Covetousness, How deadly this sin is. selfishness and greed all rolled up into one. This one of the dangers of the doctrine of carnal Christianity let's see how this unfolds.
The False Gospel: No Change in Affections
“Covetous”2 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 “Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” - II Timothy 3:2-5
Introduction
Let us look at another of the fruits that spring from this tree of the false gospel of carnal Christianity. Staying with the truth taught that their affection is all wrong, we consider now the word “covetous,” or lovers of money. This is a carnal fruit of which God’s Word gives us many warnings by commandments and examples. Listen to I Timothy 6:9-10: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. for the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, [stretched themselves to the limit after] they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
In spite of these words of warning that a man who loves money (whose heart is eaten up with covetousness) has erred from the faith, the false gospel of carnal Christianity tells its converts that this love of money and what it will buy is natural. They say they are still babes, or carnal Christians, and everything will be all right by and by because they have made a profession; so they are saved and saved for ever.
In spite of our Lord’s warning in Luke 12:15: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”; in spite of Ephesians 5:5 telling us that a covetous man is an idolater, which breaks the second and tenth commandments; in spite of I Corinthians 6:10 which says that a covetous man shall not inherit the kingdom of God-in spite of all these warnings against covetousness and the love of money, this false gospel continues to tell its converts that they are the `King’s kids’ and that the King’s kids should have everything!
The Damning Effects
But let us further consider the damning effect of the fruit of this false doctrine of carnal Christianity! The Greek word for greed (or covetousness) is very descriptive: it means to thirst for more, always having more, and still more! It is as if a man, in order to quench his thirst, takes a drink of salt water which happens to be the only water available. This makes him even more thirsty, so he drinks again and again until his thirst actually kills him. And so it is with the sin of covetousness or greed. It is the uncontrolled yearning to have, to have more, more and still more, until covetousness kills the soul of man as he abides under the curse of God for ever. As Proverbs 27:20 tells us: “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” What a sin! Oh my friend, it’s a deep-seated sin in the soul: “The eyes of man are never satisfied.” Covetousness damns a soul to hell!
Then we see that this fruit-covetousness, the love of money-is deceitful. Our Lord warns us with a parable in Luke 12:16-21 about a rich man who was eaten up with this sin. “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
This covers it all! Covetousness makes a man treasure up for himself upon earth things for which he has no need, and lay up no treasure in heaven toward God. Covetousness deceives a man about his values. He places emphasis on things and misses the blessings of living for Christ and for others. And when this sin is found in a professing Christian, it is a blight upon Christianity. Surely one is deceived who lives in this fatal sin of covetousness, hiding under the false gospel of carnal Christianity, saying: ‘All is well with my soul because I have made a profession of faith.’
Again, covetousness is a damning sin because it hinders the Word of God coming into the soul! Through covetousness a man sees only his wants rather than the needs of his soul, so it blinds the eyes of his understanding and closes his ears to hearing God’s claims upon him and his life in the true Gospel. Through self- interests, his ears are closed to the precepts and commandments of the Word of God that God has given for the good of mankind and for His own glory. Instead of really seeking first “the kingdom of God and hi righteousness” (Matt 6:33), he runs greedily after the world, grasping and loving the things of the world. Blinded by his sinful nature because the power of sin has not been broken in his life, he heeds not the warnings of God’s Word which are given to protect and help him. So under a pretense of religion, he actually refuses the greatest good (God) and chooses the greatest evil (sin) at his own peril. As he blindly pursues his own depraved desires, he says in his soul: `I’m saved, but I must have my way: I’ll have that woman or that man if I have to break up their marriage to get them. I’ll have my pleasure and my drink, my money, my home, my job, my good times in life and my way, no matter what the consequences!’ This is the essence of evil, and the heart of every man or woman outside of Christ, even though they are told that they are carnal Christians and will go to heaven by and by because of a profession of faith!
Covetousness blinds the soul into believing a lie, into thinking he is doing the will of God, but that he has the right to do with himself as he pleases! So in his deception he is actually telling the Lord not to get in his way! But my friend, if God never comes in mercy to your soul and you die in this condition, you’re in a terrible fix. Hell from beneath will move to meet you at your coming, no matter what you profess to believe! Did you know that? Oh that God would open the hearts of every one of you who have been deceived, that you may see and cry unto God to break the power of covetousness in your heart and life! Cry unto God to come to your rescue, and to apply His precious blood by the power of His Spirit to cleanse your soul from this sin. Only God can deliver you.
Next we will take a look at the Rich Young Ruler and we will see that covetousness is actually a worship of self. check back tomorrow.
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