Psa_66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
When we
embrace the sins we are prone towards and accept them, we are regarding them in
our hearts. We tend to cover up the sins we enjoy. We don't want to call them
sins at all. We label them faults, indiscretions, mishaps, and sometimes we
even start to call them good. We make excuses for our sins all the time.
Yesterday
we talked about coveting and how there really is a good coveting and a bad
coveting. When the royal law tells us this-
Exo
20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
-we are
obviously being directed to the coveting that is unacceptable- the coveting
that is sin.
It's not
wrong to desire a house, a wife, a servant, animals, and things that others
have. It IS wrong to desire those things specifically belonging to another to
the point of obsession. The wrongful coveting can go heart deep and push out
the coveting of things that are acceptable to covet.
What is
acceptable to covet?
1Co
12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co
12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co
12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all
workers of miracles?
1Co
12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all
interpret?
1Co
12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more
excellent way.
1Co
14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy
1Co
14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye
may prophesy.
Mat
5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for
they shall be filled.
Covet the
best gifts- GIFTS FROM GOD, spiritual gifts.
Covet to
prophesize- a gift from God.
Desire
SPIRITUAL gifts, to prophesize.
Hunger and
Thirst after RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Do you see
what we are to covet? NOT earthly things, and all these--
Our
neighbor's house.
Our
neighbor's wife.
Our
neighbor's servants.
Our
neighbor's possessions.
These are
ALL earthly, earth focused things. Houses, spouses, workers, possessions. We are NOT to desire earthly things. It goes
hand in hand with this--
Mat
6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat
6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat
6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
2Co
4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
Heb_13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things
as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
We are to
be heaven focused and in this materialistic world we live in where possessions
are prized, where we idolize people, it is not something we are inclined
toward.
We are
commanded not to covet anything that is not spiritual, that is not heavenward,
or heaven gifted.
Psa_66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
If I covet
in my heart I cannot expect the Lord to hear me.
I need to
surrender fully to the Lord in all things, leaving nothing that isn't
surrendered to Him.
May I
covet only the spiritual gifts that the Lord would have me covet and nothing
more. Please, Lord, through YOUR power, for I have none.
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