THE DESTRUCTIVE SIN OF COVETOUSNESS
By W. G. Guy
Covetousness: to ardently and lustfully seek that which belongs to someone else; to covet. Thus to covet is a destructive lust that leads to various other forms of sin and corruption.
Exodus 20:17 – Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
This is the tenth of the Ten Commandments, the law that God laid down to regulate life of His people.
Romans 7:7 – What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
To covet is to live contrary to the great command of God to love and care for others, rather than to covet what is theirs and take from them.
Romans 13:8-10 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
The cause of war throughout history is due to the sin of covetousness; desiring the land and possessions of other people, nations or territories. All of the death and destruction caused by wars is the actually the result of the sin of covetousness.
James 4:1-3 – From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Covetousness is also destructive on society as well as individual lives. It causes people, who cannot control their lustful appetites, to prey upon one another and consume or destroy one another; contrary to the command to love.
Galatians 5:13-18 – For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Covetousness is the cause of other forms of sin and corruption: such as adultery, theft, murder, lies and deception, etc.
Mark 7:21-23 – For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Covetousness is a basic form of human lust and weakness that is in the world that is a root cause of all mankind’s sin and corruption.
1 John 2:15-16 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The lust for the things of this world and its possessions brings about much destruction and human suffering.
Luke 12:15 –. And he (Jesus) said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
The apostle Paul also gave us a stern warning in how we are to live:
Ephesians 5:1-5 – Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Being covetous is living in defiance of God and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who live after such fleshly lusts are subject to God’s judgment due to their disobedience if they fail to repent.
Colossians 3:5-6 – Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
God’s love for you is so great that He has provided for you all that you need in this life.
Matthew 6:31-33 – Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Thus there is absolutely no need or cause to be covetous of what others have.
Romans 8:31-32 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Consider this: God is our source, not our lusts and coveting of what others have!
