Ephesians 4:28 “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.”
Pastor Herk continues: Another aspect of stealing is when we are not doing what God has called us to do in the Body of Christ (the church). Ephesians 4:15-16 states that “speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Each part of the Body of Christ, each member of the Christian church, must do their work. God commands that we do our job. When we do not fulfill the ministry calling that has been assigned to us in the Body of Christ by the Lord, then we are actually stealing from the Body of Christ, because we are keeping it from operating in the manner in which Lord intended it operate, the body suffers and God does not get the glory.
The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks “What is the chief end of man?” The Answer stated is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” 1 Peter 4:11 says, “Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” In addition to our taking off the old vices, prideful evils as depravities, iniquities and corruptions, like sloth, sexual immorality, impurity, adultery, lustful pleasures, idolatry, drug abuse, hateful hostility, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, being drunkards, thieves, greedy or abusive cheats - all in willful sin, we have to put on the new virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, godly righteousness, holiness, faith, hope, charity, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. – the new Christian self in Christ completely foreign to the thinking of our self-centered, “What‘s in it for me?” world.
Our work is our labor; our employment; our job; our vocation, exertion of mind and strength; particularly in manual labor. In theology, work is defined as moral duties or external performances, as distinct from grace. I said it before and I’ll say it again, Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” So, we are to work with rigor (stiffness of opinion or temper; severity; sternness. strictness; exactness without allowance, latitude or indulgence; to enforce moral duties with rigor). The Greek word for “working” in our text is “ergázomai”; meaning to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), be engaged in or with, commit and do, to work hard and labor for, to minister about, to work to the point that you become weary. It is not an option, but a command to honestly and earnestly earn your pay with industry and integrity. I vividly remember fellow employee saying that they intentionally work slow on jobs in order to ensure that they always have work for tomorrow, calling this “job security”. Another employee said that they do not work hard because the company doesn’t pay him what he is worth. It is called prideful “egocentricity”, commonly known as “what is in it for me? It is technically stealing and unethical.
Even unbelievers accept the ethics of the “Golden Rule” to do to others as you would have them do to you, but is it practiced in our culture today? Self-interests, and the concept of desiring something for nothing is not biblical. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.” The Bible consistently commends the value of hard work and it and warns against laziness. Proverbs 19:15 says, “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.” As Followers of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to work and work diligently hard, working in the right role; let him labor, working with his hands what is good [useful]. The apostle Paul distinguishes the sanctified work ethic of the Believer from the secular work ethic of the world around us.
As Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we not only have a responsibly to do our best To do our duty to God and my country, and to obey the Moral law and Commandments of God; To use our God-given gifts to work hard at everything that we do to serve the needs of other people and help [not harm] other people at all times; To keep ourselves physically and spiritually strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, because a true child of God is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Along with love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, these are virtues worth striving for.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on Christian Ethics in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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