SIN OF GOD- STEALING; EXODUS 20:15

Evangelist John Bosco

SIMPLY IN NEED OF GOD- SIN OF GOD

In one of the secondary schools in Torit, the head teacher after agreement with a photographer told the senior 4 class master to tell the students to pay 100 SSP each for a copy of photo for filling their senior 4 form. The class teacher went and told the students to pay 200SSP each, a one of the senior four girls went and told her mother that 300SSP is needed for the photo; the girl’s mother told the husband their daughter was requested to take 450SSP for a photo in the school. The man gave the 450SSP to his wife without hesitation who in turn gave 300SSP to her daughter as she demanded but pocketed the 150SSP. The girl did te same, the class teacher too did the same, believably the head teacher might have had done the same.  From here, do you see that all the people are involved in stealing? Did anyone among them know that he/she has stolen? Yes, they know but because of the urge they had to succumb to even cheating themselves in the family because of lack of honesty and trust.

Brain storming: 

What is stealing? (You can give your own definition but to understand what stealing is exactly let us get to the truth below)

Why is stealing wrong? 

Many people, humanly speaking have just reasons for stealing such as fighting poverty, due to hunger, others have bigger ambitions for estates building and others give reason to making of short cut to getting rich. Others do it because they just admire what they do not have. THIS IS JUST SIMPLY SATANIC! 

There is nowhere written even in the Bible which says stealing is good simply because   Stealing is wrong!  It does a lot of harms to oneself and the neighbors

1. It violates civil laws: Romans 13:1-7.  In South Sudan Interim Constitution, a citizen is prohibited from encroaching into someone’s properties and all must show respect for other people’s properties. Anyone who steals disobeys this law (civil law) by encroaching and not respecting people’s properties, hence he is a criminal and disobedient to God’s government. Civil law is ordained by God, if we disobey rulers then we are disobeying God. 1 Peter 2:13, 14, ‘…for the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority-whether the king as head of state…………’

2.  It is prohibited by God in His Scripture, Exodus 20:15. “Do not steal” and it defiles man because it comes from the heart. Mat 15:19, 20.  Thieves will not enter God’s Kingdom. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 say, ‘Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God? …….or is thieves...none of these will inherit the kingdom of God’. So, why do you want not to inherit the kingdom of heaven?

3. It violates the law of love. If you love your neighbors, you will do well to them, stealing violates this law because it harms your neighbors. Romans 13:9, 10, Matt 7:12 these are some few reasons why stealing should never be mentioned or heard among God’s children.

Let us see the form of stealing and check in our lives if none of us is a victim of stealing. As I keep on mentioning these, everyone has to meditate upon and if convicted, the only solution is to call on God. Jeremiah 33:3, The Lord said, ‘Call on to me and I will answer and will show you great and mighty things you have never known in your life’

Forms of stealing

1.  Arm Robbery/illegal entry in someone properties Luke 10:30-35:

This is normally violent and involved death, threats. Example of this is, house breaking, car theft, kidnapping etc. such type of stealing is witnessed in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30. This form of stealing previously was punishable in Israel by death sentences. Exodus 21:16 ‘Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in the possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves’

2.   Shop lifting, looting and petty theft: 

This is not violently committed but by average citizen. This is sometimes viewed as justified but since it is stealing, it is sin which needs to be confessed

3.   Unbalance Weighing Scales Proverbs 11:1:

Dishonesty business practices like cheating buyers or customers. Everywhere especially in our home towns, there is no uniform rate of properties of the same color, quantity etc. Every business person put his own price and above all use discriminative ways of selling by charging Mr. Atem at 3000 and Mr. Sule at 2500 for the same pair of suit. This is called dishonesty. In Proverbs 11:1, the Wiseman said ‘A false balance is an abomination to the Lord but a just weight is His delight.’ We have to avoid dishonest measures to allow the Lord delights in us.

4.   Employee stealing from employer;

Example, let have the story of Judas Iscariot read in John 12:6, what did Judas said when Mary used a costly oil for wiping Jesus’ feet? This, he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief………….! -. Some employees change records of books - others used wrong receipt or additional receipt figures contrary to the original cost after negotiating with the seller, but the Bible is saying servants must not steal from their masters Titus 2:9, 10 ….slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or STEAL, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good…….’

5.   Citizens cheating on taxes (Romans 13:2)

Many people lie or misrepresent to avoid taxes such as income taxes, migration taxes, and market dues. For instance, many people enter Uganda, illegally, they claimed to be going to Elegu yet their destinations could be Gulu, Adjumani or even as far as Kampala avoiding their duties to all the demands by the ordained government of God. In Romans 13:7, the Bible commands us to, ‘Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.’

6.   Refusing to pay debts.

The bible says ‘the wicked borrows and does not repay’ Psalm 37:1. Truly it is wrong when you buy goods on credit and failed to pay. We have to pay what we owe to others. Read Romans 13:7-8

7.   Keeping properties you found. - Deuteronomy 22:1-3 :

There are so many in histories that found properties but never return to the owner, which is wrong. The finder of a property should make a diligent effort to find the owner, check with police or any group of people who can help you find the owner of the property. Don’t keep lost properties! It is sin

8.   Claiming the work of others to be yours.

This includes songs productions, forging documents, cheating in schools even in CRE exams, Plagiarism, taking somebody notes and claiming it to be yours, video programs and many others.

9.   Cooperating with other thieves. -Psalm 50:18, 16:

When you saw a thief and consented with him, you are wicked! A child of God must not have fellowship with sin, Ephesians 5:11 but must reprove it, Romans 1:29-31. Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life. Proverbs 29:24

10. Teaching religious error -Jeremiah 23:30

God is against the prophets who steal Words from their neighbors. Secondly, to withhold the truth is also stealing.

11. Using God blessing selfishly - Malachi 3

After being blessed by God, we steal money God has given to us. How do we do this? Let us read Malachi 3:8, 9 - Robbing in tithes and offering  - Stealing our time and lives from God Psalm 24:1,2 - Neglect to use time and effort to please God is stealing - Refusal to come to God when you are supposed is stealing, postponing salvation time is also stealing and stealing is SIN and sin means SIMPLY IN NEED of God! You need God for everything

From the teaching, each of us has a word to say or comment. Just a moment before saying or commenting anything, I want everyone to reflect in his/her own life and scan if he or she has never stolen. I believe and it is true that, majority of us have stolen falling under one of the forms mentioned here before. There is no compromise; South Sudanese are all affected with the spirit of stealing. This can be noticed in the churches, markets, work places, in government offices. Simple I am requesting you to scan through again and raise your hands and begged for pardon from God. 

Assume that you are only left with 36 hours and it is counting seriously anticlockwise, questions for you: - Do you want to finish the remaining hours of your life with curses? - Don’t you want to be forgiven for having stolen someone properties unknowingly now that you have known? - What about someone properties that you have found and use for yourself personally? - How many times have you crossed the border without paying all the dues expected of you as true citizen of a country? Will you continue to cross the border without explaining yourself to the government authority at the immigration office in case you are travelling to Kampala? - Are you ready to repent and become new again as you enter the New Year? The choice is yours, to remain a thief or become free, Don’t Pretend! 

All in all, the Truth remains crystal clear in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

Be Blessed and I wish you the best in your next hours of life
© Evangelist A. John Bosco Email:    
abunerry700.v@gmail.com  
Twitter:  ayella_johnSkype:       ayella.johnbosco1Tel:          0928150660    

Evangelist John Bosco