command 8 | stealing

The perfect righteousness scoreboard reads 0-7, let’s jump into #8

Stealing, another sneaky one that we initially think is doable

A reminder that our humanity makes us more prone to shrink the law,

to make it something smaller than what we are currently guilty of doing

Proud of your performance, much?

Are we thieves? Uh, YES!

Idolatry ridden, idol worshipping, name in vaining, sabbath breaking, dishonoring, mass murderers, serial adulterers, and yes, Somali Pirates

Americans alone steal over 14 billion dollars worth of reported stuff, gone missing, stolen

Beyond stealing things, we steal time, credit, affirmation, & love

When we run late, we are stealing people’s time

When we gossip, we are stealing people’s credibility

When we rage at others, we steal people’s dignity

When we alienate people, we steal people’s need for community

When we isolate, we steal our own need for community

When we get lost in the sauce of work-a-hol-ism, we steal presence

When we make someone else’s idea our own, we steal credit

Ok, I’ll stop, ya thief. I steal, you steal, we all steal for ice cream

I have not even mentioned that anytime we are at work, not working, yep

Taxes anyone?

There’s more

Marty Luther helps us see that thievery also includes being stingy as stealing. When we hold back our words, we rob someone of needed affirmation and encouragement

When we hold back any time, talent, or treasure

This was the rich young ruler’s problem

After claiming he had kept all commandments since youth, he asked Jesus, what must I do to have eternal life? Jesus responded with this commandment #7, sell everything and give it all to the poor

The RYR walked away, sad. This command leveled him.

Take note, whenever anyone asked Jesus about eternal life, Jesus responded with The Sinnner’s Prayer The Roman’s Road The Four Laws heavy LAW

Jesus knew we had to get lost, to get saved

We have to be convinced we cannot perform our way to God, but only rest in Jesus’ perfect performance, cry uncle, look to Him, and say “Help Me”

It’s our badness that summons the Rescuer, not our goodness

Jesus came to you, not in spite of your thievery, but because of it

Jesus left behind the spoils of heaven to give us what our stealing never could

At every point where we take, He gives

We seek credit, He gives it

His perfect record of righteousness is credited to us

For the Christian, primary is Christ’s Substitution & imputed Righteousness (Justification)

Secondary is our growth, maturity & improvement

(Sanctification)

Because of Christ’s substitution, I am free to grow, mature, and improve

(which is what we call Sanctification)

I can grow and mature from approval, not for approval

So many Christians I know try to use their Sanctification for their Justification to justify themselves and earn/prove their Justification

Functionally, that is a prosperity gospel that goes like this, “if I am good and extremely disciplined, then I can earn God’s favor and blessing

But in God’s reality, “In Christ”, you already have God’s eternal favor and blessing

It is a wholly (and holy) different thing entirely, a complete 180 degree course correction, to pursue Sanctification from Justification, not for Justification

“He who knew no sin, became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God

God relates to us not as we are, but as how Jesus was and is

Grindforth!…knowing and thanking Jesus, who died as a thief so we would never face the consequences of our thievery

Valley of the Vision prayer, anonymous Puritans

“I lean on the saving name of the One who died for me

I plead His blood to pay my debts of wrongdoing

Accept His worthiness for my unworthiness

Accept His sinlessness for my transgressions

His purity for my filth

His sincerity for my guile

His truth for my deceit

His meekness for my pride

His constancy for my falls away

His love for my enmity

His fullness for my emptiness

His faithfulness for my treachery

His obedience for my lawlessness

His glory for my shame

His devotedness for my waywardness

His holy life for my unchaste ways

His righteousness for my dead works

His death for my life”

Credits to Tullian Tchividjian and Martin Luther (see what I did there)