The Unbelief of Thievery
Exhortation | Lord's Day—March 9, AD 2025
A few years ago I came across a news article regarding a local man who had stolen nearly $200,000 worth of merchandise from his employer and sold them online. Beyond the shocking value of all that he stole, what stood out to me in the article was a remarkable statement from the man in which he explained his actions, saying, “I was trying to do good things to achieve certain goals and made a mistake.” What were his good things and certain goals? A wedding, student loans, and a home.
Of course, what this man calls a mere “mistake” God calls a sin. Thou shall not steal. That’s basic Christianity and clear enough. And while I imagine few of you are tempted toward pocketing candy bars (or 200 grand of company goods), it is worthwhile to remember that the Eighth Commandment has many applications. The sin of stealing exists in many forms. These would be things like not stealing time from your employer, remaining faithful and just in your business dealings, cheating in school, or even practicing generosity.
But have you ever considered why God commands us not to steal? Of course, one reason is we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. But there is an even more foundational reason. God commands us not to steal because He is the Giver of all good things.
David had never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread (Ps. 37:25). Jesus taught that if our earthly fathers give their children good gifts, how much more will our Heavenly Father give to His children (Mt. 7:11). And Paul told the Philippians that God would supply every need of theirs according to His riches (Phil. 4:19).
Thievery is fundamentally an act of unbelief.
When you sin by stealing, you are saying with your actions that you do not believe your Father in heaven will care for your needs. That He doesn’t give you your daily bread. You are believing that, like this local man, there are “good things” and “certain goals” to be acquired that He will not provide for.
But this is not the case. God will provide all that you need in this life, and what He requires of you is the faith to remain humbly obedient—which just so happens to also be a good gift from Him.