In Eph 4:25-30 records the sort of people we are to become when we put off the old nature.
In this passage there is verse 28 which deals specifically with the one who steals and the transformation that a thief that follows Christ should go through.
Eph 4:28 says “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”
This is a particular challenge as it causes us to consider motives. Consider first of all the motive of the thief. Sometimes people steal because they are poor, but more often people steal because they desire something they don’t have, or because by obtaining (even if only to sell) they see the opportunity to benefit themselves. This self benefit is the motive not only behind stealing, but also the enjoyment of what we have, but here we see that this self benefit is the polar opposite of the end result that God commands.
Paul explicitly states the reason why the saved thief is to work – not merely to live, although that is part of it, but also specifically so that he has something to share. This requires a complete mental transformation – from thinking about himself to prioritizing others above himself.
This transformation is not unique to the saved thief, but is also to be shared by each of us. We are all to consider the needs of others as more important than ourselves (Phil 2:3).
My recent challenge has been to think of what I earn as being not merely for my benefit, but for the benefit of others – this is why I earn what I earn – so that I can distribute to others whatever I don’t need.
So, I too need to become a transformed thief.
