In his sermon, Mike Davenport discusses the eighth commandment, 'You shall not steal,' and its relevance to different aspects of life, including our relationships with neighbors, spouses, authorities, the Lord, and the church. The commandment is discussed as a reflection of God's justice and as a restraint against the lust of the eyes. Davenport elaborates on the idea that stealing is not only taking what belongs to someone else but also withholding what is due to others, emphasizing the importance of generosity and giving. He cites biblical passages from both the Old and New Testaments, including Ephesians and Proverbs, to highlight the God-given right of property ownership and the responsibility of stewardship. The sermon also addresses how stealing can manifest in various ways, such as failing to fulfill marital vows, withholding taxes or respect from authorities, and not using one's gifts and resources for the benefit of the church and others. Davenport concludes by emphasizing God's goodness and faithfulness, noting that God has never stolen from us and has only taken our sins. He calls listeners to repentance and highlights the transformative power of God's grace.

Well, our text today is Exodus 20 verse 15, Exodus 20, 15, which simply reads, You shall not steal. You shall not steal. Let's look to the Lord in prayer father we thank you and praise you for your goodness your mercy your grace Lord we thank you for the texts that we have had read to us that we have quoted together. Lord, we thank you for the songs that that we have sung together. Lord, we pray that you would take that word and write it upon our hearts.

Lord, that you would change us. And Lord, as we come to this text today, may we remember those words that we've sung together, That we've ministered to one another with yet not I But through Christ who lives within each of us Help us we pray to look to him even as we look to your law for Christ is the end of the law For righteousness sake and so give us eyes to see him and to consider his righteousness and our lack of it And we thank you and praise you in his name Amen You may be seated Well, we come today to the eighth of the Ten Commandments, and brothers and sisters, we need to consider this command. We need to consider this command. It's not for someone out there. It's for us in here today within the walls of this church building.

It's been said that the previous commandment, you shall not commit adultery, focuses on God's holiness. And by nature of the commandment, it restrains the lust of the flesh, lust of the flesh. But but here in the eighth commandment, you shall not steal. The focus is on God's justice. And the restraint set forth is of the lust of the eyes.

So with no further introduction I would like for you to consider this commandment with me under the following five headings. Consider this commandment in relation to our neighbor, secondly in relation to our spouse, third in relation to the authorities, fourth in relation to the Lord, and then fifth in relation to the church. So first in relation to our neighbor, you shall not steal. Now the eighth commandment is not without representation in the New Testament. In fact, it is stated at least as a reminder at minimum But more often as an exhortation even in several epistles written to the churches to church folk For example the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus And there in Ephesians 4 28 he says let him who stole steal no longer The Apostle Peter also takes up the pen writing in first Peter 4 15 to 17 but let none of you suffer and among other things as a thief.

Let none of you suffer as a thief." Well, this commandment deals with how we view the sovereignty of God and what he bestows upon our neighbor. And in doing so, it establishes the God-given right of the ownership of property. It establishes that. It presupposes that God has granted every man a propriety in his estate and that a man's goods are not the common property of others without his consent. Now it's possible like we read in Acts 2 where the people of the church came together and with their consent they had all things in common.

They shared with what they had, but not without consent. This commandment calls us to view what another man has as that which God in his providence has given to that man and over which that man has a stewardship. And if it is another man's, then we have not received it from God and we have no right or claim to it to take that which belongs to someone else is sin. Our attitude should reflect the prayer of Egor found in Proverbs 38 and 9. He wrote this, remove falsehood and lies from me, give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with the food allotted to me lest I be full and deny you and say who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God." Stealing profanes the name of the Lord.

It declares him to be something that he is not. Stealing declares him to be unwise or undiscerning, that he doesn't know what you need, that he's not omniscient. Or stealing declares him to be unable to satisfy what you really need, that he is not omnipotent, or it declares him to be unwilling to provide what you really need that makes him out to be unloving or stealing declares him to be unjust that God will not supply the needs of those who serve him faithfully, that he lies when he says, seek first the kingdom of God in his righteousness and all these other things, they'll be added to you. Have you ever taken something that belongs to someone else from a stranger, from a store, from your employer, from a friend, or maybe even from a family member. Have you ever come across something which had been left and conveniently not sought out to find the owner?

Have you sought to return something extra that that wound up in your shopping bag for which you had no intention to pay for? It's not yours. Or maybe return change when it was in excess of what you were owed. But you know even as the psalmist declares in Psalm 119 that we've seen already that God's commandments are exceedingly broad. And as we shall see today, stealing is not only the taking of something which someone else possesses.

Stealing also takes place when we rob a man of what he has due. In other words, we steal from another when we take what he owns or when we withhold what he is owed or what is needful. That Ephesians 4 passage I already mentioned, that passage having stated that what we are to refrain from, let him who steals steal no longer, says this. It goes on to declare what the command requires, not just forbids, but rather, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. You see, God's Word is declaring the positive aspect of the command that it is just as demanding upon our obedience as the negative.

In other words, the exhortation is not only to stop stealing or not to steal, the exhortation is also to start giving. Don't take what is his or hers, but rather give what is yours. Rather than engaging your hands in that which is bad, that which is forbidden, to gain something that is not yours, engage your hands in that which is good in order to provide certainly for yourself, for your household, but also to provide for the needs of someone else from what is yours. Solomon along these same lines leaves us with no excuses. Proverbs 3, 27, and 28 say, Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do so.

Do not say to your neighbor, go and come back and tomorrow I will give it when you have it with you." And the phrase in the Hebrew has more strength. Literally it means do not withhold good from its owner. Do not withhold good from its owner, those to whom it is due. The breadth of this command means that if you withhold good when you can actually bestow good, you are stealing. You're stealing.

Dear ones, these are not considerations. The Apostle Paul, we had it read to us just a few minutes ago, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 13, 8 through 10, oh, oh no one anything except to love one another. For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet. And If there is any other commandment are all summed up in this saying namely You shall love your neighbor as yourself Love does no harm to a neighbor.

Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. So when we look at this law, we don't simply say, I'm not supposed to hate my neighbor. Stealing would be hating my neighbor. What do we owe our neighbor? We owe him love.

We owe him love. Because you see not stealing from your neighbor is really about loving him. That's what it boils down to. It's about love. Loving him means that we will not take what he has, but loving him also means that we will do him good.

We owe it to Him. And dear ones, as Christians, as Christians, the righteous requirement of this law demands so much more from us. For those who have been forgiven much, love much, have you been forgiven much, then the debt we owe our neighbors is all the greater. Consider secondly our duty in relation to our spouse. In relation to our spouse.

There are among us not a few husbands and wives. And I think it's fair to assume that if you're married, then on your wedding day you made a covenant or you made vows are you doing them are you doing them think back what did you say you would do are you doing those things are you fulfilling your covenant? Are you maintaining those vows? If not, you're stealing from your spouse. You're stealing from your spouse.

Paul states in 1st Corinthians 7 that there are things owed to each other in marriage, both affection and attention. First, verse 3, let the husband render to his wife the affection to her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. Affection. The content around this particular verse helps us to understand why the original word which in its basic use is simply benevolence or goodwill, but the context helps us to understand why it was translated as affection here in our New King James Version. It's speaking of conjugal duties, But I think we must also note that in this text here in 1st Corinthians 7 that not only is the affection due, it's due to your spouse.

This affection is due to your spouse. To give affection whether physically, emotionally, or mentally, whether with the body or with the heart, as is the case with lust, to give that affection to anyone other than your spouse is to steal from your spouse, and I would argue that this holds true for yet unmarried singles as well, that to give affection to anyone other than your spouse, to be, is to steal from your future spouse. Paul goes on to argue that point of stealing from them, withholding their due in the verses that follow. But later on in 1st Corinthians 7, I believe that we see also that attention is owed, verses 33 and 34. Attention that encompasses all things needful for life in this world." Paul says, but he who is married cares about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

She who is married cares about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. Now understanding the context, Paul is not here rebuking for tending to cares about the things of this world. That's not the purpose of what he's writing. He is merely stating that these are duties they're expectations Belonging to the marriage union. He assumes that his audience is well aware of these realities belonging to marriage This is just simply him stating the facts that this is what happens in marriage.

You owe due attention to your spouse. In another place, Paul states other duties, or in the words of what we are considering this commandment things that are owed in Ephesians 5 33 as he sums up this portion of Ephesians 5 talking about the duties of husbands to wives and wives to husbands and tying it to the relation of Christ to his church. He speaks and says, nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love, so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Again, these are not suggestions or or simple considerations. These are exhortations built upon the reality of what we owe.

That's what we owe. And to refuse to give what is owed in light of Scripture is stealing. It's stealing. Peter Masters in his book, God's Rules for Holiness, Unlocking the Ten Commandments, writes the following, quote, In Christian marriage there is obviously a mutual debt of love, affection, and understanding. If husbands and wives hold back due benevolence, Paul calls it fraud or a breach of the eighth commandment.

One has cheated the other out of due love and affection, care and attention, encouragement and support, and perhaps many other duties beside, some professing Christians have been burdensome and unaffectionate partners, stealing the happiness, youth, and years from the other party along with many hopes and dreams and giving nothing." End quote. So you husbands, You wives, are you stealing from your spouse? Are you stealing from your spouse? Are you withholding those things due unto them? Due unto them.

If you are, you're breaking this commandment. Stealing in relation to our neighbor and in relation to our spouse and now the third point in relation to the authorities in relation to the authorities. Romans 13, 1 and 6 through 7 read thus, let every soul be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. For because of this, " and there he's in this particular context, he's talking about them bearing the sword to punish the evildoers and to bring good to those who do good for because of this you also pay taxes for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due custom to whom customs fear to whom fear honor to whom honor now I think it's a fair assessment when I state that Romans 13 has never been so used and at times even abused as it has in the last couple of years. People have often made this say things it doesn't say, whether by omission, by failure of emphasis, by failure of the entire context, or simply by misapplication.

Now this message is not intended to fix all that needs fixing or declare all that needs to be declared. I simply want to look at this passage in reference to the eighth commandment in front of us, so please strive to keep your thoughts on point with the commandment before us you shall not steal as far as our duty the first thing that is undeniable in this text is that all authority belongs to God and he himself is the ultimate authority. Okay? It's undeniable. The second undeniable fact is God has appointed every single authority in the earth past present and future Third The text teaches us that all authority whatever it be and what wherever it be that one in authority is God's minister, God's deacon to do the things God wants done.

Now based on these undeniable facts, Those in authority have a God-given duty and that God-given duty is here defined simply clearly and unapologetically But what is also clear from the text is based on what God has established those under that authority have a duty as well. They have a duty as well. That is what the therefore is there for in our passage. In light of these undeniable facts, render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. And I believe that if you look at what follows in this chapter you will be forced to admit that that these verses are dealing really with the fifth commandment you see commandments six through ten are taken up we just I just read them a few minutes ago.

6 through 10 are taken up in the verses that follow, and they, coupled with these opening verses here in Romans 13, show us how to keep the second table of the law. Now the obvious application of the command to honor one's parents is here applied, it's applied to authorities outside the home. The overarching theme is this, render honor to whom honor is due. Render honor to whom honor is due. Dear ones, if we do not render what is due to those in authority, we are in essence stealing.

It is stealing to withhold what is due. This applies to the state. This applies to your employer. It applies to you children. And this applies to your relationship to your parents.

Are you stealing in any of these relationships in regard to authority in your life. The fourth point I would have us to consider is how we break this commandment in relation to the Lord, in relation to the Lord. You see, we do well to consider that this commandment, though it finds itself in the second table of the law, that it applies not only to our relationship to man, but it also applies to our relationship to the Lord. But is it really possible for mortal man to steal from the Almighty? Is it possible?

Well, I believe we can actually steal from God in various ways. Consider what the Almighty says in Malachi 3.8, Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what way have we robbed you? The response is this, in tithes and offerings.

You see, God lays claim to a portion of our goods, and that's nothing new. We find tithes and offerings being offered throughout Scripture, and not only is it not new, it also has not been abrogated. Dear ones, what we have in our possession is all, all of it is God's. We have been given a simple stewardship. When we give anything to God, we're actually giving Him what is already His.

So are you stealing from God in regard to your tithes and offerings? Have you robbed Him? But we also rob from God when we take what he has given to us as a stewardship and either refuse to use it or rather use it to our own ends. If you recall the parable that Christ gives in Matthew 25, you will remember the rebuke that the Master brought upon the steward that did nothing with the talent he was given. The master of the house declares, so you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

That talent he had was no different than the other talents that had been given. They all belonged to him. It was his own, but it was what was done with it. The Master declares, you've robbed from me. Dear ones, everything you have has been given to you as a stewardship It's not you give to God ties and offerings and everything else is just yours to do with as you please It all belongs to God your intellect belongs to God.

Your giftedness belongs to God. Your material goods belong to God. Parents, our children belong to God. None of this is ours to simply do with as we see fit. So are you taking any of these things and using them for your own ends?

Such theft is not the only way in which we can rob God. We also steal from God by withholding that which He is due. He's due our love just like our neighbor. Earlier in this same book of Malachi, Malachi 1, 6 and following, God states this, a son honors his father and a servant his master if then I am the father where is my honor and if I am a master where is my reverence says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise my name. And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil?

And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably? Says the Lord of hosts.

You bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick. Thus you bring an offering. Should I accept this from your hand? Says the Lord. But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.

For I am a great king, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is to be feared among the nations Dear ones note that God recognizes the sacrifice of the people they didn't stop sacrificing they brought him something They were not robbing him of the actual sacrifice. They were robbing him in the very giving of that sacrifice. They were robbing God of what He deserved, what He required, what He deemed acceptable. Dear brothers and sisters, in your spiritual sacrifices to God, are you offering the lame, Are you offering the lame? The sick the blemished Is your best is your best?

Going to something or someone else You may be sacrificing the spiritual sacrifices, but is it your best or is that going somewhere else? Romans 12.1 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Paul goes on in that same text there in Romans 12 to describe this service this way, not lagging in diligence, fervent, boiling over in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. And you young people, can I speak a word of exhortation to you Some of you have never professed faith in Christ? You've never professed faith.

Others of you have professed faith, but maybe you know in your heart of hearts that you're holding back from God. Will you go on robbing the God who gave you your health, your strength, your vitality, and the zeal of your youth. Will you take that which he's given you and give it to something or someone else? Will you consume all of these benefits of your youth upon your own agenda, upon your own desires, all the while purposing to give to God a little later on when it's more convenient. Consider the words of Robert Murray McShane, words that are now a hymn.

I'm going to read all the verses of this hymn because of the relevance to what we've been studying in the book of Revelation. When this passing world is done, when has sunk yon glaring sun, When we stand with Christ in glory, looking o'er life's finished story, then Lord shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. When I hear the wicked call on the rocks and hills to fall? When I see them start and shrink on the fiery deluge brink? Then Lord shall I fully know not till then how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne, Dressed in beauty, not my own, When I see thee as thou art, Love thee with unsending heart, Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe. When the praise of heaven I hear loud as thunders to the ear loud as many waters noise sweet as harps melodious voice then Lord shall I fully know not till then how much I owe chosen not for good in me wakened up from wrath to flee hidden in the Savior's side by the Spirit sanctified. Teach me Lord, teach me Lord on earth to show by my love How much I owe. Dear ones, in terms of those songs, what do you want to give to God? The sick?

The lame? The spotted. The blemished. Well, the fifth and final point closely related to stealing in relation to God is stealing in relation to the church. Stealing in relation to the church.

Now I hope at this point in the sermon, no one is questioning the reality that stealing is not just the taking of what someone has, but also the withholding of something that is due. When it comes to our relation to the church, there are ways to actually take things that do belong to the church. I know of cases where such theft was carried out by the pastor of the church in stealing from the funds that belonged to the church. There's sometimes theft displayed in the course of a sermon, whereas has been brought to our attention in recent months, pastors in their laziness have stolen the hard work of another man and claimed it as their own by not acknowledging the source, thus plagiarizing another man's work. That's stealing.

But I fear that far too often there is another theft that is going on a theft that has more to do with stealing as defined by withholding withholding what is due and in my prayer is that you take this portion of this message with you as we come into the series beginning next week on the church I want you to take this with you into those messages. Consider the following texts when it comes to what the eighth commandment requires of us in relation to the church. First, consider the specific duty of pastors, Ephesians 4, 11 to 16. And he himself gave some to be pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." To what end are pastors to fulfill their God-appointed duty so that the church, The local body called a congregation speaking the truth and love may grow up in all things Into him who is the head Christ Ezekiel 34 addresses the spiritual leaders of the flock of God there in Israel calling them into account for their robbing of the flock and not caring for the flock. And this is a word for me and for you dear brothers that serve alongside me We are under shepherds who have been given a responsibility a stewardship if we are not faithful in this duty We're robbing the flock of God Therefore we must take heed to ourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made us overseers to shepherd the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood.

And if we as pastors are not doing this, we're robbing the dear people of God. Secondly, consider the specific duty of everyone in a local church, everyone, pastors included, from whom the whole body, the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effect of working by which every part does it share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself and love." Oh, what's what's the context? We have these verses, it's addressing the church, it's talking about the duty, What every joint supplies and what every part doing its work and sharing. What's the context? What does Paul have in mind for the church body when he declares there is a duty which every joint supplies and a working which every part has a share in.

Well, note the context of this description of the local church. Paul begins Ephesians 4 like this, I therefore the prisoner of this Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness and gentleness with long suffering bearing with one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Picking up in verse 25 of chapter 4, therefore putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the Sun go down on your wrath nor give place to the devil Let him who steals Let him who stole steal no longer but rather let him labor Working with his hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as, this is how, even as God and Christ forgave you. Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us. Having seen already what is required by this commandment in relation to God from the opening verses of Romans 12 that we are to be a living sacrifice, Consider what Paul goes on to state there in Romans 12, the terms of what is required by our reasonable service in relation to Christ's body, the church. Romans 12, 6 and following, he states this as part of our living sacrifice duty. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.

Let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith or ministry let us use it in our ministry he who teaches and teaching he who exhorts and exhortation he who gives with liberality he who leads with diligence he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality, rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.

Peter Masters pulls no punches dealing with this type of theft. He states the following, it's a long quote but we need to hear what he has to say. Quote, To be uninvolved in Christian service is stealing. It is an act of theft for believers to help themselves to excessive leisure at the expense of their fellow believers who are denied their help and commitment in the work of the church. Mr.

And Mrs. Uncommitted are thieves if they leave it to others to bear the brunt of the church Expenses and the manning of church activities while they spend most of their time and money on themselves They speak they may speak much about their love of the doctrines of grace and of the Lord's dealings with them but in God's sight they are passengers at best and thieves at worst. Another form of stealing, he says, from the community of believers occurs when we fail to contribute what is due in interpersonal relations, friendship, prayerful helpfulness to others, hospitality, encouragement and sympathy. A debit balance caused by coldness, aloofness, no give and all take is another form of theft. For we all owe a contribution of effort to promote fellowship and helpfulness to other people in our church.

As Christians, we have a debt and a duty to help build relationships and to care for one another to the glory of God. If, he asked this penetrating question, if a balance sheet could be drawn up showing all the benefits we have received alongside those which we have given, would we be revealed as heavily in debt to the church community? And if so, are we happy to go on living like this year after year taking much but seldom giving? Or perhaps he says we take the social benefits, the one another's, but show no support or appreciation of the spiritual purpose and objectives of our church." My friend, are you stealing from the Church of Christ? Are you failing to be a joint in this body that supplies something beneficial for the body?

Are you unwilling to be a part that does its share for the growth of the body? You see, maybe you would never take that which is not yours, but another question must be considered. Are you withholding that which is ours? As I bring this message to a close, I want you to consider our God after all the the commandments are in actuality a display of the righteousness of God and as the elders were in our time of prayer together a couple of Monday mornings ago after we had gone over this text as men, I was struck by something that Scott prayed, and it was echoed in Justin's prayer earlier, and that's this fact, God has never stolen from us. God has never stolen from us.

It's not something that we just turn over our minds and think about a lot, but we should think about the fact God has never stolen from us. The goodness of God is such that we have only received what was good from his hand. That's all we've ever received. He's not been closed-fisted with us. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

He has never taken what was ours except for one thing, Our sin. Our sin. That's the only thing that our God has taken from us, our sin. And He's never withheld anything that we are due except one thing and that's the hell that we deserve right here and right now. He's kept that from us that we're due.

His faithfulness greets you each morning. His mercies are new to you every day, your eyes open. He makes his Son to rise on both the evil as well as the good. He sends His reign on both the just and on the unjust. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd.

You see, it's the thief. It's the thief that comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy. But Jesus came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly. He's no thief. He's no thief.

He giveth and He giveth and He giveth again. Dear believer, what covenant promise has God failed to keep? What covenant promise has God failed to keep? What does He still owe you that he has not made sure? What do you lack?

He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? I declare to you, dear ones, what Joshua declared to the people of God as he neared his departure from this world. You know, you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you, all have come to pass for you. Not one word of them has failed." Maybe you're here without Christ. My unbelieving friend, you have just heard of the mercy and grace of God, and you've tasted of it.

The sun that arose this morning, the rain that He sends, and even the snow as it melts to replenish the earth, you've tasted of those things. And the question for you is, do you despise, do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance, this is what should lead you to repentance. God's been no thief with you, even though you've withheld what's due him as your creator. He's not withheld from you. May his goodness lead you to repentance.

Has this command caused you to see sin in your heart? You know the Bible declares in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 that no thief, no thief will inherit the kingdom of God. Not one, not one. But there's good news. In that same text in 1st Corinthians 6, after that definitive statement that thieves will have no inheritance in the kingdom of God the Apostle Paul declares of the Corinthian Church to whom he was writing But such were some of you Such were some of you but you were washed you were sanctified but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God My friend Come to Jesus and taste and see that the Lord indeed is good Come repenting of your sin Come to be washed Come to be sanctified Come to be justified.

Yes all of these but all of these in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit amen let us pray gracious God we thank you for your goodness to us Lord that you have never once taken what is not yours You have never withheld what we are due. Lord, we thank you that this commandment, as they all do, set before us your righteousness, who you are, and they flow out of your attributes. Lord, you are good. You are good. And May each and every sinner here, saved and unsaved, taste a fresh of that goodness that can be found in Christ today.

In His name we pray. Amen. Amen.