J John on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from J John's, Ten:Living the Ten Commandments in the 21st Century (Kingsway, 2000):

8^th commandment: actions; 9^th: words; 10^th: thoughts

1999 newspaper article headline, “Britain a nation of cheats and thieves” – ¾ of all Britons steal from their employers (p73)

“Consumer affairs programmes like Watchdog are full of stories of mail order firms that never delivered, investments that were spurious, workers who never worked, special offers that weren’t special, price reductions that weren’t reductions and dream holidays that were nightmares.” (p74)

Inland Revenue Officials estimate that tax evasion in the UK amounts to 7 to 15 billion pounds a year (p75)

Stealing (8^th commandment) arises from coveting (10^th) and is practically impossible without lying (9^th)

The epidemic of stealing in our society may be because we look to wealth and possessions for satisfaction and security rather than to the living God

When we steal we insult God’s generosity, denying his love and care for us, claiming that we know better than him, that we can provide for ourselves better than God has

“The Inland Revenue once received an anonymous letter: ‘I am having trouble sleeping because of my conscience. Please find enclosed £100. If this doesn’t cure my insomnia I will send you the rest.’” (p86)

John 10:10 – stealing satanic

“The French novelist Anatole France quipped, ‘Never lend books, for no one ever returns them. The only books I have in my library are books other people lent me.’” (p88f)