COVETOUSNESS (GREED)

Covetousness makes a man a thief. He lies and cheats to get more money. He laughs it off as a good bargain, but this is stealing from others.

“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” .

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”.

Covetousness deceives and slays us except for the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit and His deliverance; for it is the uncontrolled yearning to have, to have more and more and still more, until it kills the soul of man.

It breaks: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me;” for a covetous man is an idolater, having other gods besides the one true and living God.

 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness and covetousness, which is idolatry.” So a covetous man makes this world, his god because he lives for this life and this life only. He is driven by the idols of riches and pleasures, or lust, position or fame and fortune, and will reap the wages of eternal death if he does not repent.

Again, this sin of covetousness also breaks: “Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain.”  God never leads you into sin! Dear friend, if you are guilty of this, you are bringing God into something for which you and you alone are responsible. This is nothing more than your covetous heart wanting to have its own way and trying to shift the blame to God; therefore you stand guilty before God of taking His name in vain.