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Sins of the Heart: Covetousness/Greed · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed thinking. You know that feeling, don't
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you? That little whisper that says if
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only I had that, then I'd be happy.
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Or maybe that relentless drive for more that seems to never
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quite satisfy, no matter what you acquire.
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Today, on this deep dive, we're pulling back the curtain on one
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of the most subtle yet well, devastating forces at play in
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our hearts, covetousness. We've gathered a whole bunch of
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sources, articles, studies, notes to try and bring you a
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clear biblical and Reformed understanding of this often
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misunderstood impulse. Indeed, and our aim for this
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deep dive is really to grasp why covetousness isn't just some
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minor fault, but actually a serious spiritual condition.
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And inward rebellion, you could even say, will trace its
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manifestations across Scripture, try to uncover its theological
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roots, and discover the gospel's, well, all-encompassing
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answer. We want to equip you with
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insights from the Bible and, importantly for us, the
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Westminster Standards, offering practical ways to cultivate true
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contentment and generosity in a world that's constantly pulling
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us toward desiring more. OK, so let's unpack this.
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To start, we really need to properly define covetousness,
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right? We need to move beyond maybe
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common perceptions to its true biblical scope, because it's
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more than simply wanting something.
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It's a fundamental disorder in our affections.
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That's exactly right. Our sources make it plain
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covetousness is not a superficial issue like, you
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know, just a passing bad thought.
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Instead, it's described as a central treachery of the heart.
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And the Apostle Paul, well, he doesn't mince words.
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He explicitly labels it as idolatry in Colossians 3.5.
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Now that immediately elevates its significance, doesn't it?
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It shows it as a distortion of worship.
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It's where the heart places its ultimate trust and desire in
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created things, rather than in the Creator himself.
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Think of it as worship gone wrong.
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Worship gone wrong. I like that framing, yeah.
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When we start looking to worldly possessions or maybe status or
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even relationships to provide our security, our joy, our
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identity, we're asking them to fulfill roles only God can truly
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provide, to crave a neighbor's goods, their house, their job,
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whatever, as an ultimate source of satisfaction or even just as
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a necessary component of our happiness.
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Well, that's basically enthroning A rival God in our
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hearts, right? And that directly violates the
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first commandment. You shall have no other gods
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before me. Such a misdirection of the heart
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refuses God His rightful place, and in doing so it well, it
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deforms our relationships both with God and with our neighbors.
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It's a fundamental betrayal of love, really.
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That's a stark way to put it, A betrayal.
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And this isn't just about outward actions, then, is it?
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The 10th Commandment seems to probe much deeper than that,
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getting right into our internal world.
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It absolutely does. The 10th commandment you shall
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not covet, which you find in Exodus 20.178 and again in
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Deuteronomy 5.21. It really stands distinct from
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many other prohibitions. You know, most of the other
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commandments regulate our actions, what we do with our
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hands, our lips, our bodies. But this command delves right
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into what our sources call the engine Room of desire.
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The engine. Room.
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Yeah. It reaches into our motives and
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affections, which the sources describe as the hidden workshop
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where sins are forged before they ever manifest outwardly.
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It probes that entire interior process, you know, from that
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first glance at something belonging to our neighbor, maybe
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a new car or a career opportunity, to a settled, deep
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craving for it. The apostle Paul himself
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attested to this internal focus in Romans 7.7.
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He says I would not have known coveting if the law had not
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said, You shall not covet. He's telling us that the law's
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spiritual edge pierced him precisely at this point,
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revealing the true depth of his own sinful nature and what our
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sources call the grasping heart. Bye.
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The law acts as a mirror, doesn't it?
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It exposes the hearts bent towards grasping, convincing us
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of our need for God's grace. That's powerful.
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And the Westminster Standards pick up on this too, right?
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How did they frame it? They do, very clearly.
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The Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions 80 and 81
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frames this by requiring full contentment with their own
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condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit
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toward our neighbor. End Quote.
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And then it forbids all discontentment with our own
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estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and
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all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is
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his. Could I do?
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That's a really comprehensive definition, highlighting that
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covetousness is an inward revolt against God's wise ordering of
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our lives. It's a refusal really to find
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satisfaction in God and His provision, choosing instead to
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find it in what others possess. So even the very language of the
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Bible, the original words, give us a window into this internal
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struggle. What are some of those biblical
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terms that kind of paint this picture for us?
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Yeah, the biblical language is certainly sharpen this
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understanding, giving us a more precise vocabulary for this this
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heart condition in Hebrew 2 terms really stand out.
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The 1st is Ahmed. It means to desire or to take
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pleasure in. Now it's a morally adaptable
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word. It's character really depends on
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its object and the posture of the heart.
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For example, the trees in Eden were described as pleasant or
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desirable. Ahmed, that was good desire.
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But then you have Etchen in Joshua 7.
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He saw and coveted dumb it again forbidden spoil and that led to
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disaster for him and for Israel. You see the shift from healthy
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desire to sinful craving. Right.
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Same word, different context, different outcome.
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Exactly. The second Hebrew term is peva,
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which denotes craving or longing, and the combination of
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these terms, especially in the 10th commandment, really
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emphasizes the entire interior process.
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From that initial maybe innocent glance to a settled, deep
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craving for anything belonging to our neighbor is the whole
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journey of desire from observation to obsession.
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And what about in the New Testament Greek?
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Are there key terms there too? Oh, absolutely.
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And Greek play Annexia is a really important, frequently
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used term. It literally means something
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like the grasping mourness, this insatiable desire that simply
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will not rest. It describes A relentless
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appetite, a drive to always acquire more, regardless of need
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or justice. Jesus himself lists pleon Axia
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among the defilements that proceed from the heart in Mark
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7.22. When he talks about what truly
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makes a person unclean, it comes from within, and Paul explicitly
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calls it idolatry, again in Colossians 3.5 and Ephesians
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5.5. It's this deep spiritual
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sickness of always, always wanting more.
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So it's not just wanting, it's this drive for more.
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Precisely. Another important Greek term is
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filigeria, which is the love of money.
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First Timothy 6.8 C describes this as a root of all kinds of
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evils. Unvote.
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Notice it's not money itself, but the love of it, the
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misplaced affection for it that causes so much destruction.
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And then you have related terms like betsa for unjust gain and
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estracordia for shameful gain. These show how this internal
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grasping can twist social life towards exploitation,
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highlighting its social impact. So you see, the biblical
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vocabulary isn't just descriptive, it's diagnostic.
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It helps us see the different facets of this sin.
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That's a powerful connection. It's not just internal.
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It's how it then twists our external actions and even, well,
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social structures. But the scope of covetousness
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isn't just about money or material possessions, is it?
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You mentioned Jesus warns. Beware of all covetousness.
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That's such a crucial point, and it's one we often overlook.
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I think while we instinctively associate covetousness with
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money or tangible goods, you know, a bigger House of a factor
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car, its scope extends far beyond that.
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The sources make it clear that you can covet A reputation.
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For example, think about those Jesus observed in Matthew 23,
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the Pharisees who love the most prominent seats in the synagogue
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and greetings in the marketplace.
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They coveted status. Right.
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Wanting praise. Exactly.
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It can also target another person's gifts or ministry.
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Think within the body of Christ where members might wish they
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were a different, perhaps more glamorous part, like Paul
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addresses in First Corinthians 12.
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You know, if only I had their gifting.
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Or it could be directed toward a particular life stage or family
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circumstance, wishing you had someone else's spouse or their
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children, or maybe their carefree singleness.
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Yeah, the grass is always greener.
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Precisely. Or, and this is really subtle,
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it can even creep into what might appear to be spiritual
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successes. Paul will lose to this in
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Philippians, one where some were preaching Christ out of rivalry
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or selfish ambition, They coveted Paul's influence.
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Perhaps. So Jesus warning in Luke 12.15
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to beware of all covetousness is truly comprehensive because this
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idol of more is inherently insatiable.
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It's, well, it's a bottomless pit.
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Chrissiastes 5.10 tells us that the lover of money never has
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enough, and Proverbs 27.2 observes that the eyes of man
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are never satisfied. It's just this relentless
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craving that can never be truly satisfied by created things
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because it's asking them to fulfill a divine role.
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OK, so given all this, this deep dive into the negativity, is all
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desire sinful then? Or is there a distinction
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between what we've been describing and maybe a righteous
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desire, a healthy kind of wanting?
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That's a really insightful question, and the answer is
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absolutely not all desire is not sinful.
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In fact, desire itself is creational.
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It's good. It's part of how God designed
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us. Our desire was originally meant
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for responsive worship, you know, receiving, stewarding, and
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sharing the Father's gifts and gratitude and love.
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Think of the beauty of God's creation.
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We were made to desire Him and to enjoy His good gifts in their
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proper place. OK, so where does it go wrong?
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Desire becomes transcription. It becomes sin when, well, a few
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things happen when the object is forbidden, like Eve desiring the
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one tree God said not to eat from.
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Or when the measure of that desire is excessive, becoming an
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all consuming craving that pushes God out.
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Or when the manner of pursuing it disregards love for our
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neighbor, maybe stepping on others to get what we want.
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Or, and this is the most critical point, when the motive
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dethrones God placing something else in His rightful position as
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our ultimate source of satisfaction and security.
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OK, that makes sense. Christian contentment, then,
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stands in stark contrast to covetousness.
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It's described in our sources as a glad, restful ascent to the
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Father's wise allotment in our lives.
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It's not a stoic suppression of all desire, you know, just
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gritting your teeth. Nor is it grim resignation.
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It's an active, right, and charitable frame of spirit
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toward our neighbor. End Quote.
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That means we genuinely rejoice in their good fortune and
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actively promote their welfare. This contentment opens the self
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outward in love. It directly contrasts with that
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inward bending of the self. What Augustine and Luther called
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Incurvatus in securved inward on oneself, focused only on one's
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own needs and wants. That's the posture of
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covetousness. Contentment looks outward in
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love. And to really grasp the weight
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of covetousness, I think we need to see how God's unfolding story
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in Scripture addresses it from the very beginning right through
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to the end. It's woven into the whole
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narrative of salvation. Yeah, that's a helpful
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perspective. Looking at the origins and
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creation and then the fall helps us understand how desire got so
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well disordered in the first place.
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Indeed, the story begins with desire created good and ordered
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in Eden. Adam and Eve received the world
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as a gift, didn't they? They were meant to cultivate and
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keep it under God's fatherly rule.
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The trees were pleasant and beautiful, and desire was
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intended for grateful worship, for stewarding God's gifts and
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love. They were to enjoy all the
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garden except for that one forbidden tree, right?
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And the Sabbath institution, established right back in
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Genesis 2 and then reinforced in the 10 commandments in Exodus
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20, was actually integral to this original design, A quite
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literally interrupted acquisitive striving.
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It taught humanity to receive and trust in God's provision.
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Sanctifying reception is a primary posture of life.
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It was a weekly reminder. God provides, you can rest.
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But then the fall happened. Yes, and the Fall profoundly
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corrupted this. Genesis 3.6 tells us Eve saw
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that the tree was to be desired and then she grasped it.
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This narrative powerfully shows how covetousness proceeds and
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empowers the first transgression.
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It was that internal desire, that wanting of something
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forbidden, that drove the outward act.
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It fundamentally disordered desires.
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Good grammar, you could say. After the fall, human longing,
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instead of being directed Godward, bends inward.
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That concept we mentioned in Curvatus in C curved inward on
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oneself. This self focused leads to
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examples like Cain's jealous rage in Genesis 4, his desire
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for God's favor when he thought it was given to Abel and instead
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it twisted into murder. Or think of Babel's self
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exalting project in Genesis 11. Humanity wanted to make a name
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for itself, reaching for glory that belonged to God alone.
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They coveted significance apart from God, right?
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The hearts inherent reach for achieve good remains, but it's
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aim gets corrupted. Sin redirects that longing
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toward finite goods as if they were infinite or ultimate.
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It's like trying to quench an eternal thirst with, you know, a
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thimble full of water. It's never going to work.
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So the law, given that Sinai then directly confronts this
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disordered desire that stemmed from the fall.
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How did that play out in Israel's history?
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Did it fix the problem? Well, it's Sinai.
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God's moral law directly addresses this inward sickness
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by prohibiting coveting in Exodus 20.
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In Deuteronomy 5, it makes clear God's concern for the heart's
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affections. But it wasn't just a bear
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prohibition like don't do this. God instituted a whole set of
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civil and ceremonial structures designed to check accumulation
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and order desires toward neighbor love and trust in his
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Providence. Think about laws like gleaning
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in Leviticus 19, ensuring the poor could gather food from
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harvested fields, or the sabbatical in Jubilee years
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described in Leviticus 25. These interrupted ceaseless
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driving for land, restored inheritances to their original
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families every 50 years, preventing permanent debt
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slavery and massive accumulation of land in the hands of a few.
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There were even warnings to kings in Deuteronomy 17 advising
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them against multiplying wealth, horses or wives, because God
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knew these things could corrupt their hearts.
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These ordinances were meant to tutor Israel's desires, to tease
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them, a rhythm of trust and generosity.
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But Israel didn't exactly follow those commands perfectly, did
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they? No, they didn't.
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And when Israel ignored these commands, covetousness
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metastasized into oppression. It was like a cancer spreading
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through the nation. The story of Ahab and Naboth in
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First Kings 21 is just such a powerful, tragic illustration
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of. This.
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Tell us about that one. OK, so King Ahab, despite having
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immense wealth and power, covets Naboth's vineyard, which happens
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to be right next to his palace. He's almost childlike actually
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in his pouting when Naboth, out of piety and respect for
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Israel's land theology, remember the land was an inheritance from
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God, refuses to sell it. Ahab's wife Jezebel seizes
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unhappiness and basically says, aren't you the king?
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I'll get to the vineyard. She then orchestrates this
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complete travesty of justice. She uses false witnesses,
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manipulates a religious fast to make it look legitimate, and his
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Naboth accused of blasphemy and treason.
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He's wrongfully stoned and Ahab takes possession of the
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vineyard. Wow, just for a vineyard.
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Just for a vineyard he didn't need.
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And the prophet Elijah confronts Ahab with this stinging
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indictment. Have you killed and also taken
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possession? This account became a kind of
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miniature picture of the nation's wider spiritual
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rebellion, showing the severe social fallout of covetousness
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when it takes root in power. So the prophets and wisdom
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literature, I must have had a lot to say about this.
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Oh, absolutely. They keenly diagnosed this
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deformation. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes warned
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constantly about the insatiable nature of greed.
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The lover of money never has enough, says Ecclesiastes.
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Proverbs notes. The eyes of man are never
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satisfied, they depict its destructive consequences, how it
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often leads to ruin. Proverbs one point Munting says
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the greedy take away the life of its owners and prophets like
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Isaiah, Micah, Amos, Habakkuk. They vehemently denounced those
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who accumulated wealth at others expense joining house to house.
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Isaiah says engaging in evil gain, Ibaka calls it.
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They consistently connected this injustice to impending judgement
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in exile. It was a consistent, sobering
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message across the Old Testament.
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This inward sin has devastating outward consequences.
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It sounds like a very consistent message of warning throughout
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the Old Testament. How did Christ's ministry then
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decisively reorder this understanding of desire?
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How did he address this grasping mornus?
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Christ's ministry really does mar a decisive reordering, a
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turning point. Jesus both exposes and heals
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disordered desire in a way the law alone couldn't.
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He explicitly warned against all covetousness in Loose 12:15 and
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taught his disciples about laying up treasure in heaven
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rather than on earth. He highlighted that stark
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choice. You serve God or you serve
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mammon, money personified as a rival God in Matthew 6.
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You simply cannot serve 2 masters.
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He also revealed how the deceitfulness of riches can
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choke the Word, preventing you from bearing fruit, like in the
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parable of the sower in Matthew 13.
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The cares of the world and the desire for other things can just
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suffocate true spiritual growth. A really powerful example is his
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confrontation with the rich young ruler in Matthew 19.
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Remember him? This guy had kept the law
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outwardly, but Jesus put his finger right on the issue.
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Everything exactly? Go sell what you possess and
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give to the poor, and come follow me.
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And the man went away sad because his many possessions
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truly possessed him. Jesus exposed A rival God in his
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heart. But then there's Zacchaeus,
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right? A completely different response.
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Yes, a stark contrast, A Zacchaeus in Luke 19.
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Here was a chief tax collector, a man known for his grasping
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ways, probably hated by many, but he's encountered with
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Christ, led to this immediate, spontaneous, joyful
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transformation, stands up and says, Behold, Lord, the half of
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my goods I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of
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anything, I restore it fourfold. It's this incredible picture of
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newfound joy expressed in restitution and generosity.
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Jesus didn't even have to tell him to do it.
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It's amazing. And the cross itself is
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absolutely central to this reordering. 2nd Corinthians 8.9
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is key here. For you know the grace of our
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Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake
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he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
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This shows the decisive reordering of wealth and want.
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True life, true richness, is found in communion with God
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through Christ, not in the abundance of possessions.
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Christ emptied himself for us so that we might be filled with.
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Him in the early church live this out.
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They certainly tried to. You see this reordering evident
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practice in the book of Acts. Believers shared resources
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according to need. Hypocrisy about money, like with
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Ananias and Sapphira, was severely judged.
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And Paul in First Timothy 6, instructs the wealthy not to
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trust in riches, but to be rich in good works, generous and
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ready to share, thereby storing up treasure for the future.
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And critically, the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in this
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ongoing process of sanctification.
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He mortifies covetousness as idolatry and cultivates
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contentment through God's appointed means.
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It's a work of God's grace within us and.
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Looking right to the end of the story, how does the
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Consummation, the very end of all things, show the final
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defeat of Covetousness? What does that look like?
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Well, the redemptive historical trajectory culminates in the
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consummation, where covetousness meets its final utter defeat.
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Revelation 18 gives this vivid depiction of the dramatic fall
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of Babylon, which isn't just a literal city, but a symbol of a
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global system steeped in luxury, exploitation, and the
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merchandising of souls. It's the collapse of the world
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system built on greed. And in stark contrast,
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Revelation 21 and 22 describe the descent of the New
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Jerusalem. This is a city where no envy or
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lack remains. It's a place where every need is
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met and more importantly, every desire is perfectly satisfied in
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God himself. Here economic striving as we
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know it is transfigured. Contentment is perfected in the
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beatific vision, seeing God face to face with God himself as the
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city's light and its inexhaustible portion.
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So the church's present calling, therefore, is to live now as
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citizens of this future city, to be free from the love of money,
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to be generous, to be rich toward God.
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As Luke 12 encourages, we're called to be faithful stewards,
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anticipating a future where God's presence is our complete
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satisfaction. It's about living by the values
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of heaven now showing the world a different way to live.
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Hashtag, hashtag cover 3. Examining covetousness through
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case studies. OK, looking at specific biblical
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accounts can really bring these principles to life, can't it?
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It shows us how covetousness actually plays out in real
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situations and just how, well, insidious it can be.
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Yes, these narratives offer vivid pictures, almost like
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moral X-rays, showing us what's going on beneath the surface.
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Let's consider the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12.
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The story starts, interestingly, with what seems like an
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ordinary, almost reasonable request to Jesus about an
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inheritance. Someone in the crowd says
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Teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
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Right. Sounds like a normal family
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dispute. Exactly.
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But Jesus used this moment as an opportunity to issue this
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powerful warning against all covetousness, stating pointedly
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that one's life does not consist in the abundance of his
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possessions. But he tells a parable.
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This man has an incredibly bountiful harvest.
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You think this would lead to gratitude?
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Maybe generosity, but his response is 1 of intense, almost
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suffocating self focus. His internal soliloquy, his
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conversation with himself is just filled with first person
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pronouns. My barns, my grain, my soul.
20:50
It reveals this striking presumption of control over his
20:53
future and his fate. He doesn't mention God at all,
20:56
does he? Not once.
20:57
No mention of God, no mention of his neighbor, not even his
21:00
family. It's all about I and my, and
21:04
this parable powerfully exposes covetousness as what our sources
21:08
call functional atheism. Functional atheism.
21:11
Yeah, it's a stark phrase, isn't it?
21:14
It describes a life lived with plenty, without prayer,
21:17
planning, without Providence, self of that neighbor.
21:19
He he basically preaches a false gospel to his own soul, telling
21:23
it soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years, relax,
21:26
eat, drink, be merry. It's this total illusion of
21:29
self-sufficiency. But God's verdict just shatters
21:32
this illusion with chilling directness.
21:34
Fool, this night your soul is required of you.
21:37
And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?
21:39
Telling is. Right.
21:40
Jesus then starkly contrasts being rich for oneself with
21:44
being rich toward God. The implied remedy isn't a
21:47
rejection of created goods, but a reordering of desires.
21:50
It's about stewarding wealth, God Word and neighbor word, with
21:53
a clear understanding of our mortality in the coming
21:56
judgement. It's a profound call to remember
21:58
where our true security lies, not in bigger barns, but in God.
22:01
That makes so much sense. Someone who had so much but was
22:03
truly poor toward God. Now, Paul's counsel in First
22:07
Timothy 6 also provides a strong counter narrative, particularly,
22:11
it seems, for those who do have wealth.
22:13
It absolutely does, and first Timothy 6 verses 6 through 10
22:17
and then 17 through 19. Paul addresses both the desire
22:20
for riches and the duties of the rich.
22:23
It's very practical. He directly counters those who
22:25
mistakenly treat godliness as a means of gain.
22:28
You know, thinking that being godly should automatically bring
22:31
material prosperity. That's an early form of the
22:33
prosperity gospel. Really.
22:34
Yeah, sounds like it. And step Paul offers the
22:37
profound truth that godliness with contentment is great game.
22:40
He helps us relocate our security, reminding us of a
22:43
fundamental truth. We bring nothing into the world
22:46
and we can take nothing out if we have food and clothing, he
22:50
says. With these we should be content.
22:53
The sin then is not possessing wealth, but setting one's hard
22:56
on it, allowing that desire to rule.
22:58
He warns that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation,
23:01
into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires
23:04
that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
23:06
A. Snare.
23:07
Yeah, a trap, he goes on. For the love of money is a root
23:10
of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that
23:13
some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves
23:16
with many pangs. This desire for gain becomes a
23:19
trap, piercing the soul, deflecting from faith.
23:21
It's a powerful image. Money itself isn't evil, but the
23:25
love of it, the misplaced affection, becomes a source of
23:28
all sorts of problems. So what does he tell the wealthy
23:31
to do then? Well, for the wealthy already in
23:33
the church, Paul's command is not renunciation but
23:36
reorientation. He charges them not to be
23:39
haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,
23:43
but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
23:46
Notice that everything to enjoy enjoyment of God's gifts is
23:50
affirmed, but only when it's tethered to the giver and hope
23:53
is redirected from, you know, bank accounts and investments to
23:56
God himself. OK, so enjoy but don't trust in
23:58
it. Exactly.
23:59
And the positive program he laid out is concrete.
24:02
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous
24:05
and ready to share their right, storing up treasure for
24:08
themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may
24:11
take hold of that which is truly life.
24:14
This practice dethrones the desire for grasping more Ness by
24:17
cultivating open handedness as a form of, well, it's ecological
24:21
investment, investing in what truly lasts into eternity.
24:24
Here the moral law reveals the snare, but the gospel frees the
24:28
heart to properly enjoy God's gifts and use them lovingly,
24:31
replacing self security with faithful stewardship.
24:33
And then there's that truly disturbing story of Ahab and
24:36
Nabat's Vineyard again in First Kings 21.
24:39
This vividly shows the extreme lengths covetousness can lead
24:42
to. This isn't just about internal
24:43
desires anymore, is it? It's about outright evil.
24:46
Yes, that narrative is just a stark illustration of
24:49
covetousness is social fallout, how it poisons everything.
24:53
King Ahab, the rule of Israel, covets Nabot's vineyard right
24:57
next to his palace. Despite his royal status and
24:59
vast resources, he can't stand that he doesn't have that one
25:02
thing. Nabot refuses a seemingly fair
25:05
exchange. Ahab offers to buy it or trade
25:08
for a better vineyard, not out of stubbornness, but out of deep
25:11
piety, stating the Lord forbid that I should give you the
25:14
inheritance of my father's. He's respecting God's law about
25:17
ancestral land, OK? Ahab then goes home, sulking
25:21
like a spoiled child. His wife Jezebel, this foreign
25:24
queen, sees his unhappiness and famously tells him, basically,
25:27
pull yourself together, you're the king, I'll get you the
25:29
vineyard. She then orchestrates this
25:32
complete travesty of justice. She uses false witnesses to
25:34
accuse Nabo the blasphemy and treason during a manipulated
25:37
public, fast leading to Nabo's wrongful stoning and Ahab's
25:41
subsequent seizure of the vineyard.
25:43
This isn't just a simple purchase.
25:44
It's conspiracy, murder, and theft all stemming from one
25:47
man's greedy desire. It's.
25:48
Horrifying. It is, and the prophet Elijah
25:50
confronts Ahab. Have you killed and also taken
25:53
possession? It just cuts right through.
25:56
The story shows how covetousness escalates from an internal
25:59
longing to conspiracy, violence and theft, with Ahab's private
26:03
longing devouring a subject's life and legacy.
26:05
The theological implications are severe.
26:08
The King's desire bends social and legal structures toward
26:11
exploitation, and divine justice stands over both individuals and
26:14
nations, even kings. And this isn't an isolated
26:17
incident in the Bible, is it? Not at all.
26:19
This narrative connects to a clear canonical pattern seen in
26:22
other examples. Think of ancient hidden plunder
26:24
in Joshua 7 which brought disaster upon all of Israel, or
26:28
Gehazy secret fee from Naman in 2 Kings 5 which brought leprosy
26:32
upon him. Think of Judas's pilfering from
26:34
the money bag in John 12A, clear precursor to his betrayal for
26:38
money. Or Ananias and Sapphira's lying
26:40
generosity in Acts 5, where their desire for recognition and
26:43
may be holding back some security led to their deaths.
26:46
All these illustrate how coveting conceives deception and
26:49
ultimately leads to ruin, whether personal or communal.
26:51
It's a deadly serious sin. So these individual examples,
26:54
these stories and warnings, they really coalesce into a powerful
26:57
systematic understanding within Reformed thought.
27:00
Covetousness isn't just an isolated issue, you know, one
27:03
off problem. It's actually a complex
27:05
theological problem with deep implications for how we
27:08
understand sin, humanity, God's law, and salvation itself.
27:11
OK, so starting with the very nature of sin itself, hem
27:14
archaeology, the doctrine of sin, how does covetousness fit
27:18
into that framework? What does it reveal about the
27:20
heart of sin? Well, when we look at this
27:22
through the lens of sin, how sin operates in US, covetousness is
27:26
far from being a minor fault. As we said, it's described as
27:30
idolatry in Colossians 3.5, and our sources call it a false
27:33
religion of the heart. It's not a mere miss calibration
27:36
of our desires. It's a fundamental distortion of
27:38
worship where created goods are treated as saviors.
27:42
People look to money for security, maybe the status for
27:44
their sense of righteousness, or to acquisitions for blessedness.
27:47
These are all things that only God can authentically provide.
27:50
Right, Asking created things to do a creator's job.
27:52
Precisely. And this fundamentally violates
27:55
both tables of the law. It breaks the first commandment
27:58
by enthroning A rival God in our affections, and it breaks the
28:01
10th commandment by desiring what belongs to another.
28:03
In essence, it refuses to love God as God and neighbor as
28:07
neighbor. As Paul sums up the law in
28:08
Romans 13.9, this desire bent inward.
28:12
That concept of increvatus in Sag, where our longings turned
28:15
solely toward ourselves, is the theological route from which so
28:19
many outward sins like oppression, fraud, adultery,
28:22
violence, often spring. It's an internal rot that
28:25
inevitably produces external bad fruit.
28:27
This inward bending, this incravatus in say, sounds like a
28:31
key concept in understanding humanity after the fall.
28:35
How does anthropology, the doctrine of humanity, speak to
28:37
this corruption of desires? Aim.
28:40
Anthropologically, yes, the human heart, which in biblical
28:43
terms is the Control Center of intellect, will and affections,
28:46
is inherently teleological. That means it's always reaching
28:50
for a chief good, always oriented towards some ultimate
28:52
end. Proverbs 4.23 says keep your
28:55
heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of
28:57
life. Where the heart aims, life
28:59
follows. This capacity is a created good
29:02
aspect of our being, designed to seek and find its ultimate
29:05
satisfaction in God alone. But.
29:07
The fall messed that up. Right after the Fall, as
29:09
described in the Westminster Confession, Chapter 6, this
29:12
reach remains, but its aim is corrupted.
29:15
The noetic effects of sin, how sin impacts our minds and
29:18
understanding, and the moral effects redirect human longing
29:21
toward finite goods as if they were infinite or capable of
29:25
providing ultimate satisfaction. This means covetousness isn't
29:29
simply wanting too much. It's actually, as one source
29:32
puts it, expecting ultimacy from penultimate gifts.
29:36
We're asking creative things to do a creator's job.
29:38
While the imago dei, the image of God, endures in us, our
29:41
worship faculty or desiring faculty has been captured by
29:44
sin. So Redemption has to fix that
29:46
aim. Exactly.
29:48
Redemption needs to be more than just, say, financial prudence.
29:50
It must be a fundamental renovation of ends.
29:53
Through union with Christ, believers receive a new identity
29:56
and a new life source. This begins the process of
29:59
enabling them to desire according to the things above.
30:02
As Colossians 3 puts it, our desires aren't annihilated or
30:05
erased in Christ. Instead, they are re aimed,
30:07
subordinated to God and ordered toward neighbor love.
30:10
It's a redirection, A recalibration by grace.
30:12
And how does God's moral law then function in light of this
30:16
understanding of covetousness? You mentioned?
30:18
The Westminster Confession speaks of three uses of the law,
30:21
which seems particularly relevant here.
30:23
Yes, the moral law as outlined in Westminster Confession
30:26
Chapter 19, serves 3 crucial uses in relation to
30:29
covetousness. They're often called the
30:31
pedagogical, civil, and normative uses.
30:34
First, as a mirror or its pedagogical use, the law exposes
30:39
the covetous drift of the heart. Paul's experience in Romans 7.7,
30:43
where he says he wouldn't have known coveting if the law hadn't
30:45
forbidden it, perfectly illustrates this.
30:48
If the law convicts us, it strips away our self
30:50
justification and drives us to Christ, as Galatians 3.24 says,
30:54
preparing the heart for the gospel by showing us our utter
30:56
inability to keep it perfectly. OK, so it shows us our need.
30:59
Precisely. Second, as a curb or its civil
31:02
political use, the law, by God's common grace operating in
31:05
society, restrains the public harms of greed through civil
31:09
structures, property protections, laws against theft
31:12
and fraud, and penalties. As Romans 13 talks about
31:15
government's role. Old Testament gleaning laws are
31:18
a good example of this within Israel, structures designed to
31:20
curb the worst outward effects of sinful selfishness.
31:23
Right, it limits the damage. Yes.
31:25
Third, and for the believer perhaps most significantly, as a
31:28
guide or its normative didactic use for the regenerate, for
31:33
those in Christ, the law instructs in grateful obedience.
31:36
It binds believers not to some kind of joyless austerity, but
31:39
guides them toward contentment, charity, and rejoicing in the
31:42
good of others, as Westminster catechisms explain.
31:45
And crucially, grace renders it welcome.
31:47
Because of the spirits work, believers can delight in the
31:49
law, as Psalm 119 and Romans 7.22 say.
31:53
They learn to say enough, not from a sense of scarcity or
31:55
legalism, but from a deep satisfaction in God himself.
31:59
It's no longer a burden pointing out failure, but a pathway to
32:01
joyful living in response to grace.
32:03
It's clear the Gospel provides A comprehensive answer to this
32:05
deep seated issue. How do the specific doctrines of
32:09
salvation soteriology address covetousness?
32:11
In particular, what does salvation do about this?
32:15
Soteriology truly offers a comprehensive answer to
32:17
covetousness at every point of our salvation.
32:20
Think about justification first. Christ's freely imputed
32:23
righteousness. His perfect record, credited to
32:26
us by faith, severs the logic of self justification through
32:30
possessions. You see, before Christ we might
32:32
try to prove our worth or goodness by what we acquire or
32:35
achieve. But believers are declared
32:37
righteous by faith alone, not by their accumulated wealth or any
32:41
earthly achievements. This completely removes the need
32:43
to secure righteousness through external means.
32:46
Our standing with God is secure in Christ.
32:48
But we don't need stuff to prove we're OK.
32:50
Exactly. We are declared right with God
32:52
not because of what we have, but because of what Christ has done.
32:55
That's justification. Then there's adoption to God's
32:58
family. This means the Father's care
33:00
relocate security from earthly goods to divine provision.
33:05
The truth that your heavenly Father knows your needs, as
33:07
Jesus says in Matthew 6.32, utterly unmasks anxiety driven
33:12
accumulation as well. Basically unbelief.
33:15
It's like saying God, I don't really trust you to provide for
33:18
me. Adoption counters that fear with
33:20
the Father's love. That's.
33:21
Huge. It is finally in sanctification
33:24
the ongoing work of the Spirit described in Westminster
33:26
Confession chapter 13. The Holy Spirit effectually
33:29
weakens and mortifies the grasping mourness pleinexia and
33:33
vivifies generosity and contentment.
33:35
Think cautions 3.5. Put to death, therefore, what is
33:38
earthly in you Covetousness, which is idolatry and Galatians
33:42
5. The fruit of the Spirit includes
33:43
Lovejoy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
33:46
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, all antithetical
33:49
to grasping greed. This ongoing process of
33:51
spiritual renewal re aims our desires and subordinates them to
33:54
God. It's a moment by moment
33:56
reorientation of our hearts by the spirits power.
33:59
And this contentment we're talking about, it sounds like
34:01
it's deeply tied to understanding God's Providence
34:03
and his fatherhood, isn't it? That makes all the difference in
34:06
our sense of security, I imagine.
34:08
Absolutely. The doctrines of Providence and
34:10
the fatherhood of God articulated beautifully in
34:12
Westminster Confession, chapter 5.
34:14
They furnished the doctrinal foundation, the matrix for true
34:18
contentment. Contentment in this sense is a
34:21
theological act. It's described as a glad,
34:24
restful ascent to the Father's wise allotment of all things in
34:27
our lives. Think of Psalm 16.
34:30
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup.
34:32
You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in
34:34
pleasant places. Indeed, I have a beautiful
34:37
inheritance. Or Hebrews 13 Keep your life
34:40
free from love of money and be content with what you have.
34:43
For he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
34:46
So accepting what God gives. Yes, accepting that if all
34:49
things come from his fatherly hand, the good days and the
34:52
challenging ones, the seasons of plenty in the seasons of less
34:56
than our present estate, our current situation is not random
34:59
chance or cruel fate, but wise and loving provision from a
35:02
Father who knows best. Conversely, covetous anxiety
35:06
reveals a denial of God's Providence.
35:08
It imagines a world governed by scarcity or by chance.
35:11
We're just by our own relentless efforts, rather than by the God
35:14
who richly provides us with everything to enjoy, as First
35:18
Timothy 6.17 says. Now this understanding doesn't
35:21
negate our responsibility to work diligently, of course, but
35:24
it frees our labor from becoming an ultimate source of self
35:26
salvation. Our vocation becomes service and
35:29
an act of worship, not a frantic, fear driven pursuit of
35:32
security that can never be truly satisfied outside of God.
35:35
How does the Church been ecclesiology and our
35:37
understanding of the last things, eschatology fit into
35:40
this systematic view of covetousness?
35:43
What's the Church's role in this battle and how does the future
35:45
hope impact it? Ecclesiologically?
35:47
The Church plays a vital role in confronting covetousness.
35:50
It's not just an individual battle.
35:52
The Church must actively teach on this and where necessary
35:56
exercise discipline regarding this sin.
35:59
Leaders, like elders must be explicitly not lovers of money
36:03
as First Timothy 3.3 requires. They need to model a different
36:07
way of life 1 of contentment and often self sacrifice.
36:10
Furthermore, unrepentant greed is considered an excommunicable
36:13
sin according to First Corinthians 5.11.
36:16
Paul says not even to eat with such a person claiming to be a
36:19
brother. This shows it's seriousness
36:21
within the body of Christ. The Church is also called to
36:24
resist partiality toward the rich, as James 2 warns so
36:27
strongly against ensuring that no one is favored simply because
36:30
of their earthly possessions. It's meant to be a place where
36:32
worldly values are challenged. And the future hope, how does
36:35
that help? Eschatologically, hope in the
36:37
future Kingdom of God completely relativizes earthly wealth.
36:40
The present age, with its emphasis on material
36:42
accumulation, is sharply contrasted with the age to come,
36:45
as Paul does in First Timothy 6 when he tells the rich to store
36:48
up treasure for the future. The fall of Babylon in
36:51
Revelation 18 vividly portrays the collapse of that culture
36:54
built on luxury, exploitation and the merchandising of souls.
36:57
It's God's judgement on a greedy, self-serving world
37:00
system. And in the New Jerusalem
37:02
described in Revelation 21 and 22, scarcity will be obsolete.
37:06
God himself is the inexhaustible portion of his people.
37:10
His presence is everything. So the church's present call is
37:13
to live now as citizens of that future city, to be freezing the
37:16
love of money, generous, rich toward God, because in Christ
37:19
that future has already begun to break into the present.
37:22
We're called to live with open hands now, knowing that our true
37:25
treasure awaits us in a city whose builder and maker is God.
37:28
OK, so it's not enough just to understand covetousness.
37:31
We also really need to recognize false solutions or counterfeit
37:36
cures that, maybe surprisingly, can actually make the problem
37:38
worse rather than better. These are approaches that seem
37:41
to offer an answer, but miss the real heart of the issue.
37:45
That's a critical distinction, and it's so important for us as
37:47
believers today. Many approaches, even those
37:50
maybe with good intentions or with a kind of veneer of
37:52
spirituality, can miss the mark because they don't fully grasp
37:56
the theological depth of covetousness as idolatry.
38:00
The 1st and perhaps most obvious error to confront is the
38:03
prosperity gospel. Right, that's a big one.
38:06
It is this teaching, sadly popular in many circles,
38:09
essentially baptizes covetousness in Christian
38:12
language. It treats God almost as a means
38:15
to material gain. It often promises health status
38:18
and wealth as automatic results of sufficient faith, or giving
38:22
specific amounts of money or saying particular prayers.
38:25
It almost uses the cross as a technique for unlocking earthly
38:28
treasure. Yeah, God is a cosmic vending
38:30
machine. Sort of.
38:31
And this stands in direct opposition to Paul's counsel in
38:34
First Timothy 6.5 to 6, which states again that godliness with
38:38
contentment is great gain. Scripture warns that the desire
38:42
to gain much is itself a snare that plunges people into ruin
38:45
and destruction. Jesus taught you cannot serve
38:48
God and money. He makes it clear that Christ
38:51
freezes from mammon, not through mammon.
38:54
Furthermore, the cross is Christ's act of becoming poor so
38:57
that we might become rich in him.
38:59
Rich siritually rich toward God. Second Corinthians 8.9.
39:03
It's not a formula for earthly riches, and the Apostolic
39:06
pattern consistently joins contentment with suffering,
39:09
doesn't it? Think of Paul and Philippians 4
39:11
content and plenty and in want. Or in 2nd Corinthians 12 with
39:14
this thorn in the flesh. It's a completely different
39:16
worldview than seeking earthly riches is the main goal.
39:18
OK, so if the prosperity gospel essentially adds to our
39:21
disordered desire by making earthly gain the goal, what
39:24
about approaches that seem to subtract, like say secular
39:27
minimalism or maybe stoic self mastery?
39:29
They seem to be about wanting less, which sounds good on the
39:31
surface. That's a perceptive question
39:34
because they do have an appeal, especially in our consumer
39:36
culture. Secular minimalism or Stoic self
39:39
mastery represents a different kind of era, though.
39:43
While it rightly critiques consumerism and the endless
39:45
pursuit of possessions, and those are good critiques, it
39:48
replaces it with what our sources call an equally godless
39:51
project, a kind of salvation by subtraction.
39:55
Its aim is inner peace and relief from anxiety through
39:58
having fewer possessions. But it does so apart from God,
40:02
with the self as its ultimate end.
40:04
It's about managing one's own desires for one's own peace and
40:06
control. OK, so it's still self focused,
40:08
just in a different way. Exactly.
40:10
Christian contentment, however, is not a technique for self
40:13
management, but a trust in God's Providence founded on His
40:16
promise He will never leave you nor forsake you.
40:19
Hebrews 13.5 to 6 The gospel reorders desire by communion
40:23
with Christ, by finding our satisfaction in him.
40:26
Colossians 3.1 to 4 Not by mere self mastery or reducing our
40:30
possessions down to a certain number.
40:31
Minimalism can only sort of archive envy.
40:34
It can't truly answer it because the heart's orientation remains
40:37
inward. Christian contentment, by
40:39
contrast, actively rejoices in the neighbor's good, as the
40:42
Larger Catechism 147 says, and acts in love.
40:45
So while Scripture commands simplicity as wisdom, like
40:48
Uggur's prayer in Proverbs 30 for neither poverty nor riches,
40:51
it rejects ascetic severity as a measure of spirituality, as Paul
40:54
warns against in Colossians 2. We neither deify abundance nor
40:58
divinize austerity. We receive and release as
41:00
faithful stewards whose true treasure is in heaven.
41:03
What about the idea that, well, since we are under grace, the
41:06
moral law, including the command not to covet is less relevant
41:09
for believers? That sounds like antinomianism,
41:11
right? But it's a common confusion, I
41:13
think. That's precisely what
41:14
antinomianism claims, or at least functionally claims, and
41:17
it poses a significant threat to our spiritual health and
41:20
understanding. This view tends to trivialize
41:23
covetousness by treating the moral law as somehow obsolete
41:27
for believers under grace. It suggests that inward sins are
41:30
just private matters. And maybe desire is neutral now
41:32
because we're saved by faith, not by works.
41:34
Right. Cheap grace.
41:35
Almost. It can lead to that.
41:38
However, the Westminster Confession chapter 19, as we
41:40
discussed, teaches the laws abiding third use.
41:44
It guides the regenerate in grateful obedience.
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Jesus himself intensified, not relaxed the laws inward reach,
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didn't he? In Matthew 5 he talks about lust
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being adultery of the heart, anger being murder of the Mart.
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And Paul learned the anatomy of sin precisely by the command.
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You shall not covet. Grace doesn't lower the bar for
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our conduct. It lifts the heart to delight in
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the law. Romans 7.22, making obedience A
42:07
joyful response to God's love rather than a burden for the
42:11
more. Scripture consistently teaches
42:12
that covetousness is idolatry, Colossians 3.5, and it belongs
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among those serious sins, those patterns that can warrant church
42:19
discipline if unrepented. First Corinthians 5.1 of
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Ephesians 5.5 So instead of grace making desire neutral,
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grace mandates that are sinful desires be crucified and renewed
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by the Spirit, brought into conformity with Christ's own
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desires. OK, And finally, what about
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something maybe a bit more subtle?
42:35
Pragmatic evangelicalism? You know, the approach that
42:37
seems to focus heavily on visible success numbers, outward
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metrics. How does that inadvertently feed
42:42
covetousness? Yeah, this one could be subtle,
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but quite damaging. Pragmatic evangelicalism is
42:48
another error because it often mistakes metrics for maturity
42:51
and platforms for God's Providence.
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It can covertly catechize people, believers into envy When
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numbers become sacraments of success, when ministries compete
43:01
for converts or resources, or when simply more buildings,
43:05
bigger budgets, bigger crowds becomes the primary measure of
43:08
faithfulness or God's blessing. Measuring the wrong things.
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Measuring the wrong things exactly.
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This runs directly contrary to Paul's teaching in First
43:15
Corinthians 3, where he says, What then is Apollo's?
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What is Paul? Servants.
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So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything but only
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God who gives the growth. Pragmatism often subtly suggests
43:27
that bigger barns prove blessing, much like the rich
43:30
fool believed. But Scripture says that it is
43:33
required of stewards that they be found faithful, First
43:35
Corinthians 4.2 not necessarily outwardly successful by worldly
43:39
standards. The pursuit of novelty may be
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crowd pleasing methods, often paired with a subtle love of
43:44
human praise, can actually nourish coveting disguised as
43:48
vision or strategic planning. A Reformed corrective grounded
43:51
in Scripture centers on the ordinary means of grace, Word,
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sacraments, and prayer as the God appointed instruments
43:58
through which Christ, not charisma or outward success
44:01
metrics, grows his church faithfully.
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It's about faithfulness, depth, and God's work.
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Not necessarily flash in numbers.
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But the good news, the truly wonderful news in all this, is
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that God hasn't just diagnosed the problem.
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He has provided the spiritual help we need to overcome this
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central treachery of the heart. And it's not by mere human
44:20
resolve or willpower, but it's through the Holy Spirit working
44:23
powerfully through His appointed instruments, His means of grace.
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OK, so where do we start with these ordinary means of grace to
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retrain our desires, to really reorient our hearts away from
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that grasping mornus? We begin, as always in the
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Christian life, with the Word of God preaching.
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Faithful preaching places the soul beneath the living voice of
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Christ. His Word exposes grasping
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mourners as idolatry and reorders our treasure toward
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heaven. Romans 10.16 says faith comes by
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hearing the word of Christ. Colossians 3.5 calls us to put
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covetousness to death. Matthew 6 tells us to store
44:57
treasure in heaven. Both law and gospel must sound
45:01
from the pulpit and in our reading.
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The law, part of the Word unearths the grasping heart,
45:05
shows us our sin, and guides the regenerate toward contentment
45:08
and charity. And personal reading too.
45:10
Absolutely. Regularly reading and meditating
45:12
on Scripture is crucial. For example, dwelling in Psalm
45:15
73 can help turn envy of the wicked's prosperity into worship
45:18
of God's goodness and justice. Meditating on Psalm 16.5 to 6
45:23
helps instill A settled conviction that God Himself is
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our true portion, our inheritance.
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These aren't just academic exercises, they are heart
45:30
shaping encounters with the living God through His Word.
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OK, word first. What about the sacraments?
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How do baptism in the Lord's Supper help fight covetousness?
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The sacraments are powerful means of grace here, too.
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The Lord's Supper, for instance, embodies this reordering by
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teaching us reception over achievement.
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We received the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
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We don't earn it. It feeds us spiritually on
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Christ Himself as our true portion, reminding us where our
45:55
real satisfaction lies. And it knits believers together
45:59
into one body that shares its goods, fostering community over
46:02
individualism. Right, it's a communal meal.
46:04
It is, and baptism seals our new identity in Christ.
46:08
It marks believers off from, you could say, Mammon's empire, and
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incorporates us into a Kingdom where contentment is a fruit of
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belonging to Christ and his people.
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It's a visible sign that we have died to that old grasping self
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and are raised to new life in Him.
46:21
And prayer. Prayer completes this triad of
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ordinary means. Prayer converts anxious craving
46:26
into supplication with Thanksgiving, as Philippians 4.6
46:29
to 7 puts it. And the result, the peace of
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God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
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hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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Prayer allows that peace to guard us from comparison and a
46:42
sense of lack. This includes specific kinds of
46:45
prayer, like consciously turning comparison into intercession for
46:48
the person you envy, turning acquisition desires into
46:51
adoration for God who gives all good gifts, turning anxiety
46:55
about provision into petition for our daily needs, trusting
46:59
our Father. Beyond these foundational means
47:01
of grace, what specific practices and disciplines can
47:04
help us starve greed and strengthen generosity in our
47:07
daily lives? How do we work this out
47:09
practically? Yeah, there are several
47:11
intentional practices the church has historically cultivated.
47:14
Sabbath observance, for instance, acts as a kind of anti
47:16
covet liturgy. Truly resting from labor
47:19
confesses that our provision ultimately comes from God's
47:21
Providence, not just our relentless accumulation.
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It's a weekly act of trust and dependence.
47:26
That's a great way to think about Sabbath.
47:28
Generosity is another key practice, of course.
47:30
This includes things like first fruits giving, establishing
47:32
regular financial liturgies by setting aside a proportion first
47:36
as God has prospered us like Paul instructs in First
47:38
Corinthians 16.2. This trains our will and
47:41
allegiance to God, making giving a conscious act of worship, not
47:45
an afterthought. Secret giving, as Jesus
47:47
commanded in Matthew 6, strikes directly at Vainglory and the
47:51
desire for human praise. It's about giving for God's eyes
47:54
only, purifying our motives. Practicing restitution for past
47:58
harm where possible and appropriate, like Zacchaeus did
48:01
in Luke 19, is also vital for healing relationships and
48:05
demonstrating true repentance from dishonest gain.
48:08
And generally just cultivating open handedness.
48:10
Flowing from Christ's act of becoming poor for our gain
48:13
should be the normal ethic of a people bought by His blood.
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What about work and simplicity? Absolutely essential, honest
48:19
labor and stewardship, working diligently as unto the Lord, not
48:23
just for self security, where to get ahead of others, but as
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Ephesians 4.28 says, so that he may have something to share with
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anyone in need. Contentment actually energizes
48:33
wise labor and prudent saving while curbing frantic, anxious
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accumulation. Simplicity is embraced as
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wisdom, not legalism. Praying Agor's prayer for
48:44
neither poverty nor possessions, Proverbs 30 helps us learn the
48:47
freedom of enough before God. Hospitality is another practice.
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It turns our possessions into pathways of love, converting our
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houses and tables from maybe trophies of our success into
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tools for ministry and building community.
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Using what we have for others. Exactly.
49:02
Fasting to practice quietly as Jesus taught can unsettle the
49:05
souls alliances with comfort and redirect desire to Christ, the
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true bread of life. It's a way of saying my deepest
49:11
hunger is for God, not for these lessons things.
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And finally, regular meditation on God's Providence and the last
49:16
day helps relativize earthly gain.
49:19
It teaches us to measure wealth by what survives resurrection,
49:21
but what truly lasts into eternity.
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It puts everything into proper perspective.
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These are powerful individual practices, but what about the
49:28
church's role, the communal practices in fighting
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covetousness? You said earlier it can't be
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something we just do alone. No.
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Communal practices are incredibly important because sin
49:38
clings to community too, and covetousness needs to be
49:42
mortified and replaced with generosity within the rhythms of
49:45
ordinary church life. This includes, when necessary,
49:49
church discipline, treating persistent, unrepentant greed as
49:53
an excommunicable sin. As First Corinthians 5 and
49:55
Ephesians 5 indicate, this isn't about being harsh or judgmental,
49:59
but about protecting the church's witness and purity.
50:01
And ultimately, seeking the sin is repentance and restoration.
50:04
It also means ensuring elders are not lovers of money.
50:07
Modeling faithfulness. Accountability seems key too.
50:10
Very much so. This involves inviting mature
50:12
believers or elders to ask specific, sometimes
50:15
uncomfortable questions about envy, spending habits, secret
50:19
giving for couples, reviewing budgets prayerfully together for
50:24
singles, and listing community for counsel and honest feedback.
50:27
We need each other. Family cultivation plays a key
50:30
role as well. Catechizing children with the
50:32
10th commandment from a young age, modeling rejoicing in
50:35
others gifts and blessings, curating media diets to avoid
50:37
constantly feeding discontent. Maybe practicing gratitude
50:40
journals together, or setting aside small weekly alms as a
50:43
family. This cultivates a home economy
50:46
of gratitude rather than one of constant grasp.
50:48
Controlling inputs. That's interesting.
50:50
Yeah, we need to be intentional about controlling our inputs,
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naming specific idols, what things are capturing our hearts,
50:56
cutting off supply lines that inflamed comparison.
50:59
Maybe that means unfollowing certain social media accounts or
51:02
limiting exposure to advertising that makes us feel inadequate.
51:06
We need to be ruthless here like Jesus said about cutting off a
51:09
hand or plucking out an eye if it causes you to sin.
51:13
And finally, communal confession of heart sins including
51:16
covetousness and corporately praying for joy and others.
51:19
Prosperity helps foster a healthy church environment where
51:22
open handedness becomes normal and celebrated.
51:25
Ultimately, coveting dies where Christ is publicly proclaimed,
51:29
sacramentally received, prayerfully enjoyed, and
51:32
practically obeyed within the community of faith.
51:34
Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag 7. Addressing common questions and
51:38
objections. OK, as we wrestle with this
51:40
whole topic, many questions naturally arise, don't they,
51:43
From our own experiences, maybe our intuitions?
51:45
Let's try and address some of these common points, drawing
51:47
from our sources to clarify and maybe reinforce what we've
51:50
discussed. Yeah, that's an important step
51:52
because these questions often reveal areas where our
51:55
understanding of covetousness might still be a bit unclear, or
51:59
maybe where some of those counterfeit cures we talked
52:01
about still seem attractive. It helps us apply these truths
52:04
to real life situations. Right.
52:05
First off, is desire itself inherently good?
52:09
We touched on this, but let's clarify and related to that.
52:11
Is ambition just baptize greed or can ambition actually be
52:15
healthy for a Christian? My good questions.
52:17
Desire itself, as we said, is creational and good.
52:21
It's not inherently corrupt. God made things pleasant to the
52:24
sight and good for food. The problem isn't desire itself,
52:26
but sin distorting it, like Eve's desire for the forbidden
52:29
tree. So the remedy isn't
52:31
desirelessness, but reordering, loving God supremely and
52:34
neighbor rightly, as Jesus taught.
52:36
It's about receiving God's gifts with Thanksgiving while actively
52:39
refusing that pleionexia, that grasping idolatry.
52:42
Ambition too, isn't necessarily just baptized greed.
52:45
There can be such a thing as holy aspiration, aiming at God's
52:48
glory and the good of others, like Paul talks about it First
52:50
Corinthians 10.31, doing all for God's glory.
52:53
It involves laboring diligently, as Colossians 3 encourages,
52:56
working hardly for the Lord. But the key is measuring success
52:59
by faithfulness, not by accumulation.
53:01
As First Corinthians 4 remind stewards.
53:04
The difference lies in the ultimate end.
53:05
Is it Christ's glory or self aggrandizement?
53:07
And the means used, Are they marked by integrity or
53:09
manipulation? And the fruit produced, does it
53:12
lead to service or just more envy?
53:14
That distinction end means fruit is really helpful.
53:17
But what about the practical side?
53:18
Again, does Jesus's command to the rich young ruler mean all
53:22
Christians must divest themselves of wealth?
53:24
And maybe a common concern, won't contentment actually kill
53:28
industry and innovation? If we're content, why bother
53:30
working hard? OK, two important points there.
53:33
First, no, Jesus's call to the rich young ruler to sell all his
53:37
possessions was contextually a heart specific summons that
53:40
exposed A rival God. His wealth and his heart wasn't
53:43
intended as the universal command for all believers and
53:45
all times to become destitute. Scripture elsewhere charges the
53:49
wealthy, not the hope and riches, but to be generous and
53:51
ready to share. As Paul instructs Timothy,
53:53
wealth can be studed righteously.
53:55
The sin is not necessarily having much but being mastered
53:57
by it. Remember Jesus's words, you
53:59
cannot serve God and money. The issue is mastery.
54:02
As for contentment killing industry, I'd argue quite the
54:04
opposite. True godly contentment actually
54:07
energizes wise, faithful labor. We're called to work quietly,
54:10
provide for our own safe, prudently.
54:11
Think of the Ant in Proverbs 6 or Paul's instructions in First
54:14
Thessalonians 4. However, we refuse anxious
54:17
hoarding, understanding that our heavenly Father knows our needs
54:19
is Jesus assures us in Matthew 6.
54:22
Contentment actually curbs frantic, fear driven
54:24
accumulation and converts work into worship that frees us to
54:27
labor faithfully without the crush and pressure of finding
54:29
our ultimate security or identity in our work or its
54:32
financial rewards. OK, so how then can we
54:35
distinguish prudent saving from sinful greed?
54:38
Sometimes that line feels a bit blurry in practice.
54:41
And is simplicity choosing a simpler lifestyle just a form of
54:44
legalism? Discerning prudent saving from
54:46
greed really comes down to examining our hope and motive.
54:50
We need to ask ourselves some hard questions.
54:53
Where is my hope truly placed? Is it in my savings account or
54:56
is it in God? Does my saving throttle
54:59
generosity, making me hesitant to give cheerfully?
55:02
Have I driven primarily by fear of the future or pride in my
55:05
self-sufficiency, or by love for God and neighbor?
55:08
Why? Saving serves our vocation,
55:10
provides for future needs, enables generosity.
55:13
Hoarding serves only the self, like the rich fool building
55:16
bigger barns for himself. It's about the heart's posture.
55:20
Regarding simplicity, it doesn't have to be legalistic at all.
55:23
Scripture definitely rejects self-made religion and a harsh
55:26
treatment of the body as means of spirituality.
55:29
Paul warns against that in Colossians 2, but it commends
55:31
sober moderation, like Edgar's prayer in Proverbs 30 and
55:35
Christian freedom, indisputable matters like Paul discusses in
55:37
Romans 14. Choosing simplicity can be an
55:40
act of wisdom and love made in freedom before God, perhaps to
55:43
free up resources for giving or to resist consumer culture.
55:46
It's not about earning merit or judging others who make
55:49
different choices. Now, shifting to Christian
55:51
practices in church life, Is tithing still binding under the
55:54
New Covenant? And if covetousness is primarily
55:57
an inward sin, why would the church ever get involved with
56:00
discipline for it? That seems inclusive to some.
56:02
OK, tithing first. Under the new covenant, the
56:05
emphasis shifts from a specific percentage mandated by law to
56:08
giving that is principled, proportional, cheerful, and
56:11
planned, as Paul describes in places like Second Corinthians 9
56:14
and 1st Corinthians 16. Giving generously, perhaps
56:17
starting with first fruits. Giving as a discipline serves a
56:20
wise training. It's not a meritorious task to
56:22
appease God. Its aim is to honor God with our
56:24
resources, supply the needs of the Saints, support the
56:27
ministry, and starve greed in our own hearts.
56:29
It's an expression of worship and gratitude flowing from grace
56:33
rather than a legalistic requirement.
56:35
As for church discipline for covetousness, you're right, it's
56:38
an inward idolatry. However, inward idolatries
56:41
inevitably manifest themselves in outward patterns of speech
56:44
and conduct that can harm the individual and scandalize the
56:46
body of Christ. Paul is quite clear.
56:48
First Corinthians 5 point O1 listing the greedy alongside
56:51
sexually immoral people and idolaters, saying not even to
56:54
eat with such a one. Ephesians 5.5 says no greedy
56:58
person has any inheritance in the Kingdom.
57:00
Elders must be free from the love of money.
57:02
Partiality toward the wealthy must be resisted.
57:04
So persistent, unrepentant patterns of greed are considered
57:08
disciplinable sins for the sake of the Church's purity and
57:11
witness, and critically, for the ultimate good of the Sinner to
57:15
call them back to repentance and true faith in Christ alone.
57:18
And finally, just a couple more specific questions that often
57:21
come up. Does giving to the poor
57:23
sometimes just enable laziness? And should Christians be seeking
57:27
miraculous financial breakthroughs as a sign of God's
57:29
favor? Right, the question about
57:31
enabling laziness, Christian mercy must be discerning.
57:33
Yes, Proverbs warns about being surety for a stranger.
57:36
Paul himself enjoys both generosity and responsibility,
57:39
stating plainly in second selling 3.10 to 1 quote.
57:42
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
57:45
The diaconate in the early church, as described in Acts 6,
57:48
organized aid in a way that aimed to restore dignity and
57:51
meet needs, not entrap people and dependency.
57:54
So it's about wise, loving help that empowers rather than
57:57
enables irresponsibility when possible.
58:00
Regarding miraculous financial breakthroughs, the biblical
58:02
emphasis is elsewhere. Faith sees Christ through the
58:05
ordinary means of grace, Word, sacraments, and prayer, not
58:08
primarily through seeking financial windfalls as signs of
58:11
special favor or as a result of some spiritual technique.
58:14
That sounds more like the prosperity gospel.
58:16
Again, we're taught to pray for daily bread.
58:18
Matthew 6 point O1 Work honestly.
58:20
Ephesians 4.28. Give quietly and generously.
58:22
Matthew 6.3 to 4 and trust God's sovereign Providence.
58:25
WCFV. The gospel neither canonizes
58:27
abundance nor austerity. It canonizes Christ Himself as
58:31
our all sufficient portion, the One who's truly enough for us
58:35
regardless of our bank balance. So in some, when we pull it all
58:38
together, covetousness is truly rival worship.
58:42
It's the heart seeking life, security, and ultimate
58:44
satisfaction from created things rather than from the living God.
58:48
The law powerfully exposes its true idolatrous nature within
58:52
us, and the gospel provides the forgiveness, the power, and the
58:54
enablement we need to truly overcome it through the work of
58:57
Christ in the Spirit. So what does this all mean for
59:00
us listening today? Well, it means repenting of
59:03
those rival affections, those things we look to instead of
59:06
God. It means receiving again,
59:08
perhaps daily, the sufficiency of our crucified and risen Lord.
59:12
And it means walking in the freedom of open hands and
59:14
cheerful hearts that his grace enables.
59:17
This isn't about conceding to scarcity.
59:18
It's actually conquest over the deceitful grip of always wanting
59:22
more. Indeed, in Christ, true
59:25
contentment is gained as faith learns day by day to count him
59:29
as gain and everything else is loss.
59:31
As Paul puts it so powerfully in Philippians 3, the world
59:35
constantly bombards you with the message you are what you have.
59:37
Christ says you are mine and that changes everything.
59:41
Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into understanding and
59:44
overcoming covetousness. May the Spirit use these
59:46
insights to reorder your desires and strengthen your reliance on
59:49
Christ alone. We pray that this conversation
59:51
has helped you see more clearly how to be rich toward God,
59:55
finding your true treasure where it truly lasts in Him.
59:58
Until next time, may you live out the truth that Jesus is
1:00:00
enough.