Theft and Generosity

Saying no to stealing from others also means saying yes to giving to others. Today, Sinclair Ferguson explores the positive side to negative commandments such as “You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15).

Welcome to another edition of Things Unseen. This is our second week thinking about the Ten Commandments, and today we’re thinking about number eight: “You shall not steal.”

Have you ever wondered why the Ten Commandments have so many negatives in them? I think there are twelve “you shall nots” plus one “no,” and that’s a lot of what people nowadays call negativity. And I know it’s very countercultural today to say it, but I’m going to say it: negativity can be very positive for your spiritual health. Yes, of course, there are negative thoughts and feelings that are harmful. But in the Ten Commandments, God is teaching us not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. He’s saying there are some things you need to be negative about because they will destroy you or someone else—and perhaps both. Here are two reflections I think may help us here.

The first is this: Why all this negative language? Well, it’s the clearest and simplest way to put things, isn’t it? I mean, I’m sure even Einstein’s dad didn’t sit him down when he was three and explain how electricity works to stop him pushing a screwdriver into the electric socket. Presumably, Father Einstein just said, “Albert, don’t do that.” There’ll be time enough for Albert to learn how electricity works. But if Albert sticks his little screwdriver into the socket, especially if he’s visiting the United Kingdom, Mrs. Einstein is going to be calling for the emergency services, and little Albert is going to be wishing he’d listened to his father’s negativity. And the same is true of the Ten Commandments. Their negatives say, “Danger, don’t cross the barrier.” And we are still spiritual children growing only slowly to understand how much damage sin does. But here God gives us ten simple, straightforward statements that will protect us.

My second reflection is this: Remember how in Ephesians 6:2, Paul calls the fifth commandment to honor our father and mother the first commandment with something—remember what it was? Yes, the first commandment with a promise. Well, it’s also the first commandment without a negative. In fact, I think it’s the only commandment without a negative. But if we remember the principles the Westminster divines gave us in the Larger Catechism, we’ll realize that the commandments all have this character—that every negative involves a positive, just as any positive involves a negative.

So, what I find wonderful about this eighth commandment applies to us from our earliest years, from the time we are young children. It’s not negative; it’s wonderfully positive. It’s saying something about life, and especially life and fellowship with God. And before that, it’s saying something about God: that God Himself positively loves us and wants to keep us safe, and He wants us to keep other people safe, too. And He keeps things simple for us. He gives us only ten commandments, and this commandment tells us that from the beginning of life to its end, life is precious—and that’s a wonderful expression of His kindness to us. Now, these two principles are especially clear in some commandments, but they’re also clear in the eighth commandment. It’s expressed in the negative, but it implies something positive. Just as in the New Testament Paul tells us to put off sinful ways, he also tells us to put on Christlike ways.

And so, this eighth commandment implicitly calls us to generosity. Saying no to stealing from others means saying yes to giving to others; otherwise we’re likely to become very metallic Christians. So here’s the challenge: If my saying no is becoming rigorous in my life, is my saying yes becoming generous in my life? That’s the litmus test.