Asleep in the Wheel

Our kids’ pet hamster, Rowdy, lives in one of those really fancy cages. In fact, his many-roomed domicile of plastic hardly fits the word cage, which is probably why the manufacturer calls it a habitat. Anyway, this “habitat” has (according to the directions) a couple of different places for the little critter to sleep, including what I can only describe as a basement and a pent­house.

So where does Rowdy like to sleep? In his exercise wheel.

That little bit of irony got me thinking. The writer of Hebrews said that mature Christians are those “who because of practice have their senses trained [exercised, NKJV] to discern good and evil” (5:14). That training comes through several avenues: worship, Bible study, teaching, self-examination. Could it be that some of us are sleeping where we should be exercising?

Sometimes people do actually doze off during a worship service or Bible class. More troublesome are folks who are awake, but are so inattentive they may as well be sleeping. Sometimes you can see looks on their faces that vary from mildly distracted to willfully disinterested. They could be expanding their knowledge, increasing their faith, and strengthening their convictions, but they’re not. Their bodies are present, but their minds are elsewhere. That’s the spiritual equiv­alent of sleeping in the exercise wheel.

Sometimes we overlook great opportunities for spiritual growth because we’re busy and distracted. And so we miss out on a gospel meeting or a special Bible study. We pass up a chance to speak out in a spiritual discussion at the office, or to teach a friend about Jesus. We get an opportunity to build our spiritual muscles, and we let it go by. We’re asleep in the wheel.

If we’re going to be spiritually fit, we have to wake up and exercise our senses. “For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:14-16).

You Shall Not Covet

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

Among the Ten Commandments, this last one is a bit different. While the others mainly regulated actions, the tenth commandment dealt explicitly with a condition of the heart. God has always been as interested in men’s thoughts as their actions. He “desires truth in the innermost being” (Psalm 51:6). Jesus observed that it is the heart which produces the wickedness that defiles a man (Matthew 15:19-20). He condemned those who “outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (23:28).

To covet basically means to intensely desire something, but in Biblical usage the desire is usually unhealthy and sinful. God did not forbid the Israelites to desire houses, wives, livestock or property — all rightful things to want. But God did forbid them to desire those things which belonged to their neighbors and thus could not be obtained without others suffering loss.

The coveting we are talking about is more than thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Coveting is when I desire what belongs to someone else. And, in a broader sense, coveting is when my desire for a thing so controls me that I disregard God’s will in pursuit of it.

Coveting isn't just an Old Testament sin. The New Testament lists the covetous among those who will not inherit God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). It is with good reason that Paul calls covetousness idolatry (Ephesians 5:5); it takes even the desire for a good thing and makes it all-consuming, so that the thing desired becomes our god.

Covetousness may seem harmless, but it produces evil fruit.

● Stealing begins with coveting. Achan coveted the spoils of Jericho which God had reserved for Himself (Joshua 7:21; 6:17-19). He took them in defiance of God’s command and paid with his life. Judas’ desire for money led him to steal even from his fellow apostles (John 12:6).

● Adultery begins with coveting. David coveted Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11) and committed adultery with her. Worse, their adultery led to deception, murder, and personal tragedy. Many a marriage has been destroyed because a man or woman looked with lustful eyes on one they could not rightly have (see Matthew 5:27-28).

● Murder may begin with coveting. Ahab coveted the vineyard of Naboth (1 Kings 21), so his wife Jezebel had Naboth framed and killed. People have lost their lives over a house, a car, even a jacket or a pair of shoes. And how many wars between nations have begun because one wanted what the other had?

● Personal betrayal may begin with coveting. Greedy Judas, for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, delivered Jesus into the hands of His enemies (Matthew 26:14-16). Many others have broken promises and betrayed trust in order to obtain something they desired.

● Strife often begins with coveting. “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:1-2). When we see another who has what we do not, we may become jealous and resent him for it, or we may become envious and want make him suffer for it. In so doing we walk after the flesh, not the Spirit (Galatians 5:20-21). When Christians bite and devour one another, it can often be traced to the petty envy that comes from a covetous heart.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the most common variety of covetousness is greed — the desire for money and the things money can buy. Greed is a symptom of a heart that has rejected God (Romans 1:28-32), and so it, like covetousness in general, is called idolatry (Colossians 3:5). In memorable words, Paul warns us that “the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Timothy 6:10).

We may not be guilty of the heinous deeds of Ahab or Judas, but we may still do some ungodly things for the love of wealth. A man who craves money and material things may gamble with the money he already has. He may be dishonest in his business dealings. He may work long hours to the neglect of his family, his brethren, and his God. He may become stingy in giving (see 2 Corinthians 9:1f). We are more susceptible to it than we may think. Do you measure happiness mainly in terms of how much you have? If so, then hear Jesus: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

The tenth commandment reaffirms that we aren’t slaves to our natural desires. We can control our impulses. What do we need to overcome a covetous heart?

First, be learn to be content (Philippians 4:11). Covetousness is the opposite of contentment. Contentment with my blessings will keep me from having a consuming desire for wealth (1 Timothy 6:6-8). Contentment with my spouse will keep me from coveting someone else’s (Proverbs 5:15f). Cultivate an appreciation for God’s blessings on you and you’ll be less likely to turn a greedy eye toward what others have.

Second, learn to be thankful. We will worry less about what we don’t have if we’re thankful for what we do have. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Third, “Set your minds on things above, not on things that are one earth” (Colossians 3:2). “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

You Shall Not Bear False Witness

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

The ninth commandment is most directly concerned with perjury — falsely accusing or testifying against another. God told Israel, “You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness…nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice” (Exodus 23:1-2). He specified the punishment thus: “if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother” (Deuteronomy 19:18-19).

While perjury is this command’s focus, the basic principle it calls to mind is dishonesty. Moses’ Law said, “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another” (Leviticus 19:11). Solomon wrote that God hates “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who utters lies” (Proverbs 6:17,19). “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22).

As I write this, I’m looking at some recent surveys on honesty, and they’re just plain scary. Nine people in ten admitted to lying regularly. One in five can’t make it through the day without lying about something. No wonder people don’t trust each other! Jeremiah described a similar scene in his day: “Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; because every brother deals craftily, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. And everyone deceives his neighbor, and does not speak the truth, they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity” (Jeremiah 9:4-6).

The gospel of Christ calls us to deal honestly with one another. “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices” (Colossians 3:9). “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). Are we children of God, who cannot lie, or children of Satan, the father of lies (Titus 1:2; John 8:44)?

People lie for many reasons. Sometimes we lie to avoid the painful consequences of a mistake or wrongdoing. We shift blame, invent excuses, and employ deceit to keep from suffering for our own misdeeds. Sometimes we lie to get others to do what we want. For some folks it’s a matter of course in their business dealings. Some are even encouraged to lie as part of their job (e.g., salesmen, customer service representatives, mechanics). Boys and girls lie to manipulate one another, and even husbands and wives or parents and children may lie to each other to get what they want.

Apart from such selfish motives, some folks believe lying is at least occasionally justified or even necessary in order to accomplish a good goal. But the end doesn’t justify the means. We can’t let ourselves fall into the thinking that says, “Let us do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8). Instead we should consider the example of the Christians at Pergamum, who would not lie and deny Christ even when their lives were in peril (Revelation 2:13).

Just as people lie for many reasons, they lie in many ways. Of course, there are plain old outright lies. Whether they’re big and bald-faced or the “little white” variety, lies are lies. The Bible contains plenty of commands and examples to teach us the danger of a false tongue. But there are lots of other ways to lie.

Sometimes we lie, not by what we say, but by what we don’t say. When Aaron tried to explain the origin of the golden calf at Sinai, he wanted the people to take the blame. So he said he collected their gold, threw it into the fire, “and out came this calf” (Exodus 32:24). He didn’t mention that he had taken a tool and sculpted the calf himself (verse 4). By not telling the whole story — we might say “putting a spin on things” — we can lead others to believe what is not really true. If any of the facts don’t support the message we want to send, we just leave them out. Many politicians and their staffers have developed this into an art form. But a half truth is no better than a whole falsehood.

A similar form of artful lying is to twist the truth. Lies work best when they contain a little truth. This is a classic method of Satan himself. When he tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he said, “God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). There was some truth there: When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, their eyes were opened (verse 7), and like God, they knew good and evil (verse 22). But the result was certainly not what they bargained for.

Satan used the same approach against Jesus, this time misapplying a passage from Psalms as part of his temptation (Matthew 4:5-6). Countless men have done the same, twisting God’s word to teach what is untrue. Jeremiah spoke against the scribes who wielded a “lying pen” (Jeremiah 8:8). Peter warned of untaught, unstable, and unprincipled men who would distort the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16-17). We should always be on guard against such folks; they’re out there. Malicious or sincere, their fruit is deadly. And we should also take heed to ourselves, making sure that we “handle accurately the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

People lie through actions as well as words. When David committed adultery (2 Samuel 11) he tried to arrange things so as to cover up his sin. But the more deceptions he hatched, the more deceptions became necessary. Deceit is tricky business. To make one lie believable you may have to invent a dozen more. Shakespeare was correct: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”

How about gossip? Gossip is spreading news about someone that makes him look bad, whether it’s true or not. I’ve heard folks say, “It’s not gossip as long as it’s true,” but I don’t buy that. However, gossip is usually based on flimsy information, and much of it turns out to be false. That’s one reason it does so much damage. Often gossip is literally bearing false witness against someone by accusing him of something that isn’t true. God warned Israel against this kind of wickedness (Leviticus 19:16), and the gospel warns us likewise (1 Peter 2:1; 4:15). Instead, our words are to “give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). Don’t be eager to repeat what you don’t know is true.

We should also mention cheating and fraud. Our schools face a constant problem of students cheating on tests and assignments. Computers and the Internet have made plagiarism on term papers easier than ever — just cut and paste. The Net offers websites devoted to helping students cheat and websites devoted to helping teachers catch them. School districts have even seen teachers and administrators break testing rules in order to boost school scores. Outside the schools, the cheating continues. As many as 8 million Americans cheat on their income taxes each year. And this decade has already seen some major corporations exposed for falsifying their financial reports. David said, “He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me” (Psalm 101:7). Our world could use a great deal more of that sort of integrity.

The Scriptures assure us that those who love and practice lying will earn an eternal place outside of God’s presence in Heaven (Revelation 22:15). As God’s people, let’s love and practice the truth.

You Shall Not Steal

“You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

When was last time you heard a sermon or read an article on stealing? We usually don’t give it much emphasis, do we? Perhaps we say less about it than other sins because stealing is so widely regarded as wrong behavior. Theft has been prohibited in virtually every civil code of man. Even largely godless societies have recognized it as unethical.

Stealing is simply depriving someone else of what rightfully belongs to him. God’s word condemns stealing outright. Under Moses’ law a thief was usually punished by having to restore what was stolen (cf. Exodus 22:7). Jesus said that theft defiles a person (Matthew 22:36-40). Paul wrote that thieves will not inherit God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:10). Stealing violates the “golden rule” of treating others as we would have them treat us (Matthew 7:12).

Stealing is a troublesome issue for people who claim that morality is all relative. They will sometimes argue that stealing is justified by a desperate condition such as poverty. Yet these same folks will still get very upset if someone steals from them. That indicates that deep down they recognize something inherently wrong in it. Solomon said, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:7-9).

Stealing is sinful. But most people are not burglars or pickpockets or shoplifters or car thieves. Does the eighth commandment have anything to teach the rest of us? I believe it does, because many people steal in other, less obvious ways. Do you?

Do you steal through dishonesty in buying or selling? “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight” (Proverbs 11:1; cf. 20:23). This image from an agricultural marketplace shows that God wants us to deal honestly in business transactions. It’s shameful to hear a Christian boast about taking someone to the cleaners in a business deal. And the excuse that “it’s just business” makes it no less sinful (and makes one sound rather like a member of the Corleone family in The Godfather).

Do you steal from your employer? Employee theft — workers stealing money, supplies, or inventory from their employers — is a factor in one of every three business failures. The typical retailer loses more money to employee thefts than to shoplifting, to the tune of over $40 billion a year. Now, I doubt that most people would embezzle funds or steal inventory. But there are lots of other ways to rob your employer. Do you pilfer office supplies or equipment? Do you pad time cards or expense reports? Do you waste time on the job? Those things are no less stealing than the others. God says our work should be “not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Colossians 3:22-24).

Do you steal by violating copyright laws? If I receive and use a copy of something without paying for it, I’m robbing the rightful author of the money he would receive if I purchased it. Copyright laws exist to protect the rights and income of authors and artists.

Lots of folks who would never think of shoplifting a book or a CD or a computer program don’t hesitate to steal them by copying them illegally. Christians sometimes fall victim to this without even thinking because it seems so minor. Do you have a library full of pirated music that was copied, not bought? Do you use “bootleg” computer software that was copied, not purchased? Even churches often have poor track records when it comes to printed material, most notably in photocopying copyrighted Bible class workbooks and tracts instead of buying them. While such things may seem insignificant, in doing them we break the law and rob someone of income for which they worked.

God seeks honest hearts in his people, and such honesty will not permit us to take from others what is rightfully theirs. Instead of robbing others, our aim should be to share with them. “Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).