All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
A FAITH THAT WORKS THROUGH LOVE
Introduction
2 Peter 1:1-9 (New International Reader's Version)
1- I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter. I serve Jesus Christ. I am his apostle.
I am sending this letter to you who have received a faith as valuable as ours.
You received it because our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right and fair for everyone.
2-May more and more grace and peace be given to you. May they come to you as you learn more about God and about Jesus our Lord.
3-God's power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life. All of that has come to us because we know the One who chose us.
He chose us because of his own glory and goodness.
4-He has also given us his very great and valuable promises.
He did it so you could share in his nature.
He also did it so you could escape from the evil in the world.
That evil is caused by sinful longings.
5-So you should try very hard to add goodness to your faith.
To goodness, add knowledge.
6-To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves.
To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going.
To the strength to keep going, add godliness.
7-To godliness, add kindness to believers.
And to kindness to believers, add love.
8-You should possess more and more of those good points.
They will make you useful and fruitful as you get to know our Lord Jesus Christ better.
9-But what if some of you do not have those good points?
Then you can't see very well. You are blind.
You have forgotten that your past sins have been washed away.
PRAY.....
In this Scripture Peter is exhorting Believers to grow in their spiritual lives…
Peter begins his discussion by dealing with the basis of growth, which is twofold.
The first thing that is basic for spiritual growth is found in verse 3 and it is God’s power.
Verse 3-God's power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life. All of that has come to us because we know the One who chose us.
The word “power” in the GR. Is “Dunamis”; miraculous power, might, strength)
God has promised divine power for spiritual growth.
We do not and can not live the Christian life in our own strength.
God empowers us through the indwelling power of the Spirit who makes us into living witnesses.
Acts 1:8 Jesus said; “but you will receive power (dunamas) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Jesus would have said it this way if this took place here in Rutland.
“but you will receive power (dunamas) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Rutland, and in all New England and The United States Of America, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Peter shares some remarkable things about how to live out the Christian life here in our main text.. You will notice that they already have obtained precious faith (Verse 1), and have been made partakers of the divine nature.(obtained an equal privilege of the divine nature)
This is a very good beginning, being a partaker by faith, but it is not to be rested in, as if we were already perfect.
Notice in verse 3 that Peter writes that we now possess everything we need to live for, and to serve God with.
These provisions are in place because we know the One (Jesus Christ), and because He has called us by his glorious goodness.
In these provisions that God has given to us there contains according to verse 4,
great and valuable promises or exceedingly great and precious promises.”
The words “exceeding and great” are
translated from a single Greek word. The English equivalent
is “mega” and is used to describe something super colossal
or extraordinarily huge.
These provisions, or gifts, show us two things;
First that we can share in God's nature
It is through the Ten Commandments that God reveals His very own nature and character.
The Ten Commandments as given on Mount Sinai are a reflection of God's nature in that they also contain universal and unchanging principles of morality and describe our relationship to God and our fellow human beings.
In Ephesians 4:24 the Apostle Paul writes; “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
In 1John 3:2 the Apostle John writes; “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.
We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
This new self in the likeness of God's nature is produced in each of God's children by the Holy Spirit as we yield to Him.
The second provision is that we won't be ruined by the world with it's evil desires.
We all have known people ruined by worldly evil desires. This new nature, or new self we have received through Christ will keep us from ruining our lives, living in the world, and giving into evil desires.
This new nature will help us to live above the entanglements of the world. It is the power, the (dunimas) of God at work in the life of the Believer.
We will never experience in the fullness of God’s power, and His enabling power in our lives if we are facing our trials and tribulations in our own strength.
Ephesians 2:3 Paul writes; “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Because we have these blessings and provisions,
we should do our best to add some very important things to our faith.
Real, impacting, effectual faith will have results, and it will be lived out!
Faith is received alone, but it does not stand alone; it is to be shown in our works.
Faith will be backed up by the proof that it is present in a person.
If there is no proof, there is a good chance that the vessel is empty of faith.
If the label says “coke,” and when you open it and pour it in a glass, all that comes out is “chicken feathers,” you may come to the conclusion that the label and contents do not measure up to each other.
This is the same case with regards to faith. Faith is given and received by Christ’s work of grace alone, then that faith is worked out in our daily lives.
Paul writes in Philippians 2:12; “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
(give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts; BIBE)
As we read in in the book of James 2:14-26, James’ makes a point that salvation in itself does not require works, or an effort to receive it, or even to cement it; rather, real faith will result in an outcome that backs it up. (that is Good works)
Real genuine faith will be lived out in the believer’s life, in the way he thinks, his words, and in his actions.
From the realization of who we are in Christ, Faith will create initiative that will be lived out in our every day lives, in Him, through His power, and because of our convictions.
Notice back in our text in 1Peter 1:1-9
Our relationship with God begins with faith, and ends up with love, from something that is a substance of things hoped for,(Heb 11:1) to having the love of God poured into our hearts,. (Rom 5:5) and flowing out through the Believer to touch this hurting world.
All these things mentioned are also the fruit coming forth out of our lives because of our relationship with the Lord which stimulates them to grow in our lives. (see Galatians 5:22-23 )
1Peter 1:5-9
The word “ADD” in verse 5 is from the Greek word that we get our English words “choreography” and “chorus”.
If all these seven graces are added, it will result in the harmony of the soul. A good choir or chorus always reaches harmony.
To your faith, add goodness;(character, moral excellence, or virtue ) that is as you are growing in your faith, develop goodness .
To your goodness, add knowledge; that is in exercising goodness,develop knowledge. (a understanding way, or intelligence)
2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
To your knowledge, add self-control; ( temperance, or a quiet mind to self-control ) that is in growing in knowledge, we are to allow God to develop self control in us.
To your self-control, add patience;( steadfastness, temperance, endurance )
that is in developing self control, we are to allow God to develop more patient in us.
To your patience, add Godliness ; that is as we are becoming more patient, we are to begin to serve God by living Godly lives.
To your Godliness, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; that is while we becoming more like Jesus in our character, we are to become kind to others.
To kindness to believers, add love.
That is while we are becoming more kind to one another, we are to begin to exercise Christian love (the love of God).
“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” ( Romans 5:5 )
It all starts with faith; as Paul wrote to timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, “and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
There is a promise for those who possess these 7 things
.
They will make you useful (not inactive, or idle) and fruitful (not barren) as you get to know our Lord Jesus Christ better.” (Verse 8)
The consequences for not pursuing these 7 things
But anyone who does not have these things. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins.” ( 2Peter 1:9 )
We can say, therefore, that a person without these vital qualities of v 5-7 suffers from spiritual blindness since they do not see reality, life, or the Christian experience as God sees them.
They are shortsighted, “even to the point of blindness. They cannot see beyond this life and cannot see the need to add these things to their faith.
They are blind to the spiritual truths which they need to grasp in order to function properly in this present world.
They become like a blind man, lacking either cane or guide-dog, they trips and stumbles constantly.
As Christians, It is important that we see the need to put these things into practice in our everyday lives!
See verse 10; “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.”
For if you do these things, you will never fall.
NASV for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.
Wouldn’t it be great if, as Christians, we would never stumble?
Peter tells us a way to accomplish that task. He says that if we add to our faith these 7 things things he listed, we will never stumble.
Remember, Peter wrote by inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
This is awesome! God has revealed to us a way to never stumble, or fall.
What more motivation does the Christian need to put these things into practice.
In Galatians 5:6 Paul write; “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
We have the responsibility to practice our faith. We are not great at it at the start.
Just like learning to drive a car, or play a piano, it takes time to master, no matter how talented we may be.
We have to work at it by; learning, absorbing, and then applying what we have learned.
The point here is that moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and Godly love, make us effective, fruitful, servants of the Lord.
Isn't that what we all want as Christians?
Philippians 4:3 Paul writes,” I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
So if we are truly Christians then we have no excuse not to develop these in our personal lives with the help of The Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
God has done many wonderful things for us by saving us from our sin and by strengthening and empowering us in our Christian lives.
He has, as Peter says, given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” He has given us “exceedingly great and precious promises” that not only secure our future in Heaven, but bless our lives even now.
As you know, our salvation was itself a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 says; ''For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone boast.”
So I am not saying that our good works can save us, they can not, and no one can get into Heaven because of their good works.
Our good works come forth out of a changed heart that has been cleansed from sin by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. ;
The power and the supernatural ability to live the Christian life comes not from us, but from God, from the Holy Spirit who indwells us, but that does not mean we are released from all human responsibility.
Christians who are saved by grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit are obligated to God to work together with Him, and cooperate with Him, as He conforms us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He demands something from us. That is the bottom line of this message: the human responsibility of the child of God.
It seems that the only Scripture that many Christians know about good works is that we are not saved by them (Eph. 2:8,9)!
We are not to have an attitude that good works are insignificant in the life of a Christian.
Christians are to let their light shine before men which means that we are to do good deeds before others, even the unsaved:
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Mat 5:16)
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Pet 2:12)
The Christian's life is to have good deeds, even to the point of abounding in them:
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians. 2:10)
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8)
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Col 1:10)
So as a Christian our purpose or aims is to do good works, which can be done if we cleanse ourselves spiritually: (by being born again)
“If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” (2 Tim 2:21)
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (1 Pet 3:15-17)
Prayer
Father God your Word clearly teaches that faith is the beginning point of our journey with you.
So I pray for those who do not know you here today who maybe are believing a lie that there good works will get them to Heaven. It is only through faith that the sacrifice of Jesus, and his shed blood paid the full price of all our sin that saves us.
Today Father God help us to examine our lives and finally be honest about our relationship with you.
Help us to grow in our relationship with you by walking these things out in our every day lives that we have discussed this morning..
We do ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to bring about these things in our lives.
Make us good, knowledgeable, self controlled, Patient, Godly, kind, and loving men and women.
We pray that our lives will reflect the glory of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Father forgive us for falling short of your glorious ideal that you have for each of us.
We desire more than anything to please you in all that we say and do. So it is our desire that we would have a faith that works by love which is pleasing and acceptable to you. In Jesus name amen.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Christopher Kendall on
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Amen I Love the Greek meaning of words
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Permalink Reply by Ramona P. Jacobsz on
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A Love That Perseveres
by William Batson
Joe operated on the assumption that if the pilot light goes out, the furnace won't heat. If the love is gone, it's gone. Many people like Joe feel that when the emotion vanishes, the marriage is over, terminated, finished, kaput.
A lasting marriage is energized by a steady flow of a special kind of love between partners. I call it a "Christ-like love." It is the same kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Christ-like love is realistic, whereas romantic love is idealistic. God loves us even though He knows us thoroughly. He loves us despite our faults and sins. We read in Romans 5:8 these words: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." For Joe and Carol's marriage to persevere, they must accept each other's inability to perfectly fulfill all of their expectations.
Christ-like love is basically willful. God willfully chose to love us. This kind of love is not without emotion, but it doesn't depend on emotion. It involves a choice. Marriages that persevere and thrive are those where spouses choose to be patient and overlook insignificant issues. They choose to forgive and release grudges in order to build a hedge of protection around their love.
Another characteristic of Christ-like love is that it is sacrificial. The Apostle Paul writes: "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). That is a one-way kind of action: giving with the possibility of not getting anything in return. During times of stress or sickness, one spouse may be demanding more than he/she is supplying. It will take some sacrificial loving to get over those spots.
Christ-like love is something you do. It is motion, not just emotion. You decide to be kind, patient, trusting, even when you don't feel love for your spouse. Joe was able to save his marriage by applying this principle.
Charles Sell tells a story that is too good to be true. But it does teach a very important lesson. A man hated his wife so much he desperately wanted out of the marriage. He described the situation to the divorce lawyer. "Do you hate her that much?", the lawyer questioned. "Yes," the man confirmed his contempt. "Would she like a divorce?" asked the lawyer. "Yes, that would be no problem; she wants out, too," the wife hater said.
"Divorcing her now is not a very wise thing to do," the lawyer advised, conning his client. He then went on to explain his plan. If the man hated her so much, divorcing her would only make her happy. That was hardly a good way to get even. Going back home, he should do everything he could to make his wife love him. Be a perfect husband. "Then, after she is passionately in love with you, file for divorce." Venomous hatred seething in his innards, the husband was ecstatic over this plan. He left the office with a cool determination to put it into effect immediately.
The end of the story is not hard to guess. When his wife responded in love to his generous, thoughtful behavior, he just wasn't about to divorce her. They lived happily ever after.
The message is a powerful one. The kind of love that solidifies into the toughest bond of marriage is primarily characterized by Christ-likeness. If you cultivate your marital love in this way, the bond will be richer and stronger.
(William Batson is Director of Vision New England's Family Builders Ministries.)
© 1998 William Batson
<:))))>
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Ramona P. -
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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on
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A FAITH THAT WORKS THROUGH LOVE
MESSAGE 2
The Ten Commandments as a fundamental structure for the law of love.
TEXT – Exodus 20:1-17
INTRODUCTION
In this second message based on Galatians 5:6; “It is a Faith that works through love." we shall discover that the ten commandments are the framework, or a fundamental structure for developing a faith that works by love.
There have been many who have taken the 10 commandments and divided them up so that the first 4 deal with our relationship with God, and the other 6 deal with our relationship with one another as I have done in the past myself.
Recently I was quickened to a truth that one of the commands could deal with our relationship with God, and with one another. So I wanted to really take a deeper look at the commandments for myself and see if all the commands dealt with both of these relationships or not.
Just as when a house is being built, a foundation is laid, then it is framed out. So the ten commandments are the framework for our Christian lives, with our faith in Christ being the foundation.
Matthew wrote in chapter 22:35-40 that; “One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?
And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
“This is the great and foremost commandment.
“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14, “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Let us take a look down through these commandments to see for ourselves how the law governs our relationship with God and others.
1. Exodus 20:3"You must not have any other gods except me.”
The first command clearly commands fidelity to God. This is the Trinity. God The Father, God The Son, and God the Holy Spirit which as a whole makes up the one true God.
When we choose to make something in our lives more important than our relationship with God, then we have made those things our god.
Now how can this command spill over in our relationships to one another?
The answer is that until our fidelity is to God alone, and to what pleases Him, that our relationships will be always be in jeopardy with one another.
For when we have put away from us all the false god's; humanism, license, intellectualism, and all our ways of thinking that are contrary to God's will, then we will find that our relationships with each other will flourish.
Remember it is the law of love to be faithful to God and to one another.
2. Exodus 20:4 "You must not make for yourselves an idol...
This command makes a lot of since to us in regards to God because we know that no created image could ever be a good representation of who God is in His fullness.
Now how does this commandment relate to our relationship to one another?
The answer is that just as we are not to make images or snapshots of God and say that is who he is; we are not to take snapshots of each other or make judgments in regards to one another.
If we cast snap shot judgment of some one, and say that this is who they are, then we are not walking in the law of love that causes us to bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7) “
Do not judge (or GR make a decision about some one ) so that you will not be judged (have a decision made about you) .” Matthew 7:1
Romans 14:13 says; “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.''
So a faith that works by love in the Christians life compels us not to make snapshot judgments about God, or one another.
3.Exodus 20:7 "You must not use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly;(or in vane)
We take God's name in vain, First, By hypocrisy, making profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession.
Secondly, By covenant breaking. If we make promises to God, and perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain.
Thirdly, By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, but to no purpose, or to no good purpose.
Fourthly, By false - swearing, which some think is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment.
Fifthly, By using the name of God lightly and carelessly.
We can also dishonor one another through hypocrisy, by breaking our promises, by making some one but of a joke, by lying about each other, etc.
We are to obey the law of love to also not speak thoughtlessly about one another. How many people have been hurt by the thoughtless words said about them?
The law of love demands that we treat one another in the same reverence as we do with the name of the Lord, and that no corrupt communication should come out of our mouths about God or about one another.
4. Exodus 20:8"Remember to keep the Sabbath holy''.
We can understand that we need to take a break from the grind of life to spend some time being refreshed by the Lord and resting.
Now how does keeping the Sabbath holy have anything to do with our relationship with one another?
The answer is that we need to also set apart time for one another. The Sabbath is about refreshing, renewing, resting, and enjoying God and one another.
The law of love draws us into a loving relationship with God and with one another. We take time out to enjoy these relationships which cause them to flourish.
”There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. “(Hebrews 4:9-11)
5. Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother...
Now here we have specific command in regards to our relationships with each other. (our parents)
How does honoring our father and mother also apply to our relationship with God?
The answer is that as we are loving our parents by honoring them, then we are honoring our God who is our ultimate parent.
There is so much we learn about God in the parent child relationship. We learn that the law of love teaches us to honor those who have been place in a position of responsibility over us.
This command does not say to honor our parents if they are honorable. We honor them because we love them, and because we love God. And by honoring them we are honoring God too.
6. Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
We discover in the New Testament that hatred is the same as murder, and that we can not covet hatred in our hearts and have a relationship with God.
The scripture says that when we refuse to forgive, that we can not be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) We create a barrier between us and God.
It is a miracle of the grace of God in our lives that we are able to forgive, and be delivered from a bitter spirit. The law of love demands that we forgive. Then we can echo with Jesus, “forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
7. Exodus 20:14“You shall not commit adultery.
Once again the New Testament deals with adultery in the heart. Adultery in a heart is born out of selfishness, it says I will not be faithful to my spouse because I do not value my commitment I made to them.
All through the Old Testament Israel was always depicted as an adulterer in her relationship with God. We can just look at the Life of David to see how much adultery in a heart can lead a person into so many other destructive sins like lying, and even murder.
David said when he repented that his adultery, deception , and murder was against God only.
(Psalm 51:3-4)”For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.”
The law of love call us to be faithful in our commitments to God, and to one another.
8. Exodus 20:15) “You shall not steal.”
Stealing says a lot about some ones relationship with God and with others. There are many reasons why some one would steal, but it all comes down to what some one values.
Are things more important to me than relationships?
If we value our relationship with God, then we will not be stealing from one another. When we see that relationships are much more important then possessions, then we will see that the law of love will keep us from stealing that which belongs to another, which in reality belongs to God.
9. (Exodus 20:16) “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
The 9th commandment forbids misinterpreting the truth in our relations with others.
This is a moral obligation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth in our relations with each other.
Offenses against the truth express by word or deed is a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness:
“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
The Old Testament contains a number of prohibitions of false witness, lying, spreading false reports, etc.
In cases where false testimony was suspected (perjury), the judges were to make a thorough investigation, and if false testimony were proven, the false witness was to receive the punishment he had intended to bring on the person falsely accused.
Bearing false witness against some one else is offensive to the God who is truth. Truth is a liberator just as lies create enslavement. The devil is called the father of lies.
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
The law of love demands that we do not bear false witness against our neighbor, but rather speak the truth in love. In doing so we will find ourselves walking in the true nature of God which is the truth.
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
(1John 1:8-10)
So we can even bear false witness about ourselves , against God, as well as others. The truth is the pathway to freedom and freedom is a result of the law of love that is the foundation for relationship with others, and with God.
10. (Exodus 20:17) “You shall not covet.”
It has been said, "selfishness is the parent of all sins.
Our English word "covet" comes from a Greek word meaning "grasping for more."
Dictionaries define "covet" as "grasping, greedy, greed of wealth with a view of hoarding it."
Covetousness springs from a selfish nature.
Because a man is selfish, he covets. Because he covets he steals, lies, commits adultery, murders, disregards others.
Jesus said, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consist not in the abundance of the things which he possesses" (Luke 12:15).
We are not unlike Eve, when she lived in Eden and felt deprived.
Much of our focus is on what we want that we don't already have. This attitude makes it difficult, and all but impossible to enjoy the riches we do have.
(Ecclesiastes 4:8 NIV)
“There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless-- a miserable business!”
(Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NIV)
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?”
Too often many people spend their lives comparing themselves to others, coveting where they are, and what they have.
Paul writes,"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV).
God is Concerned with Our Hearts Desires.
All other commandments forbid overt sin, but this one reaches to the inner motives, condemning as evil the entertaining of the thoughts of wrongdoing.
Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Psalm 94:11, "The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.”
There is something we do need to covet in our live, we must covet God's will for our lives.
The psalmist writes,"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).
To covet other things in place of God is a violation of the law of love because we are placing more value on other things than on God himself.
(Proverbs 30:7-9)
"Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
CONCLUSION
The first four commandments instruct us to put God first. The last six commandments teach us what happens to our relationship with others when we put God first.
We must not forget that our relationships with each other are governed by our relationship with God.
When Christ came, He not only sought to reconcile the world to himself, but he also sought to reconcile us to one another.
We must remember, there can be no reconciliation with God when we are not reconciled to each other.
(Ephesians 2:13-18)
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (NIV)”
In the immediate context Paul is speaking of Jew and Gentile, but it applies to all.
Christ came to make peace. He seeks to destroy the hostility between us through the cross as he reconciles us to God in one body, which is the church.
Christ seeks to bring peace to our relationships by recreating us in his own image.
Christ came to reconcile us to God through the love manifested on the cross.
The law of love isn't about rule keeping, but it is a boundary that God set up for us to be able to love one another and to love Him.
1Corinthians 13 Paul describes The kind of love that He is reproducing in His children.
I choose to call it the law of love when defining the word agape' in this scripture, for it is the love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that enables us to love God, and to love one another. (Romans 5:5)
This is the practical walking out of this love that has been deposited in each of us by the Holy Spirit and the boundaries set forth in the Ten Commandments defines our relationship with God and with one another.
1- If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have the law of love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 - If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have the law of love, I am nothing.
3 - And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have the law of love, it profits me nothing.
The law of love is patient, the law love is kind and is not jealous; the law of love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 - does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6- does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 - bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 – the law of love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9 - For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 - but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 - When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12 - For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13 - But now abides faith, hope, and the law of love, these three; but the greatest of these is the law of love.
“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.”
Romans 13:8-10
So the Law is not something that is to be dismissed, but embraced to show us how to love God and love others in practical ways. It is how we walk out our love. -
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