"WHAT ABOUT STEALING LITTLE ITEMS?
By Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
Exodus 20;15 says,
“You shall not
steal”.
Ephesians 4:28 says,
“He who has been
stealing must steal
no longer, but must
work, doing
something useful
with his hands, that
he may have
something to share
with those in need.”
I Corinthians 5:10
uses the term
“Extortioner” (NIV
“swindler”), which
is the act of
obtaining property
by force or
underhanded means
(Leviticus 6:2). The
apostle Paul
mentions
extortioners along
with thieves,
idolaters, and
drunkards as those
who will not inherit
the kingdom of God
(1 Cor. 5:10-11;
6:10).
Christians are often
in question as to
where to draw the
line on some Bible
teachings. Some have
asked, “Is it
stealing and sin
to...”:
1) Deceitfully tell
the waitress your
child is still under
the “paying age”
2) Accept an
undeserved discount
on senior citizen
prices
3) Find a wallet in
a public place and
not return it to
its’ proper owner
4) Take home extra
crackers and sugars
from the restaurant
table
5) To share from the
salad bar with your
spouse when you did
not pay for it
Stealing is an
almost accepted way
of life for many
people. The common
thought of today
seems to be...:
a) Since I work
hard, the employer
owes it to me,
(taking home various
unreported items)
even though I agreed
to work for a
certain wage
b) The government
wastes millions on
various “give away
programs” and my
little “side gift on
my income tax
return” will never
be missed
c) If the store’s
register is not
adding properly, it
is not my
responsibility to
report it
Please keep in mind
that the main things
in the Bible are the
plain things and the
plain things are the
main things. Thus,
may we not get
caught up in
attempting to make
plain Scriptures,
like “Do Not Steal”
something hard to
grasp. It does not
take a Philadelphia
lawyer to conclude
that this means what
it says and says
what it means, that
being - Do not steal
anything!
The Christian is to
stand above reproach
(“...be pure and
blameless until the
day of Christ.”
Philippians 1:10).
That should settle
the matter,
shouldn’t it?
KYOWVA EVANGELISTIC
ASSOCIATION
IS WORTHY OF AND
NEEDS OUR SUPPORT
1541 S. 7TH ST *
IRONTON OH
45638-2175