A black Porsche convertible caught my eye at the stoplight beside me. I imagined sitting behind the wheel of that beautiful car, top down, wind in my face as I shifted through the six-speed transmission. A honk from the car behind me brought me back to reality. The light had turned green. I pulled away from the intersection with only the taillights of the Porsche fading in the distance.
Since childhood, I have enjoyed cars. Ironically, or perhaps providentially, The Alabama Baptist asked me to write an article on the tenth commandment which states, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Ex. 20:17).
What is coveting? The Hebrew word for covet, “hamad,” means to “desire obsessively, covet or lust after for oneself.” Within the word is the implication of “desire” which often leads to action. Does this command mean that I can no longer gaze at new cars? Is it a sin for me to love to sit in a new automobile? How should I understand and apply God’s prohibition of coveting? Simply put, what does “you shall not covet” mean to you and me? I believe there are three “Cs” you must explore if you are to adequately understand and conquer coveting.
1. CONTEMPLATE the danger of covetous thoughts and desires.
The tenth commandment raises the bar on sin to include thoughts, desires and attitudes. “You shall not covet,” points us to the teaching of Jesus as He addresses adultery: “You have heard that it was said ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27–18). In other words, our thoughts and desires can be sinful and therefore destructive.
Uncontrolled thoughts and desires are dangerous because they can lead to the breaking of other commandments. In fact, coveting can be seen as an entrance to which all the commandments can be broken. As innocuous as some people might view longings of the heart, in reality improper thoughts are seeds for numerous sins.
Ahab, for example, coveted his neighbor’s vineyard, which ultimately led to the breaking of the sixth and ninth commandments (1 Kings 21). King David’s coveting his neighbor’s wife (Bathsheba) resulted in his breaking the sixth, seventh and eighth commandments. In these few examples, it is hard to deny the sin of coveting is dangerous and often leads to other sins.
2. CONSIDER how coveting reveals your love for God and others.
Coveting is sinful in that it can lead to other vices. Even if none of the other commandments are broken because of your desires, coveting is still a sin. Remember all sin separates us from a holy God. Coveting is longing for something that does not belong to us. Coveting, an obsessive desire, reveals your heart condition. Your longings, your affections, your thoughts and desires should serve as a “barometer” to the true condition of your heart. No wonder the Bible states, “as a man thinks in his heart so is he” (Prov. 23:7).
A coveting person does not give God the love He deserves. You can’t truly love God when your affections and longings are for things that do not belong to you. Instead of finding contentment in Christ, a coveting heart longs for more and more of things that belong to others. Coveting hides God in the fog of personal desires and longings. The Rolling Stones’ song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” could be written about someone who breaks the tenth commandment. Coveting ensures you don’t find satisfaction. And it prohibits you from finding true satisfaction in God. In fact, the tenth commandment is in some way a restatement of the first commandment. Paul remarks that we should “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you … and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). Coveting is idolatry and reveals a diminished love for God.
A coveting person does not show neighbors the love God demands. “You shall not covet” does not deny that God’s people may wish to have good and proper things. Coveting, which is longing to have things that belong to someone else, reflects a lack of love for others. Coveting hides others in the fog of personal desires and longings. In this covetous fog, the only person you can see is yourself and your own greedy desires. To long for forbidden things reveals a self-centered heart. Let me be clear, you do not truly love your neighbor when you lust and want what God has given him or her. Coveting is sinful in that it shows a lack of love for others.
3. CONTROL coveting by turning to God and giving to others.
If you, like me, enjoy a glance at a shiny black Porsche (or Buick, Ford, Toyota and so forth) is that coveting? Not necessarily. Coveting is more than simply looking at a beautiful car (although there is often a fine line between looking and longing). How do we know if we are coveting? The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). He will reveal sin in your life. Ask Him to show you the condition of your heart. Ask Him to reveal your true longings. Ask Him if there is anything you desire obsessively, covet or lust after for yourself.
What should you do next?
a) If you are not a Christian, turn from your sin and turn to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Turn to Christ in saving faith and experience this new life today.
b) If you are a Christian, turn to God in confession of your sin. As the Bible teaches, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
c) Each of you should look to others and their needs. Giving is the opposite of coveting. Where coveting is the desire to take from someone, giving is focusing on what you can do for someone. Acts 20:35b states “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” In the power of the Holy Spirit, focus upon, dwell upon and long for ways to give to others.
To discover victory over coveting, I suggest you need to navigate three “Cs” — you must contemplate, consider and control the sin of coveting.
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