The Seventh Commandment.
* THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
1. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMANDMENT ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Lev. 19:11. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely.
(a) Jer. 22:13. Woe unto him that buildeth his house by
unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his
neighbor's
service without wages, and giveth him not for his work!
(a) 2 Thess. 3:10. If any would not work, neither
should
he eat.
(b) 1 Cor. 13:4,5. Charity envieth not; ... seeketh not
her own.
(c) 1 Pet.4:10. As every man hath received the gift, even
so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the
manifold
grace of God.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
We should NOT
(A) Wrongfully acquire our neighbor's property. (Robbery;
theft; fraud; charging exorbitant prices or excessive interest;
gambling;
betting; paying unfair wages; unfaithfulness towards an employer;
unscrupulous borrowing; idleness.)
(B) Envy him, or be selfish.
We SHOULD
(C) Remember that we are but stewards, or trustees, of
all that we call our own, and use whatever has been entrusted to
us to the glory of God and the benefit of our fellow men.
The Eighth Commandment.
* THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
2. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMANDMENT ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a b) Prov. 19:5. A false witness shall not be
unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
(c) Prov. 11:13. A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he
that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
(d) Jas. 4:11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren.
(e) Zech. 8:17. Let none of you imagine evil in your
hearts against his neighbor.
(f) Prov. 31:8,9. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the
cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth,
judge
righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
(g) 1 Pet. 4:8. Charity shall cover the multitude of
sins.
(g) 1 Cor. 13:7. (Charity) believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
We should NOT
(A) Make any untrue statement against our neighbor in court;
(B) Lie about him or to him, or withhold the truth from him
in order to harm him;
(C) Deceitfully reveal his secrets or abuse his confidence;
(D) Speak evil of him and thus injure or destroy his good
name;
(E) Think evil of him. We SHOULD
(F) Defend our neighbor against false accusations and speak
well of him;
(G) Cover up his faults and explain in his favor whatever
can be so explained.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments.
* THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
* THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE, NOR HIS
MANSERVANT,
NOR HIS MAIDSERVANT, NOR HIS CATTLE, NOR ANYTHING THAT IS THY
NEIGHBOR'S.
3. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THESE COMMANDMENTS ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Rom. 7:7. I had not known lust, except the Law had
said, Thou shalt not covet.
(a b) 1 Tim. 6:8-10. Having food and raiment let us be
therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into
temptation
and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which,
drown
men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the
root
of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from
the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(b) Lev. 19:2. Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God
am holy.
*(b) Ps. 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give
thee the desires of thine heart.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
(A) We should NOT have any evil desires in our hearts, or
seek to get our neighbor's property by trickery or a show of
right.
(Envy; jealousy; greed; discontent.) In God's sight every evil
desire,
or lust, is sin and deserves condemnation.
(B) We SHOULD have only holy desires in our hearts. Then
we will be content with such things as God gives us, find our happiness
in Him, and help our neighbor to keep that which is his.
THE FULFILLMENT AND THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW.
4. HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
Matt. 5:48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which
is in heaven is perfect.
Jas. 2:10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of all.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
God wants us to keep all His commandments perfectly in
thoughts,
desires, words, and deeds.
5. WITH WHAT DOES GOD THREATEN ALL THAT TRANSGRESS HIS
COMMANDMENTS
?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
Gal. 3:10. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all
things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them.
Rom. 6:23. The wages of sin is death.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
God threatens all transgressors of His commandments with His
wrath and displeasure, temporal death and eternal damnation.
6. CAN MAN KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS AS HE WANTS US TO KEEP
THEM?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Ps. 14:3. They are all gone aside, they are all
together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
*(a) Is. 64:6. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
(b) Phil. 3:12. Not as though I had already attained,
either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may
apprehend
that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
*(b) Ps. 143:2. Enter not into judgement with Thy servant:
for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
(A) Since the fall into sin natural man cannot keep the Law
of God at all.
(B) Even Christians can keep it only imperfectly.
7. CAN ANYONE, THEN, BE SAVED BY THE LAW ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
Gal. 3:11. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of
God.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
No one can be saved, or get to heaven, by means of the Law.
8. WHAT, THEN, IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) 1 Tim. 1:9. The Law is not made for a righteous man,
but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners,
for
unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers.
(b) Rom. 3:20. By the Law is the knowledge of sin.
(b) Rom. 7:7. I had not known lust, except the Law had said,
Thou shalt not covet.
(c) Psalm. 119:9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse
his way ? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
The Law
(A) Checks to some extent the coarse outbursts of sin and
thereby helps to keep order in the world. (A curb.)
(B) Shows us our sins. (A mirror.) This is the chief
purpose.
(C) Teaches us Christians which works we must do to lead a
God-pleasing life. (A rule.)
9. WHERE ALONE CAN WE FIND SALVATION FROM SIN ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Rom.10:4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth.
(b) Gal. 3:13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
everyone
that hangeth on a tree.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
We find salvation only in the Gospel, which tells us that
Christ as our Substitute
(A) Fulfilled the Law for us; and
(B) Suffered and died for us.
Before the Next Lesson
FILL OUT Work Sheet No. 9
MEMORIZE the Bible passages marked with an asterisk (*).
READ Exodus, chapters 7 to 13.
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the from (See Matt. 25:41.)