Sunday, May 10, 2020

Covet the Spiritual.


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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