The Need for Right Desires

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