What does the Bible say about stealing?
"Here are some commandments to think about. 'Do not commit adultery.' 'Do not commit murder.' 'Do not steal.' 'Do not want what belongs to others.' These and other commandments are all included in one rule. Here’s what it is. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself'" (Romans 13:9).
"Those who have been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need" (Ephesians 4:28).
The Bible says stealing is wrong.When you steal, you’re taking something that doesn’t belong to you. In the Bible, God lets us know that it’s wrong to steal. In fact, He put a rule in the Ten Commandments: "Do not steal" (Exodus 20:15).
Has anyone ever taken something of yours and never given it back? How did that make you feel? It may have been a favorite pencil, your snack, some money, or even something bigger like a toy or a bike. Even if it was something small that was taken, you lost something that was special to you.
The Bible says, "Do to others as you want them to do to you" (Luke 6:31). That means we are to treat people the way we want them to treat us. You wouldn’t want people to steal from you, so it makes sense that you shouldn’t steal from them, either.
God wants us to treat others kindly and with love. Matthew 22:39 says, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." We show love to others when we respect their property and choose to not take things from them.
