Contentment, Diligence, and Generosity in Christ

Passage: Ephesians 4.28

Date: February 26, 2023

The focus for this week's sermon will be on theft and stealing. On the one hand, the Bible speaks about theft frequently (Exod 20.15; Mark 10.19; Rom 13.9; 1 Cor 6.9-11); on the other hand, stealing is not nearly as common in our modern context. This sermon will explain how we should apply the warning against stealing today in the gospel of Jesus Christ as we focus on Ephesians 4.28.

In the gospel, God does not merely save us from causing too much trouble; rather, he saves us so that we conform to the image of Christ. Therefore, it is not enough for us to avoid bad habits; instead, we must grow in the likeness of Christ. The reason why the Bible's teaching against stealing is important is because it reminds us of three qualities of Christ into which God is growing us.

First, we steal because of our greed. This relates to what we've been reflecting upon regarding the idols of our hearts. We might not be greedy for something physical, but our hearts are greedily seeking something. In Christ, however, we have been rescued from this. Christ was perfectly content because he knew who he was--where he came from, what his purpose was, and where he was going (Phil 2.3-11). Therefore, in Christ, we do not need to succumb to the greedy desires of our hearts but instead we find our contentment in Christ.

Second, we steal because we are lazy. As we grow in the life of Christ, we also grow in his actions and discipline. We are all called to do something that at times feels mundane, futile, frustrating, etc. This is part of the curse that God has put on work. In Christ, however, we can work with excellence since our work is an expression of our worship and thanksgiving to God. Because Christ worked with a sense of urgency and worship, we can too since his life is now our life (John 9.4; Col 3.23-24).

Third, we work hard because we are selfish. Christ, however, is the opposite. He worked hard not for his selfish gain, but to be a blessing to others (Heb 2.9). As we grow in the mind of Christ, our values and priorities change--we work hard not for our own sake, but so that we can be in a position to bless others.