HOW TO PROSPER WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE– EXODUS 20:15
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“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)
1) Five ways to prosper with a clear conscience
i) God is the ultimate provider
“…Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 7:31-33)
Take this warning seriously –says Jesus – Be ready to take drastic action to guard against adulterous thoughts.
ii) God made us to work hard
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15)
“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4)
Work hard at work – work hard also as Christ’s ambassador
iii) God loves entrepreneurs
“”Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.” (Matthew 25:14-19)
iv) Be honest
“The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.” (Proverbs 11:1)
““Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue.” (Romans 13:7)
“The wicked borrow and do not repay.” (Psalm 37:21)
“Do not defraud your neighbour or rob him. ” ‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight..” (Leviticus 19:13)
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
v) Think like a manager not an owner
“Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse–the whole nation of you–because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:7-10)
2) How God deals with thieves
“1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)
Guilt – is dealt with on the cross
Restitution
prayer: Jesus, you have truly provided all that I need. Please forgive me for breaking your commandment ‘Do not steal’ in any way. Forgive me for robbing You. May I encounter you and know your forgiveness and acceptance. You came into Zacchaeus’s home. I invite you into my life and my home. Help me to make restitution where possible. Amen.
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I want to know more:
- What is Christianity? 321 The Story of God, the World and You: https://youtu.be/tKyZjvK-d2M
- More on the 8th Commandment: The Sin of Stealing (Exodus 20:15) By Bob Deffinbaugh, https://bible.org/seriespage/sin-stealing-exodus-2015
- Books:
- Money Counts: How to handle money in your heart and with your hands – by Graham Beynon
- Sex and Money – Paul David Tripp
- Freedom of Simplicity – Richard Foster
- Don’t Waste your life – John Piper