The Eighth Commandment - That's Not Yours!

Exodus 20:15 - "You shall not steal."

Unjustified...Always

Theft, for any reason, is wrong.
- The motive doesn't matter.

- The end results don't matter.

- The need and desperation doesn't matter.

Stealing is always wrong for this one reason...God said don't do it!

It also doesn't matter how that theft is carried out:

- Violent armed robbery

- Well-planned, carefully-executed heists

- Cheating through deceit

- Even voting for the government to take money out of someone else's pocket and give it to you.

It's sad to see how many people have turned the "Robin Hood" mentality (that is, "steal from the rich to give to the poor") into something noble. It doesn't matter what you do with the loot, stealing makes you a thief, not a hero. In God's eyes Robin Hoods are no better than petty criminals and armed robbers.

You may not believe me on this, but I'm telling you the truth: Good motives DO NOT justify stealing anything. The eighth commandment has only these words, "You shall not steal" - with no conditions attached. That should be simple enough for us to understand. But Proverbs 6:30-31 goes even further to back this up - "People don't hate a thief who steals to fill his empty stomach. But when he is caught, he must pay seven times as much as he stole. It may even cost him everything he has."

Popular Culture may not hold anything against a desperate criminal - but eventually they will be caught. It's like Numbers 32:23 says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." And when that happens, it'll cost thieves more than what they stole. Justice - either in this life or the next - will always produce consequences for theft.

Here's a little more clarification:
Stealing is always wrong no matter how big or small the item is that was stolen:

- Millions of dollars out of a vault

- A few more tax dollars from higher-income paychecks

- A dollar extra in change from a restaurant

- Or five minutes extra time on your lunch break

Theft doesn't become wrong when someone notices it (sometimes it's never noticed or contested). It's always wrong, regardless of the magnitude.

Why God Hates Theft

Why would God be so opposed to stealing - especially if it's done out of desperation or for a "greater good?"

The most obvious answer is, God is just. 

As a righteous Judge, God cannot allow sin - any sin - to go unpunished. He must deal justly when we break His laws. 

The second reason God hates theft is that He is a Giver, not a taker.

God's heart is to give to everyone all the time. Whenever someone is willing to receive from His hand, it is always open wide.
John 3:16 makes it clear that "God so loved the world that He gave..."
And Romans 8:32 tells us that His heart is to "freely give us all things."
And now that we are His kids, He expects us to have that same heart toward others. 

But I believe the biggest reason God commands us not to steal is this: God wants to be your source of provision.

A lot of theft happens because people are backed into a financial corner and don't know of another way out. But for believers, God has given a promise of provision for any need. Instead of taking matters into our own hands, why not turn to God and receive the supply from His hands?

I learned this lesson last year when my wife and I received a large check from the hospital for a duplicate payment. The statement clearly said, "Check with your health insurance company, because they may be owed this money." But since we were in a financial pinch at the time, I used that money for our own needs. I spent the whole amount within a few weeks, pretending that I was justified in using it for our needs. All the while, my conscience was screaming in my ears that I was in the wrong.

Finally - after months of resisting - I gave in to the Holy Spirit and repented. I knew that I could continue to ignore the Holy Spirit and convince myself that I was right - but that would only deafen my heart to Him in the future. That was a price I was not willing to pay.

I asked God to forgive me for stealing what wasn't mine and then set about to make it right. Even though we didn't have the money anymore, I called the hospital for more information. They directed me to the insurance company, who in turn instructed me to call another third party. Finally, the last person in that string of conversations told me - "No, you don't owe us anything on that." 

At that moment, I found out what I had really stolen when I used that money - I stole all the glory from God for the provision! For months I couldn't tell anyone how good God was in providing for us, because my conscience was telling me that I stole it. Only when I made things right did I finally realize the truth - that money was actually a gift from Him all along!

(A side note - this was a lesson well-learned. Just two weeks ago we received another type of large duplicate check related to another insurance issue. Remembering what I went through before, I immediately checked into it, and found out that this money was actually owed this time. There was no way I was repeating that mess!)

God wants to bless you - but He can't do it when you're taking things that rightfully belong to someone else!

How To Stop Being A Thief

Imagine a person that robbed a bank, escaped to another country, and then spent the rest of their lives using the money that they stole. How many times did they have to take that money to be a thief? Just once, right?

Now what if that thief felt bad about it, and sent a note to the bank to apologize? Would they still be a thief? Of course they would! Feeling bad about stealing something isn't enough to make amends. Apologizing for the theft wouldn't be enough to clear the thief of the matter either...something's still missing.

Restitution. God's never intended for society to forgive a thief and then let them keep what they stole. True repentance requires restitution.

Do you remember the response of Zacchaeus (a notorious tax collector and thief) when he found out that Jesus forgave him?

"Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took."

This former thief was forgiven by Jesus, but still knew he wasn't clear on the matter until he restored what he had wrongfully taken.

This is how you can see that there's been a change of heart. When a thief is truly repentant, he quickly becomes the most generous person on earth. This idea is summed up in Ephesians 4:28, "Those who have been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need."

So if your conscience is pricking you about something you know you shouldn't have taken, then you need to take care of the matter correctly. Here's how you move forward:

First, repent to God - the One Who loves you, wants to bless you, and commanded you not to steal. Receive His mercy and trust Him to wash you clean from that sin.

Second, get clear of the matter with the person you stole from. Go to them and admit what you've done, and then ask for their forgiveness. Offer a way to repay what you took...with full intention of following through on it. Only if they willingly and completely release you from from repayment can you let the matter rest. (And even then, if you can repay, it's still a good idea.)

Third, decide to become a giver. Generosity is an amazing thing - with a lot of benefits:
- It will calm your fear of lack
- It acts as a declaration that "I do not trust in my possessions."
- It will ignite a sense of service and love for others
- It will testify to the world about your change of heart
- It opens the door for God's out-poured blessings on your own life.

Seeing the results of a generous life, it's no wonder that the Bible's final answer to stealing is, "Now start working so you can give."