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Winona Christian School: High School Bible Education

Unit VI: The Law of God: Theft, Deception, and the Heart

Scripture Memory (due Friday): 1 Timothy 6:6-9, Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Essay Question (due Friday): The eighth commandment forbids stealing; what is the scope of this command and why does God take theft so seriously ?

  1. Introduction
  2. Three Uses of God’s Law
  3. Decalogue Review
  4. The Commands So Far (Positively and Negatively)
  5. Sin in the Garden: breaking all the commandments
  6. The Eighth Commandment: Respect Private Property
  7. The Scope of the Eighth Commandment (Exod 20:15)
  8. The Command Itself
  9. Catechism (Cf. WSC 74-75
  10. PBC80, The eighth commandment requires that we pursue lawful and useful work to provide for our needs and for those unable to provide for themselves.
  11. PBC81, The eighth commandment forbids whatever would unjustly withhold or diminish a person’s possessions or attainments.
  12. Force: Requires Faithful *Stewardship*
  13. Always act in a way that promotes the good of others and your own profit
  14. Forbids frivolity and waste
  15. What is Theft?
  16. Theft Defined:
  17. The Cost of Theft:
  18. Categories of Theft
  19. Stealing from God
  20. Stealing from Others
  21. Stealing from Oneself
  22. The Root of Theft
  23. Internal:
  24. External:
  25. The Heinousness of Theft
  26. God Hates Thieves

I Cor 6:9-11, Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

  1. Spiritual Significance: what does it reveal about the thief?
  2. Property Rights Come from God

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from theconsent of the governed. (cf. John Locke, “Life, Liberty, and Property”)

  1. How Can We Avoid Stealing?
  2. Recognize the Stupidity of Stealing
  3. Work (i.e. get a job!)
  4. Cultivate Contentment
  5. Cultivate Generosity
  6. Stewardship
  7. Conclusions
  1. The Ninth Commandment: Love for Truth
  2. Review
  3. The Scope of the Ninth Commandment
  4. The Command Itself (Exod. 20:16)
  5. The Catechism Summary (cf. WSC 77-78)
  6. PBC83, The ninth commandment requires that we maintain and promote truth between persons and that we preserve the good name of our neighbor and ourselves.
  7. PBC84, The ninth commandment forbids whatever dishonors truth, or injures our own, or our neighbor’s good name.
  8. Force: requires truthfulness in all our speech and communication
  9. Why Perjury?
  10. Cf. Justice in the Ancient Near East
  11. God’s Justice in Israel
  12. Christian Communication: grounded in God’s Character
  13. God’s Word is Truth (cf. John 14, John 17)
  14. Seek to Vindicate Your Neighbor
  15. Categories of Speech and Communication Prohibited
  16. Social Media Complications
  17. “Whoppers”
  18. Little Lies?
  19. Communicating a False Impression?
  20. Gossip
  21. Sin Must Be Confronted
  22. When Appropriate
  23. In the Presence of Gossips
  24. “Tell it to the Church” (cf. Matt. 18)
  25. Speak the Truth in Love
  26. What About Lies in the Bible?
  27. “Hard Cases Make Bad Law” (e.g. the Nazi at the door)
  28. Lying is Always Sinful…
  29. Response to Personal Slander
  30. Slander can Rune
  31. Make Good Use of Slander
  32. Remember Christ was Slandered
  33. Conclusions
  34. The Tenth Commandment: A Heart of Contentment
  35. Review
  36. The Scope of the Tenth Commandment
  37. The Command Itself (Exod. 20:17)
  38. The Catechism (cf. WSC 80-81)
  39. PBC86, The tenth commandment requires contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbor, and all that is his.
  40. PBC87, The tenth commandment forbids all murmuring over our own condition and all envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate affections for anything that is his.
  41. What is Coveting?
  42. Coveting is not merely desiring something better or aspirations
  43. Worldliness: use the world, honor God in the world
  44. Desires
  45. Why is Coveting Forbidden?
  46. Exclusively Internal Sin: So why is it wrong?
  47. Coveting shows us the spiritual nature of the Law of God
  48. cf. Romans 7:7-12
  49. Coveting is the Prelude to Ruin
  50. Biblical Examples of Coveting
  51. Six Signs of Coveting
  52. What are your thoughts?
  53. Where are your efforts?
  54. What dominate(s) your speech?
  55. Where is your heart’s desire?
  56. What consumes your time?
  57. What are you willing to do?
  58. Danger of Coveting?
  59. The Subtlety of Sin
  60. Coveting an Enemy to Grace
  61. Cure for Coveting
  62. Faith in Christ
  63. Realistic Valuation of Coveting
  64. Desire Spiritual Things More
  65. Cultivate Contentment
  66. Coveting and Grace: Our covetous hearts show our need of salvation
  67. Conclusions
  68. Conclusions: The Law of God and the Christian Life
  69. Are All Sins Equal in God’s Sight?
  70. Can Anyone Be Saved Through the Law?
  71. What Does Every Sin Deserve?
  72. How Can We Escape God’s Wrath?