"You shall not steal Part 1" by Kathryn Kuhlman part 16 of her "The Ten Commandments Series"

This now is the eighth commandment that we are bringing you in this series of messages on the Ten Commandments. And I hope that these commandments have meant an awful lot to you. I do hope that you have not missed a single one of these studies. They're just heart-to-heart talks regarding God's precious Word. And before we go deep into the explanation of this, the eighth commandment, Thou Shalt Not Steal, I want to take a few seconds to just refresh your mind and bring you up to this eighth commandment. Remember, we speak of them as the Ten Commandments, but in reality, they are God's Ten Rules for Living. The way one lives is far more important than what one has. I know in this twelfth century we've gotten the idea that in referring to an individual, perhaps someone who is not very well known to us, one of the very first things that we ask regarding this person is, how much does he have? What is he worth? What is his status in life? What is it? That's the reason we've got this whole thing wrong and we're in such a mess today. We've gotten our eyes on the worth so far as dollars and cents are concerned. But remember, what one has in the sense of values and sense is nothing, is absolutely of no importance whatsoever when it comes to the real values of life and living. The way one lives, the way you live, the way you live in your home, your everyday life, is far more important than what you have in the light of material things. When we come to God's first four rules of living, we see that they deal with man's relationship with God. Nothing is more important than that. Nothing is more important to any individual than his relationship to God. And until a man has found God, he begins at no beginning and he works to no end. I mean that. I don't care who you are, what you may have attained so far as material things of life are concerned. If you have not found God in the two cents of the word, your life has no beginning and you have no real goal in life. Your life has no ending. It's like that. Therefore, the most important thing to any individual is his relationship with God. And the first four of God's rules for living deal definitely with man's relationship to himself. Until man can live rightly with each other, he must first get right with God. That's the reason the six rules that follow the first four deal with man's relationship with man, with humanity. And you cannot have a right relationship with your neighbor, with members of your family, with your fellow men until first of all you get a right relationship with God himself. Oh, this is something, believe me. Those of you who've been following me in these little heart to heart talks will remember that when we came to that fifth commandment, the first of man's relationship with man, it deals with the father and the mother. Honor thy father and thy mother. A little baby's first relationship with any human being is of course with the mother and then the parent. That comes first. Every little old baby that is brought into the world has as its very first contact with humanity its mother. A child's first association with the human is with its mother, its father. Now what's something that I think is vastly important? What God is to the adult, parents are to the child. That's right. I believe that the most important thing to a man and his wife is parenthood. Oh, being a father, being a mother carries with it a responsibility that's the greatest in the whole world. That's right. Because really in the sight of God, that parent represents God to that child. And what God is to an adult, parents are to the child. The lawgiver, the provider, the controller. Because that little mind, that precious little undeveloped mind of a child cannot comprehend spiritual things, cannot comprehend God. That's impossible. But that parent gives the child its early training. The parent provides for the child. The child learns to be obedient to the parent. It learns to respect. That's what that word honor means. Honor thy father and thy mother. That word honor there means to hold in high opinion, to respect, to reverence, to respect authority. And when a child has been taught to respect, to give reverence, to honor the parent, then it's very simple to make that transition. When the child reaches the age of accountability, where he's able to think for himself, make his own choices, and when he understands the things of the spiritual, when his mind has developed and he can comprehend God and the power of Almighty God, it's easy for him to make that transition and know God as not only the mighty creator, but the one whom he respects and reverence and honors. And Mr. Track that, all right? That sixth commandment, thou shall not murder. At the very foundation of the social fabric lies the fact of the sovereignty of God over every individual life. Human life is sacred. Oh, we've gotten to the place where human life has become so cheap. Human life doesn't mean much anymore. It doesn't aside of God. You see, we've gotten so far out. We've gotten so far away from the important things that we sometimes don't realize how far out we've really gone and how far away from God's thinking and God's plan that we have really gotten. Human life in the sight of God is the most sacred thing there is. And in this commandment, thou shalt not commit murder. We have here first and foremost the fact of the sovereignty of God over every individual life. It is in his power to give life. It is in his power and his only to take life. Now I just want you to see how beautifully this whole thing fits together. It's a pattern. It's something that fits together so perfectly that if we could understand how to live according to God's plan, we'd be happy, we'd be successful, and all things would work together for our good and his glory. That seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery. See something. Immediately after the commandment, declaring the sacredness of human life follows that which safeguards the highest earthly relationship, and that relationship is marriage. That's right. Fifty percent of all human misery is caused by the violation of this commandment. And when he gave it, there was no argument. There was no reason, it's just thou shalt not commit adultery. To do so, you break God's commandment. To do so, you suffer. Yes, sir. And in this commandment, God safeguards the highest earthly relationship there is. Now watch this. He leads us right up to that eighth commandment, thou shalt not steal. Oh, everybody says, my goodness, the life, surely it won't take you but just a few minutes to give us the interpretation of those few words. It's a statement. Everybody knows better than to steal. A little child, we're born with the knowledge that we're not to steal. That's so simple, Miss Kuhlman. Are you sure? Are you very sure it's that simple? I might just as well tell you that it is far from being simple. There is so much involved that I will not be able to give you the full interpretation, the full meaning in just this one broadcast. That's right. Thou shalt not steal. And in this commandment, God gives us a recognition of property rights. As human beings, as a part of this great humanity, God himself gives you, gives me property rights. Do you want to know something? Listen very closely. Broadly speaking, the eighth commandment forbids all forms of communism which deny man's rights to property. God gives every man a right to property. Don't you ever let anybody come along and tell you that you have no right to property. Absolutely, I repeat, this eighth commandment forbids all forms of communism which deny man's right to property. God says you have a right to property. And anything that's honestly obtained is property, be it ever so small or ever so large. Now when I'm talking about property, I'm not necessarily talking about that hundred acre farm out there or that sixty-four acre farm over here someplace else that you own or that acre of ground over there that you expect to build on someday or even that corner lot on which you're building a home. I mean any possession, anything that you have, any possession, whether it's large or small, anything that is honestly obtained is property. But now see something. Are you still there? I knew that if you started out with me today, I wouldn't lose you because, you know, this is something that concerns all of us. It deeply concerns you. It deeply concerns me because we are a part of humanity. We're a part of this great plan. You have a part. Literally. God is talking to you. If you are a part of humanity, God is talking to you. Your name is written right there when he gave us these ten rules for living. So you wouldn't dare turn it off because he's talking to you. You're deeply involved in this thing. Now see something. God's word denies all right to property except if it is a gift or work. You have no right. God's word denies all right to property except it be obtained by gift or work. Now somebody is moving their chair up a little closer and they're turning the log up a little higher. Oh, they said, our preachers never told us that. I know. But it's here, it's God's word. He has left nothing to man's imagination. Nothing. God hasn't taken anything for granted. It's all there. Turn to that portion of the word of God as found in the fourth chapter of Ephesians. It's the 28th verse. Perhaps you've been a Christian many years and you never even saw this verse in the word of God. I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to the Bible, most folk just accept what they want to accept when it comes to the word of God. Oh, they love John 3.16. That's wonderful. And the 23rd Psalm gives them such comfort. I know. But when it comes to the things that might hit them between the two eyes, they just shut those eyes and pass over and then start all over again at the 23rd Psalm. Oh, yes. Human nature is something most difficult to deal with. I give you God's word. I just gave you time then to get your Bible so that you'll find it and read it for yourself because you'll swear it isn't there. But it is. The fourth chapter of Ephesians, the 28th verse, let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need. That's the Bible. That's the word of God. It will be seen at once that there are only three ways in which man can come in possession of anything. Just three. Not four, not five. Three. Sometimes I think our politicians try to add a fourth. But there are only three ways according to God's word that man can come in possession of anything. First, by the free gift of another. That's through love. Second by toil, by work, the work of one's hands, which of course receives a legitimate return. Or the third by theft, the taking of that from another which belongs not to you to him. There it is. Somebody said, Ms. Kuhn, get that all over again. All right, first of all, let me give you the scripture. Because we must have the word of God, we must have scripture for the foundation, the basis of everything. There can be no argument when we have God's word. Let him that stole steal no more. But rather let him labor. You know, I've searched the scripture from beginning to end and I can't find where God puts a premium on laziness. No, sir, I don't think God likes lazy people. I can't find it. I've looked hard. Always he talks about work, work, work, work, six days thou shalt labor. There cannot be a glorious Sabbath for you unless you worked six days. Talking about a father, he says a father is worse than an infidel. A man is worse than an infidel who does not support his own family. And you cannot find in the word of God where God gives a license for a man to permit the government to support his family for him. It says the father, the man, supports the family. That's the word of God. Now, don't interrupt me, please. Let's go back to our Eighth Commandment. Here it is. Let him labor, working with his hands, the thing which is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath not. So there you are. You have the right of possession either by the free gift of another or by the toil which receives a legitimate return or through theft. Now the first two, love and work, remember, these are based upon the essential laws of human interrelation. Love and work, these two, they're based upon the essential laws of human interrelation. The gift violates both of these laws. Now one step further, we toil. We are allowed to possess. Why? To give, to pass on to others. That's God's word. Amen. Well, do it again.