The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1956-08-09
One Man Looks
At God
(By Charles w. Carlson, Pastor,
St Marks Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Oakland Maryland.)

rupted by my vacation, this week
we consider the seventh command
ment You shall not steal" To
help in the Interpretation of this
commandment, refer to the Small
! Catechism," where DR.. Martin Luz
Their explains this commandment
thus I'VE should fear and love
God so that we do not rob our
neighbor of his property or money,
nor bring them into our possession
/ by unfair dealing or fraud, but help
him to improve and protect his
property and living"
As we look at this commandment,
we must first of all realize that
God is actually the owner of all
things. as is so clearly illustrated
by Pauls statement in | Corinthians
1926. The Earth is the Lords and
the fullness thereof. We did
not invent this world, it is all Gods
handiwork, and the way we should
use it is clearly set forth in Gene
sis 1:28 where He instructS Adam
and Eve: BE fruitful and multiply
and replenish the earth, and sub
due it; have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the birds of
the heavens, and over every living
thing that moves upon the earth.
| Therefore. since this is Gods world,
we should use the things of this
world in accordance with the way
He has set down for them to be
used.
This seems to be an obvious way
to look at life, yet it is all too often
forgotten in the dealings of men.
How ridiculous it would seem to
most automobile dealers to try to
help their competition-Or how
stupid most union leaders would
think it would be to give their en-
ployer a little more than they were
actually paying for-When we face
facts. we must realize that large
portion of the people in our society
live by the rule dog eat dog when
it comes to business. For bust
ness man to want to help his COM
petition to improve and protect
his property and living would
seem to most to be a crazy way to
/! live. Far better seems the goal OF
making as much money for one
self. and let the other fellow look
out for himself But the plain and
simple fact of Gods creation is
that it was founded purely on love
for us: He gives all of the time, to
those who deserve and to those
who do not. If we hope to amount
to anything in His Kingdom, our
lives must be governed according
lily.
One of the most horrible features
Of our economy is the welfare state,
where man gets the idea in his
head that he does not have to work
for a living, the welfare board will
take care of him. 1t is one thing for
a man to be unable to work, be-
cause of circumstances beyond his
control, but it is quite another for
a man to be too lazy and worthless
to earn an honest living. 1t is good,
honest. hard work that makes
progress and civilization possible.
Some of the perpetual welfare
cases in our county and for that
matter throughout the rest of our
country should read with meaning
the advice of Paul to the Christians
in Thessalonica, where he says
simply, IF anyone will not work,
neither let him eat" III Thess.:
| 3:10). The sinfulness of the human
heart has derived many ways to
get money and property without de.
serving it, underpaying workers.
"feather-bedding,' Pork Barrel
Legislation" in both state and ma
tional congresses, gambling, and
many other forms are used by those
who may be shrewd in the ways
of the world but have not yet dis
covered the law of God in their
lives
All of these problems can be
solved by the realization that Goo