The Need for Right Desires
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 3/11/2018 AM |
Text: | Colossians 3; Lord's Day 44 |
Psalters: | 174, 391, 96, 8 |
- The concept.
- To "covet" is to judge something to be desirable; then it is to long for it in order to possess it.
- To covet is not per se sinful, for it is a natural activity of man as a dependent creature.
- Man was created with a conscious desire for God, both communion with Him as the highest good (Ps. 73:25).
- After the fall into sin, coveting, like everything else, could be sinful, which it now usually is.
- It is right if the thing desired is a good thing and the desire is moderate.
- It is wrong when my coveting is immoderate, ungoverned, and selfish (whenever we lose contentment) - called a “lust.”
- And coveting is wrong when the good thing I desire belongs to my neighbor.
- To "covet" is to judge something to be desirable; then it is to long for it in order to possess it.
- God justly condemns such desires as sins (while the state cannot punish it).
- Covetousness can take over the heart of a believer for a while.
- The seriousness of this sin is seen in the three warnings Scripture gives concerning covetousness.
- And it destroys relationships: taking our attention away from God, and destroying relationships and friendships.
- It destroys our relationship with God for it is worshiping earthly things rather than Him. Thus “idolatry” (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).
- Covetousness destroys relationships with others with jealousy, so we cannot love our neighbor.
- God calls us to fight against this sin and to put on the positive virtues of godly contentment with God’s way.
- Confess our sins of coveting, and admit constantly the covetousness of our natures.
- God forgives us in Jesus of all of our coveting and He gives us the freedom from having to covet.
- Some antidotes against this sin.