Running To Win

Dave McAllister: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and proctor of our faith. To be victorious in life's race, we need to lose the baggage of guilt we carry from thefts both large and small. That's how far we've come in our study of the eighth commandment. On this program, some closing thoughts on stealing. Stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is running to win with Dr. Irwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line.

Dave McAllister: Pastor Lutzer, most believers would never steal from another person, but they might waste the time of others without a second thought. Isn't the theft of time a form of stealing?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Well, you know, Dave, when you put it that way, and of course, the answer to your question is yes. But when you put it that way, you recognize that all of us in a sense have been thieves in matters small, some who are listening, perhaps in matters that are big. And these offenses are recognized by God. But at the same time, we're so thankful for the wonder of his grace. I've written a book entitled Why Holiness Matters. I believe that the pursuit of holiness is our most important occupation in this life. But at the same time, we want to emphasize God's grace and his mercy.

We're making this resource available for you for a gift of any amount. Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1888 218 9337. Even as you listen to this message, remember the book entitled Why Holiness Matters. It contains all this material, goes into some of the issues in more depth. We want to help you on your spiritual journey. You can break it by what you take, by what you do, by what you win, but also by what you keep, by what you keep. Here I want to speak about three areas in which we may keep money that legitimately belongs to someone else, and God would say that is stealing.

For example, your relationship to friends, money that you borrow from them, but you don't give the money back. The Bible says in Psalm 37 verse 21, the wicked borrows but does not return again. The wicked is the person who says I need the money, you give it to him, you lend it to him, and even after he has money whereby he could pay the debt, he still doesn't do it because he thinks he needs it worse than his neighbor, his friend. The Bible says that if you do that, you are wicked, you are withholding that which belongs to someone else, and that is stealing.

And don't tell me about the fact that it happened 20 years ago. Just because a debt is 20 years old, that doesn't mean it isn't still a debt. It doesn't make it right just because a lot of time has passed, and nor does it make it right because the person to whom you owe the money has more than you do. That has absolutely nothing to do with it. The Bible says thou shalt not steal, and it is the wicked that borrow and do not return. So you can keep that which belongs to a friend, and that's stealing too.

You can keep that which belongs to the government, to the government. I guess it's true to say that none of us enjoys paying taxes. You've seen the little sign that says they told me to pay taxes with a smile, and I tried it, but they wanted my money anyway. It's very difficult sometimes. I said to my wife one time, after you fill out your income tax form, you have a good feeling as to what you know then how a cow must feel after she's been milked. And we know that we don't necessarily delight in paying money to our government.

But I want to say this to you, if you are dishonest on your income tax form, you are being dishonest in the presence of God who says thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not steal. And God holds us accountable for our accuracy and our honesty when it comes to the government. If not, we're thieves. But you know, you can steal from a friend, you can steal from the government, but also you can steal from God, steal from God. Turn with me in Malachi to the book of Malachi. It's easy to find because it's the last book of the Old Testament.

Notice what God says here. In Malachi chapter 3, he asks this question. It's the last book of the Old Testament. So wherever your Bible parts between old and new, look at the last page of the Old Testament. Malachi chapter 3 verse 8. Will a man rob God? I can imagine someone here saying, well, of course, I would never rob God. He says, yet you are robbing me, but you say, how have we robbed thee? I don't remember breaking into God's vault and taking money. The answer is in tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you, God says.

Now we here at the Moody Church do not lay tithing on people as a requirement. We recognize that giving is a private matter between you and God. But can you imagine God? Here it is. It is he that gives us the ability to be get wealth. It is he that gives us the clothes that are on our back. It is he that gives us health and strength and money, and he gives all of it to us freely because really it is his. And then there are people who are stingy at giving God any kind of recognition in what they have received, and they hog it all for themselves, and they insult God because the taxes they are robbing him.

It is actually all his. We do not even really technically possess what we claim we own. We are God's stewards. We are God's representatives. He gives it to us, and he expects to be remembered and to be worshiped and to be honored by our giving. God says you've robbed me. Not only do people rob God from the standpoint of money, but they also rob him from time. He gives us time, 168 hours a week, and some people don't give God the time of day. You want to really insult God? How do you think you really can insult him?

Just ignore him. Ignore him. There are many people who who have no recognition of God. They do not allow God to invade their lives at all. They just simply ignore God, and God says you are robbing me. It is I who have created you. You ought to have an allegiance to me. And many people block God out of their lives, and God says you're breaking the eighth commandment, you're stealing. Did you know what God required in the Old Testament of thieves? He always said that you have to pay back. Not all sins are sins for which restitution can be made.

Stealing is one that can be. Restitution can be made for stealing. That 's why God in the Old Testament says pay back four fold, and in the New Testament when Zacchaeus was up in the tree, he was the IRS man of his day, the tax collector who would go around, and he of course chiseled the accounts in such a way that he got more money than he was supposed to. He says if I have defrauded any man, I will pay him back four fold. When a revival came to Canada in the early '70s, one of the early indications that swept hundreds of churches in Western Canada, one of the clear indications that it was a move of God and it was picked up by the secular press that wrote the stories primarily because of the people that were returning things that they had stolen to stores, and they were making up for time that they had cheated their employer on.

They were sending money to the government. You know that the border between Canada and the United States, the officials there knew that there was a revival in progress because many people from Winnipeg and Regina and other cities went to the border officials, and they told them I lied, they said, when we crossed the border and we want to make it right. We brought goods over that we didn't declare. That's what happens when people really get right with God. I think of a man in Detroit who worked for Ford Company, and he would go to work and take his lunch bucket, fill it with lunch of course in the morning and take it to work and eat his lunch, and then on his way home he would fill his lunch bucket with tools and pieces of tools and then put them together at home.

And one day as a Christian man, he began to pray, and he really wanted to pray seriously before God. He wanted his children to grow up to love the Lord. And it was as if God said to him, don't bother. Don't bother praying. Why does God tell people not to bother? What good is praying when you have things in your possession? What good is praying if in your basement you have a tool with a Ford insignia on it? Why bother? What you have to do is you have to restore. That's what God requires before you as a Christian can be in fellowship with him.

If there's someone here today who has a problem with stealing, I can tell you how to overcome stealing so quickly it's just amazing. Here's what you do. First of all, make a list of all of the things that you have stolen in your life and go back and restore all the things that you have taken. That's the first thing. The second thing is get a job working with your hands. That's what it says in Ephesians chapter 5, you remember. Get a job working with your hands and give to them that have need, the taxes. Become very generous.

Give out of money away. That'll take care of that covetous heart that brought about theft. You know a number of years ago when that revival was there in Canada, my sister-in-law, she had gone through a supermarket, and on the bottom of the cart was a 99 cent bag of potatoes, but the cashier didn't see the potatoes and she perhaps thought to herself, well, I guess everybody needs a break. I won't mention it to the cashier. So she let that supermarket cart go through with that bag of potatoes on the bottom. Isn't it amazing? For years, there was a slight twinge in her conscience that she had taken a 99 cent bag of potatoes.

And then when God began to speak very directly to people and when the Holy Spirit began to bring to mind the things that people had even forgotten about in their life to make right, she realized that she had to make something right, and so she made an appointment with the manager of the store and told him the story, how that she owed him some money because of that bag of potatoes. And he said, either something is happening in this town, or he said it's my lucky day because you're the second person that has come to me today to make something right.

And she assured him that something was indeed happening in the town. And he became visibly shook, she said, as she told him about the spiritual awakening that was happening. You see, there are many people out in the world whose closets are filled with all sorts of sin and defrauding and dishonesty. But when they begin to see righteousness, they get convicted. I think of one man I interviewed in the city of Saskatoon who said to me, revival cost me $5,000. He said I went to the bank and had to borrow $5,000. I said why? He said I'm a builder, and he said I would build houses and other buildings, and I would sometimes put into them inferior quality materials.

And he said I charged them for the better materials. And God made me see that I could never be fully right with him until I went back and I made all those things right because God says thou shalt not steal. And you can steal in dozens of different ways. One day I was speaking about this in another church, and there was a young man sitting there in the audience who realized he had stolen something from American Airlines. It was some actual silverware that they had had. Most of it today, I suppose, in the planes is plastic, but he had some silverware, and he made a trip to O'Hare Airport.

He didn't know who to give it to. He didn't know who to see. They don't quite know what to do with a guy like this. I mean, what are you going to do with somebody who's actually getting so conscientious that something this small has to be returned? It's small. But when you are desperate to get right with God, it can become big. I remember a young man who told me as a result of hearing you speak on this topic, he said, I was in the army and had stolen $250 worth of goods from the government, and he said I I took it and I returned it.

Because God says thou shalt not steal. And he takes note of all the thievery that is going on in the whole city of Chicago and throughout Illinois and the whole United States, and he sees it, and he keeps track of it all. Now I want to say a word to those of you who are here today who think that the only kind of thievery that God is interested in is the external kind. I want us to know that when it comes to this commandment, as I've already shown, actually all of us are guilty. And I find it interesting that when Jesus died, he was crucified between two thieves.

Turn with me to Luke chapter 23. It's the last passage I'll ask you to look at. But Jesus was was dying, and he was crucified there between two thieves, the Bible says. Now in the Luke passage, my translation says in verse 39 of chapter 23, he was between two criminals, but we know that they were thieves that were dying. Those days heavy penalty for thievery. But I want you to notice it says one of the criminals who was hanging there was hurling abuses at him saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. But the other answered, rebuking him said, do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong. And he was saying, this is the penitent thief. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, truly I say to you today you shall be with me in paradise. I I look at this passage of scripture, and I find it interesting that both of these thieves were guilty of breaking the eighth commandment. One of them went to hell, the other went to heaven. Jesus, you see, there was dying on the cross, and humanly speaking, he looked no better than either one of these two thieves.

He seemed to be as weak. Blood was running from him. He was breathing heavily amid all of the pain that he was going through. Actually, if you just saw a picture of the three people on the cross, you wouldn't know that the person in the middle was special. That's what interests us about this thief. Because the one thief who looked upon Jesus had enough faith to look beyond the common way in which Jesus was dying. And somehow, and we don't know how, but somehow this thief knew that Jesus Christ was more than a man. Because what was happening, which was not visible to the external eye, was that Jesus Christ was actually dying for this thief's sin.

Because the Bible teaches when Jesus Christ died on the cross, his death was a substitutionary death. It was a sacrifice for sin. He died in our place because none of us is able to keep all of the commandments. None of us is able to come to God on the basis of our own works and be received. We are all sinners. One of the reasons that the law was given is that we might realize that we are condemned and helpless before God. And when we place our confidence in Christ who died for us, we can be cleansed and we can be forgiven, welcomed and received into God's family forever.

That's tremendously good news for thieves and other sinners. Now I want to be very clear in saying nobody ever yet became a Christian by confessing their sins. Some people think that just by going through and mentally confessing their sins that they are receiving Christ as Savior, not necessarily. It could happen, but not necessarily. It is not the confession of sins that gives eternal life. It is looking to Jesus who died for us and in our place and putting our confidence in him. That's the way we are forgiven then for all of our sins, even the ones that we cannot remember.

That is what makes us children of God and makes us welcome into God family forever. You see, Jesus died for sinners. He died for thieves. He died for adulterers. He died for those that covet. He died for liars as we will see next week. Christ's death is for sinners, and everyone of us can be saved if we put our trust in him. I've done it. I know members of the staff have done it. I know that there are hundreds of you out here today who know what it is to have put your faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, but there are others of you who have never done that.

Will you do that today like this thief who looked at Christ? A Christ, mind you, who was dying and who appeared weak, but who could see beyond it to know that he was the Christ that was the Savior. And Jesus said to him today, you will be with me in paradise. Why don't you receive him as yours right now? Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you today that Jesus died for sinners. We thank you that we can come just as we are. And we pray today for those who do not know him personally. We pray that you might enable them to see that Christ's death was for them.

May they receive what he did on the cross, that they might be received into your presence and kingdom. And for those of us who know you as Savior, we pray, dear Father, that you will keep us from stealing. Help us to be scrupulously honest that we might be a good witness for Christ and his kingdom. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. You know, I'm sure that you will agree with me that that is one of the most blessed passages of scripture. Here's a thief who is dying. He's next to Christ who is dying. And Jesus says to him, today you will be with me in paradise.

Brothers and sisters, let us never minimize sin. Sin is horrible. Sin is terrible. But at the same time, let us never limit grace. Grace is given to the penitent. It is given to those who give up all opportunities and all privileges to think that they will gain God's merit. We cast ourselves at the feet of Christ. That's why I've written a book entitled Why Holiness Matters. I want people to understand that holiness is the demand, but how Jesus also meets that demand on our behalf. For a gift of any amount, we're making it available for you.

Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1888 218 9337. Once again, go to rtwoffer. Of course, rtwoffer is all one word. Go to rtwoffer.com. And thank you for helping us because we desire to get the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world, and you are a part of the running to win family.

Dave McAllister: It's time once again for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Some listeners might be afraid to even ask today's question, but Terry is not, and so here we go. Does God disapprove of different races joined in marriage?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: No, I don't think so. You know, in previous generations, there was a great deal of emphasis on keeping the races distinct, but we know, for example, from Acts chapter 17 that God has made of one blood all the different races of the world. So when it comes to something like marriage, the most important question to ask is whether or not the person whom you are marrying has received Jesus Christ as Savior to marry as Christians. But there's nothing in the Bible that would say that interracial marriage is sin. As a matter of fact, I've seen some interracial marriages that are very wonderful in terms of showing how diverse cultures can come together.

Now having said that, we need to be very careful because oftentimes within races, there are certain values and certain attitudes and certain expectations that are very different. So that oftentimes becomes an issue. But if you can work through that issue and if there is harmony of heart and belief and mind, the Bible says nothing against interracial marriage.

Dave McAllister: Thank you, Terry, for your question. Thank you, Dr. Lutzer, for that counsel. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1888 218 9337. That's 1888 218 9337. You can write to us at running to win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. For some reason, we humans make a distinction between big lies and small lies. To us, telling a little white lie is okay, but it's not okay with God. Believers need to tell the truth if they want to win in the race of life.

Lying violates prime directive number nine in the Bible. And next time on running to win to tell the truth is where we're heading. Plan to join us. Running to win is all about helping you understand God's road map for your race of life. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Irwin Lutzer, this is Dave McCallister. Running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church.