COVETOUSNESS! The sin of covetousness involves much more than just an unrighteous desire for material wealth. We can covet any goal, object or position. In Scripture, the root form of covet is “to desire or to take pleasure in”. Desire is not wrong in itself. And it is not wrong to receive pleasure from the good things that God provides. But the sin of covetousness goes well beyond simple desires. In the New Testament, the words for covet and covetousness reveal the steady progression of a covetous attitude. The tenth commandment in Exodus 20:17 clearly reveals that desiring the wrong things is sin. When we act upon our covetous desires, we are no longer submitted to God or the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. Instead, we are led–even controlled – by our unrighteous desires. Eventually our covetous desires will begin to rule our behavior and entice us to sin. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death”(Jas1:14,15). The Bible describes what can occur when covetousness is pursued – “contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, envy” (Gal 6:19-21). We also see the same characteristics of covetousness described when worldly human wisdom is contrasted with God’s wisdom (Jas 3:13-18). We are even warned by the Spirit of God that a heart set on selfish pursuits will ultimately become an enemy of God(Jas 4:1-4). Covetousness can destroy ministries, families, even churches. It can cause otherwise godly people to become imbalanced or even deceived, leading many astray with them. Covetousness is a broad arena of human failure that is dealt with extensively in Scripture. God hates covetousness and has pronounced severe judgment upon it and those consumed by it (1Tim6:3-10; 1Peter2). God is not opposed to wealth or physical possessions. But He is strongly opposed to the desire for gain becoming our priority. God has given us many blessings in this life to enjoy (1Tim6:17). However, God is displeased when His provision and blessings become more important to us than Him or His work. Dear brethren, be warned! The bondage of covetousness can overtake anyone. It always begins gradually, with simple desires for what others have (Ex 20:17). But those desires can quickly become enticement to sin, which eventually leads to death. Praise the Lord!
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 09:14:08 +0000
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