Religion Ethics: Stealing and Coruption is Against 8th Commandment

“When teaching on the importance of foundations and fundamentals for successful living, two schoolboys preparing to play professional football were startled to learn that God had said, “”You shall not steal”". They realised stealing was wrong but they did not know why. This eighth Commandment in the Ten Commandments draws our attention to how we think and how we live.

What will be our approach? Will our emphasis be on getting rather than giving?

Theft is a sign of man’s greed where he thinks everything will be all right when he acquires material or intangible things, without considering the thoughts and feelings of others.

The boundaries and conventions established by society and God are scorned and rejected, resulting in the epitome of selfishness. Almighty God would have us appreciate the needs and rights of others. This Commandment safeguards and protects our legitimate right to acquire and own property. Our approach to material wealth is to be balanced. God wants us to use what He provides wisely. Possessions must never become our primary pursuit in life.

Material blessings and riches can be the means of achieving more important objectives, as generosity rather than greed motivates the choices we make.

This reflects the character of God Who is so generous when He gives and creates. In God’s eyes, giving and serving are more important than hoarding money and grabbing possessions.

“”He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”" That advice, given to specific disciples of Jesus, indicates that before they came to faith in Christ, they had been thieves, and needed teaching to stop stealing. How many require to be taught to stop stealing and make that massive transformation in attitude from getting to giving?

Thieves can be forgiven – even those who have stolen from God. Aren’t you glad? Some people may not be aware that they can rob God. How is that done? There were those who actually asked God, “”How do we rob You?”" – and back came the answer, “”In tithes and offerings”". Because God’s people were not giving a tenth of their income, plus offering offerings they brought the whole nation under a curse. Giving a tenth of your income was the law at that particular time.

We are no longer under the law. We are free from the law when it comes to being right in the eyes of God, but surely that freedom does not mean we give less. We are now free to give more.

When Zacchaeus met Jesus Christ he realised he was a rogue. As a customs officer he had lined his own pocket. He had been a totally corrupt character, robbing God and robbing God’s people. The transformation in Zacchaeus’ life is astonishing.

Knowing he had been a cheat and a swindler, he had to put things right and make restitution. He told Jesus that he was going to give back to the people from whom he had stolen, four times what he had sinfully taken.

God says stealing is wrong. Funds are misappropriated in various commercial and business undertakings – the United Nations ‘Oil for Food’ programme in Iraq being presently under scrutiny. Even charities occasionally discover people with their fingers in the till, and overseas aid money is mysteriously siphoned off.

There is little ‘love your neighbour’ when man behaves in such an abominable manner.

Corruption occurs because man is corrupt, and Jesus Christ comes to correct that consequence of The Fall. We need to know that. Jesus Christ came to put right what went wrong.

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary here, entitled “”Word from Scotland”" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw

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Tags: religious, ethics, bible, business, fundamental