CHEATING
Who among us has not been cheated-shortchanged, deceived, robbed of something we treasured, or led to believe in a bargain only to find that it was actually very expensive? Dishonest scales have been common since Bible times. How many today cheat on income taxes, cheat on tests, cheat on wives and husbands, cheat on themselves? Cheating is trying to gain something at someone else’s expense. There is an apparent winner and an apparent loser, but in cheating the cheater truly becomes the loser-gaining something but losing character and peace of mind. The worst kind of cheating is cheating God, trying to shortchange him of the part of our time and resources he deserves. One thing is certain – God will never cheat us!
WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF CHEATING? IS IT ALWAYS WRONG?
Proverbs 11:1 . . . The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty.
Cheating violates a holy God. Cheating and godliness cannot live together in peace. One must give in to the other.
IS SOME CHEATING WORSE THAN OTHER CHEATING?
Mark 12:40 . . . They shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater.
Covering cheating with a pious sugar coating is a double sin: first the sin of cheating and second the sin of pious deceit. God hates both.
Luke 16:10 . . . Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
Little cheating is cut out of the same piece of cloth as big cheating. Cheating is cheating.
IF YOU TRULY LOVE SOMEONE, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO CHEAT HIM OR HER.
Romans 13:9-10 . . . The commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting . . . are all summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” . . . love satisfies all of God’s requirements.
Cheating is proof that we truly did not love the person we cheated, for how can love that gives seek to take more away?
CAN WE CHEAT OURSELVES?
Luke 16:10 . . . Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
When we cheat, we are actually cheating ourselves of what God has planned for us.
HOW DO WE CHEAT GOD?
Malachi 3:8 . . . Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, “What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?” You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.
We cheat God when we do not give to him what he deserves.
PROMISE FROM GOD:
Romans 13:9-10 . . . The commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting-and any other commandment-are all summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.