Inner Loving of God and Our Neighbor
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
4/24/2016 AM
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Text:
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Romans 7;
Lord's Day 44
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Psalters: |
416, 391, 215, 60 |
- 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.
- After the fall into sin, coveting, like everything else, could be sinful, which it now usually is.
- It is wrong when my coveting is immoderate (whenever we lose contentment) - called a "lust."
- And coveting is wrong when the good thing I desire belongs to my neighbor.
- God justly condemns such desires as sins (while the state cannot punish one for them).
- The seriousness of this sin is seen in the warnings Scripture gives concerning covetousness.
- Further, Scripture shows this sin to be deeply offensive to God.
- God hates covetousness because it is worshiping earthly things rather than Him. Therefore “idolatry” (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).
- Covetousness can take over the heart of a believer for a while.
- Covetousness destroys relationships with jealousy, so we cannot love our neighbor.
- Thus God condemns sin as it begins deep within us: a spark of desire within us begins a huge fire.
- 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.
- Consider Israel in the wilderness as a warning against covetousness (I Cor. 10:6).
- Rejoice at your neighbor’s prosperity and good, seeing God as the Giver (instead of selfishly bitterness).
- Some antidotes against this sin.