The Eighth Commandment
The Ten Commandments • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsWe have been saved from burden of the Law, and saved to the intention of the Law.
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First start by discussing the Youth Retreat.
What a joy to be with you this morning! My hope is that you had a blessed time with friends and family this week, giving thanks to God for His provision and care over this past year. I love to cherish holidays with family, friends, and church family, especially because each holiday is really a set apart time to be grateful. Thanksgiving is certainly the most prominent in celebrating gratitude, but let us consider all the holidays and what they mean. We just celebrated Veterans Day, a day that is set apart to express our gratitude and thanks to veterans and service members for their efforts in protecting our way of life. Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day reflect on the gratitude we feel for those who have parented us through the formative years of our lives. Memorial Day we give thanks to God for the people who have sacrificed their lives for freedom; Labor Day we show gratitude for the efforts of people around us, who keep our society moving and our communities prosperous. Then there’s Christmas, where we give praise and thanks to God for sending His Son. We could go through all the holidays, but we’d run out of time and none of us would learn anything! But I think we can all see the correlation that these special days have in reflecting and re-orienting our attitudes and character.
So, as we reflect on gratitude and thankfulness, what character strength do we see growing out of these attitudes? We see contentment. Contentment is the idea in which we are satisfied with what we have or what our circumstances are. It’s not a lack of motivation or a perpetual happiness, but an understanding that we are blessed and providentially cared for. Contentment, Thankfulness, Gratitude: these are the things that stand in stark contrast to the sin discussed in the eighth commandment. Let’s see together the eight commandment.
“You shall not steal.
So, as we reflect on gratitude and thankfulness, what character strength do we see growing out of these attitudes? We see contentment. Contentment is the idea in which we are satisfied with what we have or what our circumstances are. It’s not a lack of motivation or a perpetual happiness, but an understanding that we are blessed and providentially cared for. Contentment, Thankfulness, Gratitude: these are the things that stand in stark contrast to the sin discussed in the eighth commandment. Let’s see together the eight commandment.
“You shall not steal.
Seems pretty simple right? Don’t steal! That’s a good rule to live by. Overall, the last 6 commandments are wonderful pillars for a successful, harmonious society, for they all fulfill the golden rule that Jesus explained in . If we as a society don’t lie, steal, commit adultery, kill, covet, or dishonor our parents, our communities would be radically harmonious! If it all stopped tomorrow, we’d see even the biggest of enemies begin to reconcile. The entire world would be turned on its head!
Seems pretty simple right? Don’t steal! That’s a good rule to live by. Overall, the last 6 commandments are wonderful pillars for a successful, harmonious society, for they all fulfill the golden rule that Jesus explained in . If we as a society don’t lie, steal, commit adultery, kill, covet, or dishonor our parents, our communities would be radically harmonious! If it all stopped tomorrow, we’d see even the biggest of enemies begin to reconcile. The entire world would be turned on its head!
This is one of the beautiful things about the ways of God. Truly, God has ordained and ordered a way of life that is good and beautiful, but our world has been so infiltrated with sin, there is hardly a day (if ever there was a day) any person can keep all the commandments. Thankfully, God has taken care of our inability to keep His commandments; if not, this would simply be a study of morals or what it means to live a “good life.” God is not interested in us living a moral, good life on the balance of the whole. The standard that God requires because of His holiness is perfection, and we obviously don’t meet that standard.
But it’s not just about stealing (I feel like we say this about everything, but in reality, it’s true: it’s not just about stealing - it’s about what stealing means!)
Since we don’t meet that standard, why did God give us the commandments? If He knew we would break the rules, why did He bother giving them to us in the first place? Ah, well, you see, the commandments aren’t about the rules themselves - not at all. The ten commandments are purely about Jesus. Everything we read in these commandments should show us how totally unable we are to
That leads me to a fun way to learn the ten commandments. This should be a treat for all of our Graceland kids in here this morning, but I know our adults will really take to it as well. Take a look at the video and sing along if you already know it.
Let’s reflect together on the statement that we’ve been reciting this month. I’ll ask the question, and you can respond with the answer.
VIDEO
Q: What does God require of us in the eighth commandment?
Q: What does God require of us in the eighth commandment?
A: That we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.
A: That we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.
Thanks so much to the Case family for showing us Slugs and Bugs! It’s such a great way to teach our kids great biblical truths. Now, apart from the fun of the sung and some of the cool characters (Do Not Steal!), I’d love to hone in one of the main lines of the song: “Ten Commandments, no one can keep them all, Ten Commandments, even on your best behavior; Ten Commandments, no one can keep them all, Ten Commandments, that’s why we need a Savior.”
What is God saying in this commandment? He’s saying that what doesn’t belong to us, isn’t for us! More than what is just a commandment against something it is a commandment to something. In our catechism question and answer, we see something not included in the original commandment in . This comes from a whole view of Scripture, since the command not to steal isn’t only explained or implied in this chapter. Here’s another example
What a beautiful way to say that the commandments are about Jesus!
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.
Every commandment is a forbidding of something to free us to do something else. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree in the garden, the design was that they would eat of the Tree of Life, but obviously, they did not.
This is one of the beautiful things about the ways of God. Truly, God has ordained and ordered a way of life that is good and beautiful, but our world has been so infiltrated with sin, there is hardly a day (if ever there was a day) any person can keep all the commandments. Thankfully, God has taken care of our inability to keep His commandments; if not, this would simply be a study of morals or what it means to live a “good life.” God is not interested in us living a moral, good life on the balance of the whole. The standard that God requires because of His holiness is perfection, and we obviously don’t meet that standard.
Since we don’t meet that standard, why did God give us the commandments? If He knew we would break the rules, why did He bother giving them to us in the first place? Ah, well, you see, the commandments aren’t about the rules themselves - not at all. The ten commandments are purely about Jesus. Everything we read in these commandments should show us how totally unable we are to take care of ourselves spiritually. But by the power of God, we can live lives more holy, more acceptable to God because of the work of Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins, and who rose again in victory over death. The purpose of the commandments is to show us that we need Jesus. The thief on the cross recognized this, and the thief sitting in your chair needs to remember this each and every day. This morning and this afternoon I don’t stand here telling you to live a better life so that God will be pleased; I say to you, believe and live! Go and sin no more! Your faith has made you well, so live well.
That leads me to a fun way to learn the ten commandments. This should be a treat for all of our Graceland kids in here this morning, but I know our adults will really take to it as well. Take a look at the video and sing along if you already know it.
VIDEO
Thanks so much to the Case family for showing us Slugs and Bugs! It’s such a great way to teach our kids great biblical truths. Now, apart from the fun of the sung and some of the cool characters (Do Not Steal!), I’d love to hone in one of the main lines of the song: “Ten Commandments, no one can keep them all, Ten Commandments, even on your best behavior; Ten Commandments, no one can keep them all, Ten Commandments, that’s why we need a Savior.”
What a beautiful way to say that the commandments are about Jesus! Even on our best behavior, there’s no way we can keep them all - that’s why we need a savior.
I’d love us to take a look at one last passage that so perfectly sums up the fact that the Ten Commandments are so important for us in everyday life, but also the framework that shows us it’s not even about them. Let’s look at my favorite chapter in Scripture, which is still a chapter I haven’t completely wrapped my head around just yet.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Break down these verses
We have been saved from the burden of the Law, and saved to the intention of the Law, which is the grace of Jesus Christ.
We have been saved from the burden of the Law, and saved to the intention of the Law, which is the grace of Jesus Christ.
The grace of Christ is the purpose of the law, but it is also the catalyst for obeying the Law. The joy we can find in the forgiveness of sin is followed by the freedom we have to not sin anymore. So, all of us as thieves must confess before God our sin. Maybe we have stolen time, money, or things. Perhaps we’ve stolen from others by not blessing them when God called us to do it.
Don’t steal by taking. Don’t steal by withholding. Don’t steal because Jesus has forgiven you of your sin and has stolen the payment that you should have received for your sin.
If we ignore the grace of Christ in our life and do what we please, we lose sight of the grace we got in the first place.
Because that apathy is so common for us, let’s look at a few practical steps and spiritual disciplines that can help us keep the commandments and remember their purpose.
1. Lean into Generosity
1. Lean into Generosity
2. Give back what you’ve taken, or find a way to make it right
2. Give back what you’ve taken, or find a way to make it right
3. Don’t steal time from God
3. Don’t steal time from God