What does my stealing say about my soul?

Stealing manifests in a lot of different forms.

It could be looting, it could be shoplifting, it could be cutting corners at work, it could

be fudging on tax forms.

But what is this impulse to steal, this urge inside of us, what does it say about us?

That was the question Pastor John took up in a 1986 sermon on Ephesians 428, a text where

Paul writes this, quote, let the thief no longer steal but rather let him labor doing honest

work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

That word on stealing was given two Christians in a local church.

That's right, two Christians who are members of the local church in Ephesians on stealing.

Here's Pastor John to explain.

In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted by the devil.

You remember what he said?

The devil said to Jesus, if you're the son of God, turn these stones into bread because

you're hungry.

What he really said was, look, why don't you just short-circuit the way of the cross?

Why don't you just do an in-run around self-denial and hard suffering work?

I mean you have the power, it would be easy and Satan comes to you and he says, look,

why don't you just take it?

Why don't you just run an in-run around hard work and honesty and labor?

Just take it.

You can have it.

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