Every sin is as offensive to God as any other: adultery, murder, idolatry, disobedience to parents, covetous, etc. However, stealing and false witness will be our focus. It will be our focus because those who do anything that is sinful is guilty of the wrong done. They are particularly hateful to God because, in the first case, He is denied the acknowledgement and glory that is due to Him for providing for our needs.
Stealing is as a result of the sin of covetousness which is a strong desire to have what belongs to someone else. A thief is also someone who deliberately withholds from someone else what legitimately belongs to them. Thus an employer, who refuses to pay his workers for no justifiable reason, is a thief. The person, who neglects paying his tithe, is also a thief. Do you know that when you attain any success in life and you seek to take the glory rather than ascribe to God, you are actually stealing what belongs to God?
Falsehood (lies) on the other hand, is a contradiction of the nature of God whose son, Jesus Christ, is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”. Those who make a practice of lying only show how much control Satan has over them. But a liar is not just someone who tells falsehood. Also, someone who deliberately keeps silence when they should speak the truth is equally guilty of falsehood. A lot of religious people also tell lies and “swear to God” hoping that they would make their testimonies credible. They may succeed in deceiving man for a short time. But in the end, they will be exposed, for no form of duplicity can long flourish without being revealed. It is self deception and will hurt in the end. Whether it is done with the family circle, in business transactions, in the church or else where, it is self deception and will hurt in the end.
- By Jokpeme Joseph Omode
Tags
christianity
