Topical Bible: Theft: The Wicked: Consent to Show Who Commit

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The concept of theft is addressed extensively throughout the Bible, often highlighting the moral and spiritual implications of such actions. Theft, in its essence, is the unlawful taking of what belongs to another, and it is consistently condemned in Scripture as a violation of God's commandments and an affront to His holy nature.

Biblical Condemnation of Theft

The Eighth Commandment explicitly states, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). This commandment underscores the importance of respecting the property and rights of others, reflecting God's desire for justice and righteousness among His people. Theft is not merely a social or legal issue but a spiritual one, as it reveals a heart that is not aligned with God's will.

The Wicked and Their Consent to Theft

The Bible often associates theft with the wicked, those who live in opposition to God's laws. In Proverbs, we find a vivid portrayal of the wicked's mindset: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them. If they say, 'Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder. Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse'" (Proverbs 1:10-14). This passage illustrates how the wicked not only commit theft but also seek to entice others into their schemes, showing a collective consent to wrongdoing.

The Heart of the Thief

Theft is often rooted in deeper issues of the heart, such as greed, covetousness, and a lack of trust in God's provision. In the New Testament, Jesus expands on the commandment against theft by addressing the heart's condition: "For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery" (Mark 7:21). This teaching emphasizes that theft is not merely an external act but a reflection of internal corruption.

Consequences and Warnings

Scripture warns of the consequences of theft and the ultimate judgment that awaits the wicked. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul writes, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" . This passage serves as a sobering reminder of the eternal implications of living in unrepentant sin, including theft.

Call to Righteousness

The Bible calls believers to a life of integrity and righteousness, contrasting the ways of the wicked. Ephesians 4:28 instructs, "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need" . This exhortation not only condemns theft but also encourages a transformation of character, urging individuals to contribute positively to their communities and to trust in God's provision.

In summary, theft is a sin that reflects a deeper spiritual issue, often associated with the wicked who consent to and commit such acts. The Bible consistently calls for a rejection of theft and a pursuit of righteousness, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's heart and actions with God's will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 50:18
When you saw a thief, then you consented with him, and have been partaker with adulterers.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Theft is Always a Sin?
... Wis.10:19): "The just took the spoils of the wicked.". ... a sacred thing, of peculation,
which is theft of common ... things, even as there may be through consent in a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether theft is always a.htm

The Seventh Commandment
... There is contriving the sin in the mind, then consent in the ... door; and he said, Go
in and behold the wicked abominations that ... It is the highest sort of theft. ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 7 the seventh commandment.htm

Letter ii (AD 1126) to the Monk Adam
... Theft, sacrilege, adultery, and all other such vices are wholly ... doers, and will not
sit with the wicked (ibid ... My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter ii a d 1126 to.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xx. 30, About the Two Blind Men ...
... 2914] How great was her blindness who maintained the theft; and how ... From sinners
and wicked men of course. ... that ye may "go out from them;" and consent not to ...
/.../sermon xxxviii on the words.htm

The Sixth Book
... better, even so the glory of the wicked is to ... for when they are not engaged in theft,
their minds ... God throughout the world, as if by common consent, are making ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the sixth book.htm

Psalm XCIV.
... against God, because he who committed a theft on thee ... began to waver, and nearly
to consent, he looked ... sinner appear?" [4379] How then shall the wicked be with ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xciv.htm

Matt. vii. 1
... gifts; just as, if it be expedient, ye consent and bestow ... Christ saith not this,
that for the wicked there is ... What theft do you think the father of this child ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxiii matt vii 1.htm

The Seventh Book
... Their fault was still more serious and wicked than this ... was spread through the city,
the general consent made it ... the people were betrayed by the theft of Achar ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the seventh book.htm

Regeneration by Faith. Of Repentance.
... sin when either external act or consent is added ... Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man ... or commit adultery, refrains not from theft or adultery ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 3 regeneration by faith.htm

Psalm XXXV.
... 9. This then for the wicked that would hurt me ... Therefore also that thief, although
from His theft led to ... persecutions, no temptations, so as to consent unto evil ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxxv.htm