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“Therefore thou art inexcusable…for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things … . Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?” (Romans 2:1,21).
Some years ago in the city where I used to live, a young man went into a men’s clothing store and bought several items. On the way out of the store, he picked up several other things and attempted to walk out with them. Naturally the storekeeper stopped him at the door, and demanded that he pay for the additional items. The boy protested, “I bought enough stuff in this store that I am entitled to some extra things free!” Needless to say, the storekeeper did not see it that way, and told him either to pay for the extra items or put them back.
If we had asked that young man whether it was wrong to steal, he would probably have said yes, but somehow he felt that if he had already bought some things, it was all right for him to take a few more without paying for them. Other people steal in different ways. Some who would hesitate to steal from a store think it is all right to cheat the government on their income tax. They excuse themselves by saying that the government wastes money anyway. Still others would not steal from a small store, but think it is all right to steal from a big company. I read today about a man and his wife who stole about 17 million dollars from the large company for which they worked, over a period of 15 years.
God takes account of all this, and we will see tomorrow what will happen.
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