“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” (Eph. 4:28).

The gospel has the power to save sinners and transform lives. For some people, putting off the old man and putting on the new will result in a significant change in their behavior. Stealing was an expected behavior in a place like Ephesus, and it is rampant in our society today. However, this sin has no place in the life of a faithful Christian (1 Cor. 6:10-11). Just as the liar must put away lying (Eph. 4:25), the thief must also put away stealing.

Theft can occur in different ways. We can take an object that belongs to someone else. We can embezzle money. We can give a false representation of something we are selling. We can steal time from our employer (not working while we are on the clock). We can “borrow” something and never return it. Whatever form it takes, stealing is something that belonged to the old man of sin.

Work is good for the individual (providing for our needs, giving us a sense of accomplishment, setting a good example for our children and others). Work is good for the community (providing for the general welfare of society as a whole). Work is good for the cause of Christ (gives Christians an avenue to be salt and light in the world, supports those who preach the gospel).

Work was not a punishment for sin. Mankind was created to work. God put man to work before sin entered the world. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). We will be serving the Lord for eternity in heaven (Rev. 22:3). God blesses honest labor and punishes theft. “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase” (Prov. 13:11). Christians are expected to busy themselves with honest work. “That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing” (1 Thess. 4:11-12).

The blessings of our labor are not to be stored up for ourselves. They are to be shared with others – “that he may have something to give him who has need.” Benevolence is to be shown to the needy both by the local church (limited to needy saints – Rom. 15:26) and the individual Christian (Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 13:16; James 1:27). Christians who can work must do so. Benevolence is for those who can’t work, not for those who “will not work” (2 Thess. 3:10).