Many forms of stealing violate civil law.
Romans 13:1-7 - Civil law is ordained by God. If we disobey rulers, then we are disobeying God. [1 Pet. 2:13,14] Stealing is specifically prohibited in the Scriptures. Exodus 20:15 - You shall not steal. Matthew 15:19,20 - Theft is one of many acts that come from the heart and defile a man. 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 - Thieves will not enter the kingdom of God. [Deut. 5:19; Lev. 19:11; Matt. 19:18; Isa. 61:8; 10:2; 1 Pet. 4:15,16; Amos 3:10; Hos. 4:1,2; Prov. 22:22; 1 Cor. 5:10f; Jer. 7:9-15; Zech. 5:3,4] Stealing violates the law of love. Romans 13:9,10 - One who loves his neighbor will do good, not harm. Stealing violates the law of love, because it harms our neighbor. Matthew 7:12 - Do to others as you would have others do to you. Do you want others to steal what belongs to you? No. Then don't steal from others. [Luke 10:25-37; Eph. 4:28] Many businessmen knowingly cheat their customers. Proverbs 11:1 - A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. Some businesses use dishonest weights or measures. A customer pays for a certain number of gallons or pounds or yards of a product, but when it is measured he receives less than he paid for. Some clerks deliberately ring up a greater price on the cash register than was advertised. If the customer catches it and points out the difference, the clerk just claims it was a mistake. A grocery store cashier once told me she quit a job, because the boss required her to earn her salary by overcharging as she entered items. Many salesmen misrepresent their product, promising things they know the product cannot do. My dad worked in sales and often his bosses pressured him to misrepresent the product to make sales. Con artists take money under false pretenses. In Ft. Wayne, a man called the church and claimed he needed help to pay his rent or his family would be sent back to Ireland. He had all kinds of study notes to show he knew "church of Christ doctrine," etc. After I gave him a substantial amount, he slipped away. When I checked on the address where he said he lived, the people had never heard of him. He was a con artist and a good one. All such practices are condemned as forms of stealing. It all involves lying and deceit, which are often associated with stealing. Most of it is illegal. It violates the principle of love. No one wants other people to treat them this way. It fits the definition of stealing. It involves acting under false pretenses to take money that you have no right to take.
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Author Oni T.
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