ten Commandments as God’s commandments?

• We had better take them seriously.

• We had better receive them all, not being so arrogant as to assume we can pick and choose which ones we like—much less disregard those we do not like.

• We had better plan to obey them, understanding that to disobey even one of the commandments is to disobey God Himself and to summon His wrath upon us.

• And as illustrated by Israel’s initial reaction, we had better fear and tremble—and we had better do what Israel did in the next verse.

More on that next time.

"You shall not covet" (part five)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
Exodus 20:17

One of the keys to avoiding sin is avoiding temptation. As many have long observed, Eve’s first mistake that lead to eating the forbidden fruit was hanging around the tree. Since she knew God had said not to eat of that tree, it would have been wise not to go near it or listen to the “snake.”

There are similar “trees” of covetousness. Advertising is not inherently bad. It is how those selling goods and providing services let people know of their businesses that can be bad. Advertising has changed in my lifetime. I remember when advertisements were about informing potential customers or clients about the quality and price of products or services.

Advertising has drifted. Much advertising now tempts us to be discontent with what we have, beckoning us to join the beautiful people who have what we do not have (and often cannot afford without going into debt!).

A fair share of advertising features “snakes” telling us to sample fruit from trees we do not need and cannot afford. We might be wise to beware of the tempter and not spend too much time looking at advertising—which is not easy, since in our digital age, ads are flashed before our eyes practically nonstop.

Since we cannot escape advertising altogether, let us at least be aware of our tendencies to be discontent and to covet, asking the Lord to grant us grace to resist temptation.

"You shall not covet" (part four)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
Exodus 20:17

One astute legal mind mused, “What system of laws outlaws coveting?” It is virtually impossible to legislate what cannot be policed and punished. Unless you are God.

We often comfort ourselves (falsely), thinking that what we think is secret and therefore safe. Not according to God. We might imagine that our thoughts do not hurt anyone. But that is simply not so. Not only do sinful thoughts, like coveting, take their toll on our own mental and spiritual health, but if everyone is thinking sinfully, society is adversely affected. Consider:

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Wickedness on the earth begins with evil “intents and thoughts of the heart.”

Does this matter to God? Consider the next verse two verses that led to God’s drowning all of humanity (except for Noah and his family):

Genesis 6:6-7 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."

Coveting may not affect others as much as stealing, for example, but do we really want to think thoughts that grieve and even anger God? I certainly hope not!

Human legal systems cannot successfully legislate what people think. But God can and does see, and judges our hearts. Therefore, coveting is not only legislated by God, God places coveting in His Top Ten list of sins!

"You shall not covet" (part three)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
Exodus 20:17

I remember as a small child, a well intentioned Sunday School teacher told our class it is coveting to want John’s bicycle, but it is not coveting if we merely want a bicycle like John’s.  She explained that the difference was by wanting John’s bike, we were not merely desiring the bike, we were sinfully desiring that John not have his bike!

It may be true that wanting John not to have his bike so you can have it is more devious, but coveting is longing for what one does not have, period.

A word of explanation is in order.  It is not wrong to desire something, to work toward earning that something by legitimate means (work), understanding that we may never get that thing, and being alright with that.  An honest desire to acquire things through lawful means (work) is not coveting.  It only becomes coveting when we:

1. Want something and are unwilling to work for it;

2. Become obsessed with that desire; and/ or

3. Are discontent without the desired thing.

Complaining and coveting are the opposite of contentment.  So let us be reminded to be content by the words of Hebrews 13:5:

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

These words remind us that our ultimate contentment is in the Lord and in His abiding presence.

“You shall not covet” (part two)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17

Sometimes people point to the Sermon on the Mount saying that Jesus introduced the concept of “the spirit of the law” in contrast to “the letter of the law.” Jesus did talk about how the thoughts and intentions of the heart are every bit as important as what people actually do. He pointed out the connection between hatred and murder, and between lust and adultery as examples of the spirit and letter of the law.

Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount were not the first time God revealed this concept, however. The tenth of the Ten Commandments reveals the importance of “the spirit of the law.” In the Ten Commandments, God not only prohibited adultery, He prohibited coveting another person’s spouse. He not only prohibited stealing another’s possessions, He prohibited coveting another’s possessions. Clearly, the Ten Commandments address the root problem of sinful actions, which begin in sinful hearts.

Though this has been mentioned previously, it bears repeating. Sinful actions cause more damage since actions harm others. But sinful thoughts are no less damning since God knows and judges our hearts as well as our actions.

This is a great reminder that we are not done striving against sin because we refrain from acting sinfully if we are dwelling on sin in our hearts and minds. The reason is that thoughts, no matter how well we do at curtailing sinful actions, often do eventually break out into actions. Let us fight sin not only by disciplining our actions. Let us also pray that God will transform our hearts and minds.

“You shall not covet” (part one)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet.”  This is the tenth of the Ten Commandments.  The first point we will consider, though it is not the most important, is logistical.

You may remember that when we considered the first and second commandments, we pointed out that the Roman Catholic church combines the second commandment, prohibiting idolatry, into the first commandment, which prohibits having any gods besides God.  In order to accomplish this and still have ten commandments, the Roman church splits the tenth commandment, prohibiting covetousness, into two commandments.  In their list, the ninth commandment is about coveting one’s neighbor’s wife, and the tenth is about coveting one’s neighbor’s goods.  Click Here to read the Catholic list on a Catholic website.

We want to be careful about assigning motive to what others do when they do not specifically reveal their intentions.  However, Protestants have generally agreed that the Catholic church’s change to the Ten Commandments was motivated by a desire get rid of the second commandment prohibiting idolatry, since the Roman Catholic church uses many images in their worship.

Not only is it a mistake to combine the first two commandments into one, it is likewise a mistake to divide the tenth commandment into two. Why?  Because the problem of coveting is not what one covets, but that one covets!

"You shall not bear false witness" (part six)

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

We’ll end our considerations on the ninth commandment with thoughts regarding how much God hates lying (and other sins of the tongue).

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
Proverbs 6:16-19

Of the seven things God says are an abomination to Him, note that number two and number six are about how He hates lying. Not also that number seven is nearly always the result of sinful talking.

Note also the severe damage even a few words unfitly spoken frequently cause.

For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
James 3:2-9

How then shall we speak?

Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry and sin do not sin'“: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil… Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers... Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25-6, 29, 31-32

"You shall not bear false witness" (part five)

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

Are there ever times when it is acceptable for a believer to lie? Some exceptions are obvious. Telling a person you are taking them one place when you are taking them to their surprise birthday party is appropriate, and does not rise to the level of lying sinfully.

But what about other ways that we might speak untruthfully for the sake of concealing the truth? What if you were hiding Jews during the WWII holocaust? What if you were smuggling Bibles to persecuted Christians? What if you were one of the midwives, in Exodus 1:17-21, who lied to the Pharaoh to save the lives of babies, including Moses?

Pastor and theologian Sam Storms explains the difference between when a falsehood is a lie and when a falsehood may not be a lie:

…not all falsehoods are lies. A lie is an intentional falsehood that violates someone’s right to know the truth. But there are cases in which people forfeit their right to know the truth. A lie is telling an untruth to someone to whom you are morally and legally obligated to speak the truth. There are, however, certain occasions in which you are not under obligation to tell someone the truth (e.g., in times of war, criminal assault, and so on.).

This may appear to some as a distinction without a difference (which is generally considered a logical fallacy). However, I think in this case it serves a legitimate purpose. We must be careful not to lie because God is truth. But there are times… and let us understand that those times are very few and very far between. I cannot say it is okay to lie because I think it is okay in this case!

May I encourage you to read Dr. Storms’ blog on this matter.
Click Here to read Sam Storms’ piece.

In addition, there is an even shorter piece on the Ligonier website in which this topic is discussed, including a warning not to think breaking God’s Law is okay because you think it is okay.
Click Here to read the Ligonier piece.

For comparison’s sake, this blog is about 400 words long. Storms’ blog is 1128 words long. The Ligonier piece is 747 words long.

"You shall not bear false witness" (part four)

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

Here are three ways we sometimes manipulate the truth, but do not think of it as lying.

Exaggerating the story. Exaggerating can be done in two ways; one is okay, and one is not.

• The way that is okay is called hyperbole. Hyperbole is obvious exaggeration to make a point. To truly be hyperbole, the exaggeration must be so obvious that no one is deceived into thinking what we have said should be taken literally. An example of this is when Jesus said if our eye causes us to sin, gouge it out (Matthew 5:29). Obviously, Jesus did not intend those words to be taken literally. They were hyperbole, intended to underscore how seriously we are to wage war against our sin.

• Exaggeration is lying when we are weighting the facts to mislead or deceive—often for shock value. Some are so given to this, that those who know them are used to routinely disbelieving them, while others are being deceived, making the exaggeration a lie.

Withholding some of the story. Sometimes people leave out parts of a story to mislead their hearers. They assure themselves that they haven’t actually “lied,” but if the parts of the story that were left out mislead the hearers, silence is lying. By way of balance, this does not mean we have to tell everyone everything we know all the time. Leaving out what is not important is not bad. Those who insist on telling every minute detail often make the story tedious and even boring!

Spinning the story. We all have a tendency to relay stories in a way that puts us, and those we love, in the best possible light. But when we embellish our stories, by either adding to or leaving out the actual facts to spin the story, we are lying.

Let us beware of these kinds of lies that we seldom think of as lies.

Next time: Ethics of lying for good purposes?

"You shall not bear false witness" (part three)

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

The commandment forbids bearing false witness against one’s neighbor. Here are some ways in which we sometimes do that without thinking of it as breaking the commandment.

We can break the ninth commandment through slander, tale-bearing, creating false impressions, by silence, or even by flattery.

Slander may seem obviously out of bounds, but what if the person speaking believes what is being said is actually true? First, let us avoid speaking ill of people whether what we are saying is true or not! Second, how often do we assume something is true because someone else said so? Third, before repeating what others have negatively said of another person, we should not repeat what was said unless we know it to be true—not merely because someone else said so. And if the investigation into the truthfulness of a matter is too arduous, it is better to refrain from repeating the matter as a tale-bearer.

A great rule of thumb is don’t say anything negative about a person that you wouldn’t say to the person. Let us ask ourselves why we want to speak about a person but not to that person.

How can silence be a sin? Listening to slander, even silently, is often a sin when the right thing to do would be to silence the malicious talk, and/or by defending the one being maligned. A simple way to positively break silence—to diffuse what is likely sinful, negative talk about another—is to ask the one who is speaking, “How do you know this is true?” Or, “Have you spoken with the person about this?” And be careful not to break silence in a self-righteous manner.

Flattery is different from paying someone a compliment. A well deserved compliment is a wonderful way to encourage one another, but it can also cross the line, becoming injurious flattery. Flattery is a compliment that goes overboard. Flattery seeks arouse another’s pride. Flattery is often intended to get on a person’s good side in hopes of what that person will do for you. Flattery is mentioned negatively eight times in Proverbs. Let us not only refrain from flattery, but refuse to listen to, and deceived by it!

Next up: Lying that doesn’t seem like lying.

"You shall not bear false witness" (part two)

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

The commandment forbids bearing false witness against one’s neighbor. Here are two thoughts:

Who is my neighbor? According to Jesus, the two greatest commandments are: (1) Love God, and (2) Love our neighbors (Matthew 22:36-37). Jesus answered the question about who is our neighbor with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). The point of the story in answering the question, who is my neighbor, is anyone and everyone, including one’s enemy. (The Jews and the Samaritans were enemies.)

Therefore lying to or about anyone (including ones enemy), breaks this commandment.

Is it possible be guilty of lying while not specifically speaking against another person? In a word, Yes. We are lying when we speak lies, whether they are to or about another person or persons. Our culture, under Satanic delusion, believes and broadcasts all sorts of lies that are not necessarily to or about specific people or persons. Examples include lies such as “God does not exist.” “There are more than two genders and people can change genders at will.” “Killing a baby in its mother’s womb is about women’s healthcare.” These are lies. Believing and speaking is not merely a matter of opinion. It is lying because it is contrary to truth.

The most powerful way to protect ourselves from these kinds of lies is to know the Word of God (which is truth), measure every thought and word against the truth of God’s Word, and reject all lies in favor of God’s truth. Be prepared, however. Because our world has listened to, believed, and celebrated so many lies, you will be labeled as a hater, when in reality you will be a lover of truth.

Next time: examples of lying.

"You shall not bear false witness" (part one)

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

While the words used to state this commandment sound more as though they are about lying in a court of law (particularly when under oath), the commandment is much broader and more comprehensive than that. It is been nearly universally understood to be “do not lie,” or stated positively, “tell the truth.”

Lying, or in any way not being truthful, is particularly sinister since breaking this command is a sin against God Himself. Of course, breaking any of the commands is primarily a sin against God, since they are His commands. But lying is a sis against the person and nature of God, since God IS truth.

Besides the clear declaration by Jesus of Himself, “I and the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), God is not only truthful, He IS truth. Not not only does He not lie, He cannot lie, since He would then be acting contrary to His nature. (See Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2, and Hebrews 6:18.)

This is in direct contrast to Satan.

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

And while any and every sin is enough to condemn a person to Hell, the Bible names lying in particular as being damnable (Revelation 21:18).

Next time: Who is my neighbor?

"You shall not steal." (part five)

"You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

In a common approach to evangelism, the person sharing the gospel ask, “Do you consider yourself a good person?” Most respond affirmatively. The evangelist then asks if the person would answer a few questions to see if that is true. If the person agrees, the person sharing his faith asks several questions to expose the fact that we have all broken the Ten Commandments. The question about stealing is often framed like this: “Have you ever taken anything that was not yours—regardless of the thing’s value?”

While some try to insist that they’ve never stolen anything, the vast majority will acquiesce, admitting that they have. The evangelist then says something like this, “Then by your own admission you are a thief (as well as any others of the commandments the person admits to breaking).”

The next question is, “If God were to judge you based only on the few of His commandments you admit to have broken, would you be guilty or innocent?”

The purpose of this exercise is to help the person see that before God, he is guilty. Because he is guilty, he is in need of forgiveness. As Christians we know that the only one who can forgive sins is God, and we know that the way God forgives sin is not to look the other way, but to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as payment in full for our sin debt.

No matter how inconsequential what we have stolen, we are all thieves and therefore guilty before God for having broken His law. I pray that you understand your guilt, your need of a Savior, and that Jesus is the one and only Savior in whom there is forgiveness of sin.

If you have trusted in Christ for forgiveness and are seeking to follow Him as Lord, praise God!

If you haven’t, won’t you do so beginning today? Please?

"You shall not steal." (part four)

"You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

When it comes to stealing, not a few imagine that it is only “stealing” if it is a criminal act like robbing a bank. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

In a sit-com years ago, a man was being confronted by his son-in-law about some things the man “took from work.” The guilty man insisted that, “It’s not stealing, it’s just—taking things from work!” Sorry Archie, it’s stealing!

There is also a rationalization regarding stealing, that if it is not taking something from someone in particular, it isn’t stealing. For example, cheating on taxes isn’t thought to be stealing because “the government will never miss it.” Not saying anything when being undercharged at a store or a fast food restaurant isn’t thought to be stealing either. Instead, “It’s my lucky day!”

And there is getting paid a full day’s pay for a day of fooling around. That isn’t thought by many to be stealing either. Isn’t taking agreed-upon money and not giving agreed-upon work, stealing?

What could be said about those who are happy to sue others over frivolous matters for outrageous sums, hoping to walk away with a pocket full of money? How insidious is it to steal in the name of “justice”?

Other examples could be given, but I’m sure the point has been made. Taking anything that isn’t mine is stealing. And like every other sin, even if we are aware of no identifiable victim, it is a sin against God since it is God’s law that we are breaking.

"You shall not steal." (part three)

"You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

For those who are concerned for the legitimately poor—and all followers of Jesus should—God’s answer in scripture is never taxation and redistribution, but charitable contribution. Paul told believers,

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Ephesians 4:28

The answer is never to steal. The answer is work. And work not merely to provide for oneself (as important as that is), but to have something to give to those in need.

Are we to pay taxes to our governments? Yes, regardless of what they do with the tax revenue they collect. Jesus told us to give to Caesar [government] what belongs to Caesar, and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17). Just as we are responsible to God, so is the government, and they will answer for any and all exploitation of those they govern.

Don’t miss the second part of Jesus’ words. We are to give to God what belongs to God. What is God’s that we are to give Him? The complete answer to that is beyond the scope of this blog, so here is an abridged list: Just as our money is stamped with the images of government officials, every human being is stamped with the image and likeness of God. So we are to give ourselves to God. All of ourselves. Our hearts, our affections, our attention, our obedience, and yes, a portion of our money, remembering that Jesus also sai, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). And speaking of stealing, the prophet Malachi chided the people of God in his day, that withholding our tithes is nothing short of robbing God (Malachi 3:8).

"You shall not steal." (part two)

"You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

As we began considering the commandment not to steal, we noted that it is easily understood: Don’t take anything that belongs to another. We then considered that a prohibition against taking what belongs to another affirms the right of private ownership of property and other assets.

This time let’s consider how one comes to possess assets. God’s ordained method of acquiring possessions is work (Genesis 2:15, 3:17-19). Before moving forward, however, from a biblical perspective, it is essential that we understand that everything belongs to God since He created everything. Biblically, our ownership is more literally our stewardship of what belongs to God. And as we learn from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), we will all have to give an account of our stewardship of our Master’s goods!

Another lesson to be learned from that same parable is that we need to be OK with the fact that not everyone has the same amount of wealth. There are two reasons why we do not all possess the same amount of wealth. (1) God sovereignly entrusts differing amounts of assets to each of His stewards. (2) Not every steward is equally adept at growing what he has been given to manage. That is due to a number of considerations. We are entrusted with different assets in the first place. Some invest more wisely, and frankly, some simply work more diligently.

One of Satan’s favorite ways to disrupt society is through inciting people to break the tenth commandment: coveting. We will consider that in greater depth when we get to that commandment, but in the current context, class warfare (insisting that the rich have too much and the wealth needs to be more evenly distributed), is nothing short of blatant sin!

It is sin because it is coveting. It is stealing because it accuses God of injustice by not giving everyone their “fair share.” It is sin because it advocates stealing from the rich to give to the poor—even though it depends on the government to do our stealing for us!

God’s way of assisting the legitimately poor is through charitable giving. Taxation and redistribution of wealth is not charitable giving. I trust you can understand why!