Ten Rules for Living (Respect the Rights of Others)
EXODUS 20:15
You shall not steal.[1]
A robbery is a devastating experience. None but one whose home has been burglarised can begin to imagine the trauma resulting from such a cowardly invasion. None but one who has suffered a burglary can describe the resultant devastation to life. Victims of this despicable crime often speak of feeling violated and frequently describe a loss of security so intense that in some instances they are unable to resume a normal life in what was once their secure and beloved domicile.
Both men and women have reported that they are unable to again wear clothing handled by a burglar rifling through their closets and dresser drawers. Many report the feeling that the craven thief has exposed the most intimate details of their life. Burglary is a despicable crime which devastates and desecrates an individual’s existence far beyond the mere loss of property. Better to meet a mad dog than to suffer the torments which follow a burglary.
Robberies, whether armed robberies or those which only rely on intimidation, leave victims enraged and shaken to such an extent that they are frequently unable to readily get on with life. The theft of personal items from a desk at work, from a locker at school, from a parked automobile, all alike take a toll of the victim far beyond the loss of mere personal items. In every instance, it is as though the thief has trampled on the rights of others and demonstrated in a most brazen fashion utter contempt for the victim. The victim is reduced to a mere “thing” to be used by the thief, and the attitude of the thief is akin to that of a rapist or some violent abuser using others for personal gain.
The Bible defends ownership of property, liberal social philosophies notwithstanding. For this reason, the robber is always condemned in God’s Word—theft is never condoned. I should imagine that each of us would agree that ownership of property should be recognised by government as a God given right, inviolate and protected and forever secured in law.
I doubt there is among us one person who considers herself or himself a thief. Perhaps you can recall an incident of petty pilfering in your younger days or you recall some thoughtless act when you took an item belonging to another; but in the main, we are not thieves and robbers. Therefore, we may be tempted to consider this rule for living, as we do other of these rules for living, to be irrelevant—an archaic remnant to warn others or to remind us of how we might have once lived.
Though it is likely that none of us would consider ourselves to be robbers or thieves, perhaps we need to reassess this view. It is a fascinating observation that the Word of God frequently challenges believers to weigh whether they have violated this Eighth Commandment, knowingly or otherwise. God, through His spokesmen the prophets, often confronted His own people to accuse them of theft.
Though such challenges may deprive us of comfort, for the next few minutes, consider whether we have inadvertently violated this rule for living. Let’s probe beneath the surface of the matter to discover what God may have to say to us from His Word. When we have explored the issue, let’s reflect on what we have learned to see if we may avoid further condemnation and so that we may discover how to glorify God in our lives.
Some Theft is Frequently Overlooked or Even Condoned in Contemporary Society — As is true of most rules for living, many of us are willing to make exceptions to this rule. There are forms of theft which are ignored or even condoned. Somehow they don’t seem so awful or perhaps we even justify such acts in our own minds. Let me list a few examples, although I make no claim that the list is exhaustive.
Some condone stealing from the government. Paul instructed Christians, Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue [Romans 13:7]. I suspect that each of us loves to hate the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. We aren’t much more enamoured of provincial and municipal tax authorities. This antipathy toward payment of taxes is so deeply ingrained that virtually all of us are willing to invest extra time seeking every deduction possible as we prepare our income taxes; and many of us are tempted to be silent about portions of our income.
We quite naturally resent governmental intrusion into our financial affairs. We begrudge government’s claim on any portion of our earnings. Especially do we hate governments’ claim to a growing portion of our income, and the more so as the amount claimed grows larger each year. Our outrage only grows when those responsible for collecting and spending these funds seem to squander our hard-earned money without ever a thought to what we might wish or even require of government! We rightly resent leaders making their own lives comfortable and secure—with our money!
There is a persistent tax revolt within Canadian society. The most obvious form of this tax revolt is a black market in exchanging goods and services for cash. This underground economy provides services in exchange for cash so that government auditors are hard-pressed to demonstrate that a transaction occurred. In this way, the GST need not be reported and the funds received are treated as exempt from income tax as well. No Christian can participate in this activity and think to honour God. Of course, we resent taxes, but we cannot resort to theft and lies to accomplish our goals and still glorify God. Make no mistake; to avoid paying taxes through deceit or deliberate refusal to report what you are required to report, is theft and is roundly condemned by the Word of God.
The payment of taxes has been elevated to a higher position than mere obedience of civil powers. You will recall an encounter Jesus had with the Pharisees when they tried to trap Him in a church/state issue. The account is recorded in Matthew 22:15-21. The Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Listen again to the passage in Romans in which the verse previously cited occurs. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honour to whom honour is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law [Romans 13:6-10].
Some condone stealing from employers. There are a surprising number of employees who condone stealing from their employers. Occasionally they justify theft by the rationale that they are simply getting what is theirs. They believe they are inadequately recompensed for their work, and so they take the issue into their own hands and steal what they believe is their due. Others simply never think about what they take, considering that the employer is so large that the company will not miss some small item.
There are still others who would never take something materially from their employer, but who consider it a small thing if they are late to work, or if they leave their place of employment early each day, or if they extend their lunch break by a matter of minutes, or if they take extra coffee breaks during the course of the day. To steal extra time from each activity is to steal from your employer and is condemned by the Word.
Writing in the encyclical we know as Ephesians, Paul instructed Christians in this matter. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need [Ephesians 4:28]. It requires no great stretch of imagination to apply to each wage earner Paul’s instructions which were included in his letter to Titus. There, he wrote: Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour [Titus 2:9, 10].
Let each Christian determine that he or she will give a full day’s labour for a day’s wages. When we live honestly, even in the face of dishonesty, are but applying the words of Christ: I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you [Matthew 5:39-42].
Some condone stealing from those deserving respect. It is possible to be a thief and never steal material items from another. For example, some steal respect from those deserving respect. In Romans 13 we saw this command: Pay to all what is owed to them: … respect to whom respect is owed [Romans 13:7]. Clearly, among those things belonging to Caesar is respect [Φόβος] for the office.
Governments, both provincial and federal, have earned our caricature. Unfortunately, veracity no longer seems to be a quality demonstrated by political leaders. The current federal government must qualify as one of the most scandal-ridden governments in the history of the Dominion of Canada. Our Prime Minister is arrogant toward other world leaders, haughty toward provincial leaders, and even condescending toward the electorate. He is sparing with the truth, holding what may be described at best as a peculiar view of history and of his relationship to events surrounding that history.
I confess that I have regaled others with jokes about governmental leaders and forwarded my share of stories ridiculing them. Though they merit such ridicule on many occasions, I acknowledge that such activity is unbecoming of a Christian, to say nothing of being defiant of Scripture. On one occasion, I received a rebuke from a fellow-pastor for a story which I related concerning the present elected head of the Canadian State. Though I did not enjoy receiving the rebuke, my fellow-pastor was technically correct. I was in error in relating a disrespectful story concerning the Prime Minister.
The point of relating this incident from my own life is to remind each of us—and to personally acknowledge—that as Christians we owe respect to those who govern our nation, our province, and even our communities. We owe respect to elected leaders—if not to the individual governing, then assuredly we owe respect to the office. I am not condemning others, for I myself need to exercise cautious in this area of life. The Prime Minister deserves the respect of Christians, despite the fact that he is accuracy-challenged and arrogant. Those deserving respect—not respect in our estimate but respect because of position—are to be accorded respect by each of us who name the Name of Christ.
Some condone stealing from those to whom honour is due. Paul made a similar statement concerning those to whom honour is due. In that Romans passage Paul wrote, Pay to all what is owed to them: … honour to whom honour is owed [Romans 13:7]. Honour your father and your mother is the command which we previously reviewed. Honour [τῑμή] is due authorities, governors, fellow believers.
Peter provides insight concerning this very subject in his first letter. Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honour everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust [1 Peter 2:13-18].
Perhaps it is a symptom of the age. After all, the Apostle warned in his last letter: Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people [2 Timothy 3:1-5]. Notice the number of characteristics which speak of disrespect and dishonour. People will be lovers of self … proud, arrogant, abusive … slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit. These are marks of a self-conscious, self-centred age which respects only self.
Many condone stealing from God. While I have focused on several instances in which we may be prone to steal, or in which we at least fail to view theft as abhorrent, it is this last area of theft which has become virtually ubiquitous in contemporary society, including Christian circles. We condone stealing from God. Long years ago, four hundred years before Jesus’ birth to be exact, the Prophet Malachi asked, Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions [Malachi 3:8].
When we fail to recognise God as Him who gives every good gift and every perfect gift [James 1:17], we act as if it is by our strength, by our ability, by our power, that we acquire all over which He has given us stewardship. In that self-centred state, we begin to think of tithes and offerings as a gift to God. Pride leads us to imagine that God should be grateful for what we give. Consequently, missionary advance and the ministry of the Word are left begging. Are you generous in your giving? Is the work of the Kingdom unhindered because of your generosity? Is God honoured through your participation in His work?
Were financial theft insufficient to cause us to hang our heads in shame, we also unconsciously steal honour and glory from God when we withhold praise and thanks due His Name. When we fail to remind ourselves that He does give every good gift and every perfect gift, when we fail to express our gratitude before eating, when we fail to lift our hearts in praise for strength or abilities and the rich blessings He has given, when we fail to rejoice in His presence or fail to worship at each opportunity, when we consider that participation in worship is an option, when we decide that we will “worship at the church of our choice” instead of finding out what pleases the Lord—we steal from Him.
Preachers are culpable of stealing from God. It is a source of continual dismay to me to discover how prone I am to substitute my thoughts for God’s thoughts. I urge you to bring your own Bibles in order to test what I say against what is written so that you might determine whether I am speaking the Words of the Living God or supplying my own thoughts under the guise of preaching the Word. It is the responsibility of each believer to test the words of the preacher against the written Word of God. Should the words of the preacher fail to reflect accurately the written Word, that man is to be confronted with his error. God opposes the one who fails to faithfully deliver His Word. I am against the prophets … who steal my words from one another [Jeremiah 23:30].
Stealing is Always Condemned by God — Time constrains me, yet the fact that I am compelled to move quickly does not lessen the importance of the issue—God condemns theft, whether of material possessions or of that which though not material is no less tangible. Listen to a few of the severe condemnations found in the Word as God.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
[Psalm 50:18].
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
[Psalm 62:10]
Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
[Proverbs 28:24]
The aforementioned verses are from Psalms and Proverbs. Throughout those pithy sayings God stands opposed to theft and to the unspoken acquiescence of stealing. The prophets, also, united in condemning stealing, theft of both material possessions and theft of honour and glory. Especially were they united in their opposition to theft of God’s glory. Here are a few examples of their opposition.
For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
[Isaiah 61:8]
Looking on contemporary society, God’s spokesman Hosea lamented:
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
[Hosea 4:2].
Likewise, Habakkuk pronounced the following curse on thieves:
Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,
“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
for how long?—
and loads himself with pledges!”
[Habakkuk 2:6]
Jesus went straight to the heart of the issue—the heart—when He said, out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander [Matthew 15:19]. The issue of stealing is not so much a matter that we consciously decide on a life of theft, but it is rather the expression of a heart which is unchanged and still in a fallen condition. Therefore, our Lord challenges us to realise that when we steal or when we condone theft, even participating in the genteel thievery to which I referred in the former point, it is an expression of our fallen condition.
To Honour God we Must Apply the Rule in Daily Life — Though the world about us may engage in such theft as has been detailed, let all who name the Name of Christ determine that we will carefully watch our lives avoiding sin in the smallest issues of life. I remind you that though we may stumble up mountains, we do not stumble over mountains; we trip over little molehills which dot the landscape of life. It is the little foxes which spoil the vineyards [see Song of Solomon 2:15].
Spurgeon told of a hoplite who painted on his shield the image of a fly—life-size! When asked why such a small escutcheon was displayed on his shield, he quickly replied: “The enemy must get so very close in order to see it!”
Let each Christian determine to be conscious of our choices and our actions. It is through the smallest of acts that we are most likely to either win a victory over the enemy or suffer a defeat before the foe. Let each Christian determine that we will honour God in the small issues of life. Then, when the day of testing comes in some great issue, we will have already set the stage for a great victory. I suggest that victory in the great matters of life is determined in attention to the small details.
If the saying is true that the battle is lost for want of a nail, how much more is it that the battle for life is lost for want of attention to the smallest details of righteousness living? This must be what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he challenged the Romans: you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal [Romans 2:21]?
It is not in recognising what is right that we obtain the commendation of God; it is in doing what is right that we honour Him and obtain His blessing. Paul continued in that passage by asking hard questions of each reader, and then making a pointed application. You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonour God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” [Romans 2:22-24].
I would have you see that God considers these small details vital to a righteous life. Moses issued the Ten Commandments at God’s command, and then in the remainder of this book of Exodus, and throughout the ensuing three books, he detailed the application of these rules for living. With particular respect to this Eighth Commandment, listen to Moses’ detailed application, not to discover the minutiae of the Law, but to see that it applies in expressing a heart which is first right with God and then right with one’s neighbours.
If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.
If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.
If a man gives to his neighbour money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbour’s property [Exodus 22:2-8].
The defender of property is justified in defending life. At night, one breaking into his home may be intent on harming the homeowner; the thief is responsible for his actions. In daylight, it is sufficient to be able to identify the thief; the thief must make restitution. However, the homeowner applying excessive force is responsible for his actions. If unable to make restitution, let the thief be sold into slavery to pay for the theft.
The thief is responsible for the consequences of his actions. The owner of livestock is responsible for the actions of his animals. One starting a fire is responsible for keeping the fire under control. One who accepts any item entrusted to his or her care is responsible for the disposition of that item. Throughout these various applications runs one great theme which is too frequently neglected in this day of enlightened points of view. Each individual bears responsibility for the consequences of his own actions.
Perhaps modern jurists have forgotten this vital truth; but let no Christian fall into the trap of thinking that we no longer bear responsibility for our actions. Though we may evade responsibility for the consequences of our actions in contemporary courtrooms, we nevertheless stand responsible before our God.
I am convinced that modern societies are rushing toward judgement. Adding to the awful horror of this frightful scenario is the deliberate silence of contemporary Christians. We have too often permitted ourselves to be co-opted by the world about us because we have become indistinguishable from earth dwellers. Our lives are not marked by a holy mien arising from righteousness as would be expected of a child of the Living God. The issue just addressed must be corrected if we will see even the hope of momentary reversal. We Christians must become alarmed at the thought that we are indistinguishable from the world about us. These rules for living must become for us hallmarks of life marking us as different in the desperate eyes of a watching, dying world.
We are perhaps each tempted to steal from the government. Let us each determine to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s [Matthew 22:21]. Can you imagine a world in which Christians really saw money for what it is—an instrument, a tool? Is the Queen’s picture on all our coinage? If she likes that stuff so much let her have it! Don’t let it rule our life. Let us maintain a holy perspective.
If we can earn more and thus set ourselves free to honour God with our strength in this manner, let us do so. But if our acquisition only leads us to serve money and begin to think of stealing through lying and dishonesty, better to give up that which condemns us.
Among us are some who have stolen private property or who have attempted to justify such theft. We need not only to hear the teaching of the Word, but also to apply the teaching of the Word. Christians must avoid pilfering, but [rather] showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour [Titus 2:9, 10].
Others sharing the service this day realise in light of the message that they have engaged in theft of honour and theft of respect owed to those deserving of the same. I admonish any such individuals among us to determine that they will honour God through giving due honour and respect to any persons occupying a position deserving of respect and deserving of honour.
Above all, let no one among us think to rob God. Let us ruthlessly examine our hearts to insure that we keep short accounts with God. Let us not begin to think that it is because of our strength that we administer our few possessions. It is God who has entrusted to us our goods, and the health and strength and abilities which have acquired them. Let none of us think to rob God of praise or gratitude or honour. Instead, let each Christian among us determine that we will give to God what belongs to Him—all the praise and the glory and the honour and the majesty due His Holy Name. Let no one rob God through withholding the worship of our gifts and offerings.
If somehow you have yet to receive the grace of God in Christ the Lord, you are robbing God of the honour which is His. He gave His Son to die because of your sin. You are responsible before Him to accept His offer of the forgiveness of sin by submitting to His reign and by acknowledging that it was your sin which caused His death.
You know very well that the Word teaches us that, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].
Our invitation is that you would trust Christ, receive His grace, confess that He died because of you and raised for you; be saved today. If you will receive Christ, stand up now and coming forward confess that He has become your Saviour. Amen.
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[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Ó 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.