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[Announcer] (0:00 - 0:19) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Access more audio, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com.

Our topic is: "What's Wrong With Wanting What Others Have?" Part X of our Ten Commandments Series. Here's Rick and Jonathan.

[Rick] (0:22 - 0:29) Welcome everyone, I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over twenty-five years. Jonathan, what's our theme Scripture for this episode?

[Jonathan] (0:30 - 0:43) Exodus 20:17: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

[Rick] (0:44 - 1:51) That's a long list right there. We're now ready to address the last of the Ten Commandments that God presented to Israel after He had miraculously delivered them from the slavery of their Egyptian captors. We've seen many important and guiding connections between these Commandments, each adding to what the previous ones had given. These connections were profoundly important to the nation of Israel as they created a foundation for their civil laws.

For Christians, we appreciate how Jesus elevated these Commandments to become a basis for our spiritual lives. As we now consider this final Commandment, "You shall not covet," we want to observe how it ties everything together for both Israel and for disciples of Christ. The Tenth Commandment is similar to the Second Commandment

("Do not make any idols") and the Fourth Commandment ("Remember the Sabbath") in that it not only gives the command, it also expands on the meaning of what that command is all about. It says, it's not just "don't covet"...let me tell you about coveting. That's really what happens here.

Exodus 20:17:

[Jonathan] (1:52 - 2:18) "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." The word for "covet" means "to delight in." This word "covet" is not negative by definition.

However, when this emotion is inappropriately engaged in, it brings only trouble.

[Rick] (2:20 - 2:39) That's the key. It's not by definition a bad thing, but when it's inappropriately applied, watch out--it can never end well. Let's look at an example of this.

God built perfect humanity to be drawn to desire to covet the beauty and goodness of His creation. Let's look at Genesis 2:9:

[Jonathan] (2:40 - 2:53) "Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing (or a delight) to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

[Rick] (2:54 - 3:22) You have this beauty that God built into human nature to be drawn to it, to want it. That was a good desire. God put it in the hearts of humanity.

That's a beautiful, beautiful thing. Here's what happened; Satan twisted that delight towards perceptions and applications that were not appropriate, that were not sanctioned by God.

Let's go to Genesis 3:6:

[Jonathan] (3:23 - 3:46) "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes (not the same word), and that the tree was desirable (or a delight) to make one wise (that coveting wasn't there until Satan gave the evil suggestion), she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."

[Rick] (3:46 - 5:03) That's a powerful change. We look at, that's where we see desire in a positive sense, and then in Genesis 3, desire in a very negative sense. Really, the desire to make one wise, it wasn't hers.

That wisdom wasn't hers to be had at that point. She's coveting something beyond her ability to have, beyond what God had presented for her to have. With that, we see coveting desire in a good sense, and then in a bad sense, Satan twisting it.

The very next time this word for coveting is used in the entire Bible, is in this Commandment. So you go from Creation to the Tenth Commandment, and it comes up again as this very, very big, big command. The goodness of desire, misapplied, becomes an inappropriate desire. The Law speaks about that inappropriate desire.

"Inappropriate coveting" is an internal sin of the heart, just as breaking the First Commandment--having no other gods before God--is also an internal sin of the heart. This Tenth Commandment is one of those what we've been calling "internal instructions," and it has, as we've read already, many applications. Jonathan, we're going to look at several Coveting Danger Zones.

Let's start with the first Coveting Danger Zone. Exodus 20:17:

[Jonathan] (5:03 - 5:07) "You shall not covet your neighbor's house..."

[Rick] (5:07 - 5:14) Okay, you can't covet their house.

Before we get into the house part, we've got to establish, first of all, who's your neighbor? Let's look at that.

[Jonathan] (5:15 - 5:50) Remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan when Jesus spoke to the lawyer who challenged him on the Law's greatest commandment? A man is robbed and beaten on the road. A priest and a Levite pass by and ignore him.

A Samaritan cleans his wounds and brings him to a place of rest and care. Then Jesus asked the lawyer, Luke 10:36-37: "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? And he (the lawyer) said, The one who showed mercy toward him.

Then Jesus said to him, Go and do the same."

[Rick] (5:50 - 6:14) Jesus is setting a broad standard of mutual care, and such a standard has no room for this inappropriate coveting. We've established who our neighbor is--those around us, whether you like them or not. That's essentially what Jesus is teaching us here.

Let's take that thought and put it into focus.

[Jonathan] (6:15 - 6:27) To covet your neighbor's house is to, in effect, deeply desire his or her life for your own. It is to want to be who they are and to experience what you perceive they experience.

[Rick] (6:28 - 7:03) What you perceive they experience-- you want to be who they are, right? You know, you got everything.

No, if I could only be you. That's what this kind of coveting is. Here's the thing, and here's what we need to think about in terms of coveting;

Satan was the original coveter. Despite what he had been given by God, which was a lot, he wanted the power, the authority, and the majesty that his Creator has. They weren't his to have, but that's what he wanted.

This sets the stage for what this negative coveting is all about. Let's just quickly go to that, Isaiah 14:13-14:

[Jonathan] (7:04 - 7:20) "But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High."

[Rick] (7:21 - 7:38) "I will make myself like..." Right there, right then, you see coveting gone awry. When we get ourselves into that frame of mind, we are thinking in a satanic frame of mind.

I'll make myself to be that person. I want what that person has.

[Jonathan] (7:39 - 7:52) Rick, Satan wanted to be in God's place by usurping God's authority. How selfish and arrogant he was to step over God for all He did for him. Talk about a superiority complex!

[Rick] (7:53 - 8:30) That's essentially what coveting brings us to. When we look at our own perhaps little coveting, it's like, "What's wrong with this?" Just think what's wrong with it is, it's based on a satanic principle.

Let's just make sure we put it in that perspective. Now look, Jonathan, let's get practical. You talked about coveting your neighbors' houses, in effect desiring their life for your own.

Here's the thing...the world that we live in is not equal. Christianity is made up of individuals from all walks of life, from those who have authority and earthly influence and lots of things and all of that, to those who must submit to that authority and simply have to work hard. The Scriptures deal with this. From a New Testament perspective, let's look at Ephesians 6:5-8:

[Jonathan] (8:30 - 9:23) "Slaves (meaning indentured servants), be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free." Paul is essentially telling the working class to serve as unto the Lord and to do their best in whatever work they're given. So, what might some of the worst case scenarios look like when someone allows coveting to take place in the workplace?

[Rick] (9:23 - 10:39) That's a good question. The first thing that comes to mind is goofing off. "You know what?

It's not my business. I should be the one running the business. I don't need to contribute to this.

This is a mess anyway." There's that sense of entitlement that I can decide what and when, or sabotaging perhaps the success of the business, or sabotaging the work of others in the success of the business. I mean, there's a lot of things that we can do that we should say to ourselves, wait, wait, what's my motivation?

What good is this? How is this Christlike? Or how is this Satan-like?

Because really, Jonathan, those are the two extremes that we have to look at. We really, really have to be careful here. Let's look at a couple of mirror questions.

First one: Do I want someone else's life? Am I just not happy with my life? Man, if I could only have Jonathan's life, I could live Jonathan's life better than Jonathan, for goodness sakes.

I should have it because....and that's what you were describing before. We can't go down that road. We have to ask ourselves, do I have that basic discontent with my own life? If we do, that's a sense of we need to do something about that in a very positive way.

Another mirror question: Do I think I could do better than my spiritual brother or sister can with their opportunities?

[Jonathan] (10:40 - 10:41) Oh, that's bad.

[Rick] (10:41 - 11:07) Yeah, it is.

It is. It hurts to think about that. It's easy to get into that.

Man, if I had that opportunity, you should see what I could do. What it is, it's I, I, I, I.... Just like, read Isaiah 14:13-14, it's "I" will do this.

"I" will sit on the mount. "I" will go to the recesses of the north. "I" will ascend above the heights.

I, I... We're talking like Satan. That's why this Commandment is the last Commandment.

It really gets our attention.

[Jonathan] (11:07 - 11:24) Yes, if we answer in the affirmative, we have pride and arrogance like Satan does, which is the opposite of humility. That made me think of 1 Peter 5:6, and it tells us: "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time."

[Rick] (11:24 - 11:45) Right. He exalts you. You don't exalt you. It's up to Him.

That's the key about not wanting someone else's life. Let God be the designer of how we go through those experiences. Let's look at this whole picture.

The Discipline of Appropriate Desire:

[Jonathan] (11:45 - 12:08) Whatever our station in life may be, we as disciples of Christ must embrace the fact that whatever rewards or status we may desire, they are of no real consequence compared to spiritual and eternal blessings. Let us wholly embrace our present state as the providential placement God has given us to work from.

[Rick] (12:08 - 12:42) The providential placement that God has given us to work from--even if it's subpar to what we might desire--if God puts us there, should we not embrace what He has given so we can grow into whatever He has set up for us instead of desiring things that would be contrary to His will? Coveting the lives and experiences of the rich and famous, especially in our world today, is not only frequent, it is a taught behavior.

[Jonathan] (12:42 - 12:52) The first detail of not coveting has been stated in the broad terms of our neighbor's house. Now the Commandment will go deeper. What comes next?

[Rick] (12:52 - 13:31) Remember that even though the thought of desiring is not inherently bad, this Commandment only deals with specific danger zones of coveting. It's not inherently bad. This message should be loud and clear in the ears of every disciple of Jesus.

Do NOT go down these roads of desire or delight in these things that violate the integrity of our call and of our faith! That's the key. It's the integrity of what we are called to, that coveting inappropriately takes us out of harmony with.

Can't go there. We can't go there. Let's look at what the next Coveting Danger Zone is.

[Jonathan] (13:31 - 13:36) Exodus 20:17: "...you shall not covet your neighbor's wife..."

[Rick] (13:37 - 14:06) Simple statement, and you know a lot of things get conjured up when you think about this, okay? To covet your neighbor's spouse is to, in effect, desire their strongest earthly attachment, which was sealed by "a covenant of God," for your own. Man, are we going down a wrong road if we get involved in that.

Reminds us of the words of Jesus. He really dealt with this in relation to the Seventh Commandment, and we'll touch back on that in a moment. Matthew 5:28:

[Jonathan] (14:07 - 14:16) "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust (or to long) for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

[Rick] (14:16 - 14:51) Now, we discussed that Scripture in great detail when we talked about the Seventh Commandment, but that word for "lust" or "desire," again, it's just like the word for "covet" in the Old Testament. It's not necessarily a bad word. It's not a word that says every time you see this word, this is not a good situation.

It is inappropriately placed. That's what makes it dangerous. Desire, rightly applied, is a very appropriate and very helpful human emotion.

Desire is a good thing. Let's look at one scriptural example here of the positive side. 1 Timothy 3:1:

[Jonathan] (14:52 - 15:07) "It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do (or he sets his heart upon)." Desiring the office of a shepherd or pastor isn't wrong.

It's a good thing.

[Rick] (15:08 - 16:45) That office, remember, is an office of service. It's an office of responsibility, but it's not an office where you are elevated above. It's a responsibility where you are required to help and build up and guide and direct.

It takes a lot. To desire to be able to want to give like that, that's a good desire. The word itself is not bad.

How we apply it, what we apply it to, makes it either a danger zone of coveting or something that should be worked towards. Again, we'll expand that as we go a little bit further. To desire what is not and cannot be ours because of a solemn promise before God—we're talking about the marriage thing here—is a deeply sinful place to go.

There's just no other way to look at it. Okay, so this is a negative circumstance. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

The mirror question, Jonathan, and this will be piercing: Do I ever think about or dwell on another's spouse as a desired personal partner in any way? Now, let me explain "in any way." Do I desire them because of—because we always think of this in terms of sexuality.

This is much, much bigger than that. What about personality? What about their social skills?

What about their wit? What about their ability to prepare food? What about their career success?

Do I desire their ability to engage in activities or sports ability? Or do I desire their ability to be supportive or to lead? Or do I desire their example? Those are all these things that can be part of this inappropriate coveting.

[Jonathan] (16:45 - 16:57) Whoa, and those things can hit close to home if we're not careful. I've got to inspect my heart to make sure.

Those are subtle things that you don't normally think about.

[Rick] (16:57 - 17:48) It comes with, if only my spouse were... Yeah, and when we start with that, we then perhaps look around, and then we do the comparison thing. When we do the comparison thing, then perhaps the desire starts to move towards that direction, and we think, well, it's not so— it's not harmful.

I'm just talking about their social skills. But you're engaging in a desire outside of a covenant, and it doesn't serve anyone well at any time. Instead of all of this, what we really need to do is, we need to put our spouses in a position of being lifted up in our hearts and our minds-- exactly the opposite.

James helps us see this Commandment... what this Commandment is driving us towards and that is, he's helping us understand in the next verse, coveting opens the door to sin. James 1:14-15:

[Jonathan] (17:48 - 18:02) "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust (or desire). Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death."

[Rick] (18:02 - 18:25) You're enticed by your desire, then you let desire begin to grow, and then it gives birth to sin, and when sin is accomplished, it can bring forth death. That's the pattern of inappropriate desire. That's what it's about.

Let's look at The Discipline of Appropriate Desire as a comparison:

[Jonathan] (18:25 - 19:05) The fact that not committing adultery is the Seventh Commandment helps us see the deeper value of the Tenth Commandment. The internal action of desiring can bring the external action of grievous sin. Let us be abundantly clear in our defining of right and wrong, where it all begins, and what we need to do about it!

Shouldn't this be our attitude? Instead of coveting what belongs to our neighbor, we should focus on improving our own situation and being thankful for what we have, rather than comparing ourselves to others. Find the positive in your spouse instead of looking elsewhere!

[Rick] (19:06 - 19:52) Sometimes we get into patterns, very negative patterns. That's where the coveting--the inappropriate coveting--can come into play. What you just said is really important; to find the good in your spouse and to build that up. When's the last time--and I'm speaking to both men and women, but probably more to men than women--when's the last time you spoke to your spouse and directly told them about the good things and the things that you appreciate, and how they help you and how important they are to you?

If we don't express those things...because when that's expressed to you, you feel appreciated, and when you feel appreciated, you tend to contribute more. It's really a building a process. We can either be inappropriately coveting and tearing down, or we can be building up and going the other direction.

[Jonathan] (19:53 - 20:06) I also think when you do compliment--true compliments--they show more respect to you as the husband, because you've identified and see the value that they bring. It totally brings the whole marriage up.

[Rick] (20:07 - 20:28) You know what? Just to make this clear before we move on, it's not like, "Well, I complimented her back in January, what's the problem?" It is a constant way of life. We need to understand what it means, "you shall not covet your neighbor's wife," and how to avoid that. Let's go on to the next Coveting Danger Zone. Exodus 20:17, let's continue:

[Jonathan] (20:29 - 20:33) "...you shall not covet his male servant or his female servant..."

[Rick] (20:33 - 21:17) That doesn't apply directly physically in our world, but to covet your neighbor's servants is to, in effect, desire to have, kind of in our world, the status that they possess, because having servants in ancient days showed stability and success in the family structure.

Like, well look at that, they've got all those people there, there's a great stability, it's very respectable, and so we're going to look at this as desiring the status that your neighbor or your brother possesses. Let's expand this. As Christians, we need to be aware and respectful of what we are, what we are not, and the contributory role that we all individually can play.

Let's look at 1 Corinthians 12:14-16:

[Jonathan] (21:18 - 21:50) "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body."

You be you in Christ, and I'll be me. There are benefits to being different. We should complement each other, not covet.

Be harmonious, not harmful.

[Rick] (21:51 - 21:59) Look brother, you and I are a good example of that. We are very different. Imagine having two of me.

It would be impossible, okay? Let's just face the fact, okay?

[Jonathan] (22:01 - 22:02) I'm not going to go there, brother.

[Rick] (22:03 - 23:40) See? But the fact that we are so different, and we have the same objective, is that you bring your parts to the table, and I bring the things that I can bring to the table, and together we can work on something and build something that can be God-honoring. That's the point. You be you, I'll be me, and together let's build up as parts of the body.

It's a really important thing to desire a higher position in the body, is to ask for greater responsibility. The question we need to ask ourselves is, wait, should I really be asking for greater responsibility? Am I meant for that greater responsibility?

Am I meant for that higher position? I mean, who says that I should be in that position? Me.

Well, wait, okay, does the Heavenly Father say that? Because He's the one whose opinion matters, and that's it. Let's go to the mirror question now in relation to coveting the status that our neighbor or brother may possess.

Does my insecurity awaken a desire to want what others have? Do I desire the spiritual status or opportunity of another? It's one thing to want to learn how to be like someone else.

It's another thing to want their position. When we start to do that, Jonathan, we are stepping outside of what the Apostle told us the body is. If I'm a foot, I can't be a hand.

Look, the foot's always stuck in the sandal and in the dirt. For crying out loud, I want to be a hand. The answer is, no, brother Rick, you're a foot.

So get used to it and do your work.

[Jonathan] (23:40 - 23:48) Once again, Rick, this is a satanic attribute, just like Satan wanted God's opportunity to rule the world.

[Rick] (23:49 - 24:00) Yeah, and we have to be careful with where we let our minds go. Now, the Apostle Paul simplifies all of this with two very basic admonitions. First, to have a clear life perspective.

[Jonathan] (24:01 - 24:15) 1 Timothy 6:7-8-- this refers to what we have: "For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content."

[Rick] (24:15 - 24:30) Notice it doesn't start with, well, you were born into riches, or not. It says that we were essentially, we're all born the same way. We need to be content with the gifts and blessings and providence that God puts in front of us.

[Jonathan] (24:30 - 24:38) As our friend Mark says, "Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-haul?" You can't take it with you.

[Rick] (24:39 - 24:51) You can't take it with you. You just can't do that. We need to put things in perspective, so have a clear life perspective.

The second part of this is have a clear objective regarding our everyday thoughts.

[Jonathan] (24:52 - 25:20) 2 Corinthians 10:5; this refers to what we think: "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

God's word is our manual for how we think and live. That's why at Christian Questions we study subjects topically from a biblical perspective, seeking to let the harmony of God's word shape our understanding.

[Rick] (25:21 - 25:47) That's such an important thing. Let the harmony of God's word--not my opinions, not my desires, not my insecurity--let the harmony of God's word shape what I desire and then how I act in relation to that desire. It's such an important thing.

It's not about somebody else's status. It's about my status before God Almighty and using His spirit in my life. Again, let's look at The Discipline of Appropriate Desire:

[Jonathan] (25:48 - 26:30) Desiring the support and status that another has can derail us in several ways. First, we're looking at our brother with envy. Second, we're looking at ourselves as less than.

Third, we are forgetting that God through Jesus has called us and placed us where we can be contributory. Let's remember that the only status that matters is our status in God's eyes. A desire to serve the Lord more is good.

Pray on it and watch for God's providential direction as He opens doors based on your sincerity. He did it for us here with Christian Questions.

[Rick] (26:31 - 26:58) Absolutely, because we didn't know what the heck we were doing, and we had to learn as we went. It was a matter of letting His guidance open the doors. That's what it really boils down to.

The bluntly stated bottom line here is that coveting the relationships and status of another is to be telling God that He didn't treat us fairly, and we should get what we want. Yeesh! No, no, no.

[Jonathan] (26:58 - 27:07) We've reviewed wanting another's life, their spouse, and their status. If we can't covet those things, can we covet their success?

[Rick] (27:07 - 27:44) You had to ask, right? The beauty of this Tenth Commandment is that it breaks down our human desires toward what others may have into several distinct categories of attraction. This lesson should be obvious as God is showing us His knowledge of imperfect humanity and how to be on guard against our own imperfection.

The question is, how well are we doing in paying attention to what we're being taught? How well are we doing in paying attention to the lessons here? Well, let's look at the next lesson and see what we come up with.

What's the next Coveting Danger Zone? Back to Exodus 20:17:

[Jonathan] (27:45 - 27:58) "...you shall not covet his ox or his donkey..." It's like saying, it's not fair. I want that ox and that donkey.

If I had them, I would be even more successful than him. I deserve them.

[Rick] (27:59 - 28:52) Easy, boy. Take it easy, brother. Take it easy.

But that's what happens! If I had that opportunity... To covet your neighbor's ox or donkey... Again, in our world that's very hard for us to get our head around.

But it's to essentially desire the success in business that your neighbor maintains. You look at that and say, well, they're successful because they were given. If I had their business, if I ran that business instead of them, look what I could do.

Again, it puts things out of the perspective of godliness and into the perspective of selfishness. For most people "getting rich" in business requires serious focus and dedication. Focus and determination are good.

There's no problem with those. The question is, what do they draw us towards? That's the key that we have to be aware of.

Be aware. What do those things draw us towards? Let's look at 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

[Jonathan] (28:52 - 28:55) "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Wanting to get rich can be a snare, a temptation that can derail our Christian walk.

[Rick] (29:22 - 30:50) We need to be careful. Now, it doesn't mean that wanting to work hard and be successful is wrong. I want to be clear about that.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with working hard and finding success in it. But it comes down to, what is my real, real clear motivation? What if you are wealthy, Jonathan?

What if you're somebody who's blessed with wealth? There's nothing wrong with that. But the question is, what do I do with what I'm blessed with?

How do I use it for the benefit of God's work? How am I putting myself in a position where I can be a benefit to others? Let's get to the mirror questions here about this coveting of desire in business that our neighbor may have.

First question: Am I dissatisfied with my earning or business ability? Do I look at myself and say, yeah, you know, I'm in a dead-end job. I mean, how many times have people described where they are?

Yeah, it's a dead-end job. Okay, if you're in a dead-end job, maybe you are. Do you have opportunities?

Can you apply yourself to something a little bit different? What are the options without getting into inappropriate desire? You've got to parse through this and think about it the appropriate way.

Another question: Am I looking at what another brother or sister accomplishes, and am I wanting their opportunity? Again, we can look at this on a spiritual level, on a physical level, and if I want what you're doing because I think I can do it better than you, I've lost the battle already.

[Jonathan] (30:50 - 30:55) Jealousy seems to be a big part of coveting because that's really what that's describing, that question.

[Rick] (30:56 - 31:13) Yeah, we have to be so, so, so careful. The answer as to our desire to be "rich" was in the previous verses. We read 1 Timothy 6:9-10.

If we go back the two verses before, the answer to these questions we're asking are actually stated there. Let's go to 1 Timothy 6:6-8:

[Jonathan] (31:13 - 31:28) "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content."

[Rick] (31:29 - 32:18) Godliness is wonderful, and the Apostle says to Timothy it's a means of great gain when contentment is there. Because if we have contentment, that inordinate desire for something that somebody else has that I want can't take us if we're content. If we are truly content, that desire is not going to be there.

When we look at the success in business that our brother or neighbor has, we've got to understand, let's understand to have the contentment that God gave us to be able to thrive in. Doesn't mean we have to stay where we are. Doesn't mean we can't change.

Doesn't mean we can't do better. Let's do it for the right--the appropriate--desires, not the inappropriate jealousy desires of, I want what you've got. Again, let's look at The Discipline of Appropriate Desire:

[Jonathan] (32:19 - 32:42) While we are responsible for attaining a measure of success in our working life, that success needs to be driven by a higher spiritual standard and not coveting. Let us focus on the fact that our personal opportunities and faithfulness are unique and should be driven by God's providence. Let us be deeply content with God's power in our lives.

[Rick] (32:42 - 34:24) Jonathan, there's something about being deeply content with God's power in our lives. Now having said that, personal experience of mine is I used to be a cabinet and countertop maker. You know, because you worked at the shop that I was a general manager of.

I changed careers many, many years ago. I got into a service business because I saw an opportunity to control my time, because I really wanted to be able to do things for the Lord. I had no idea what.

I just knew that if I could have more control of my time at the shop, I've worked on salary and that meant, you know, it's supposed to be based on forty hours. I never saw a forty-hour week in my entire life, even when it was a four-day week. It still wasn't forty, okay?

It was always fifty, fifty-five hours. So I changed. I made a change because I truly wanted to serve God,

and it was a huge difference. Making the change was very difficult. It was really difficult at the beginning.

It didn't work out great at the beginning. Ask my wife or...don't ask my wife. It took several years, but after we got used to it, it actually worked out.

For me to be able to work on Christian Questions while working full-time, a lot of people ask me, how do you do that? One of the answers is because I run this business by God's grace, I control my own time. So I can carve places out to do the work,

but it took years to get there. It doesn't mean that we just have to stay put, but what's the driving force of our hearts?

That's the key. Be careful about how we desire and what we're desiring towards. Let's go to the next Coveting Danger Zone.

Back to Exodus 20:17:

[Jonathan] (34:25 - 34:43) "...you shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor." To covet anything of your neighbor's is to dwell on a basic dissatisfaction with your own life and focus your attention on what someone else has. Coveting at any level reveals a lack of contentment.

[Rick] (34:43 - 35:10) Now again, appropriate desire, because we're not content because the situation is difficult, appropriate desire to change that is good. But an inappropriate desire to take what you've got so I can have it, isn't. We have to make sure we separate the two very, very clearly.

In our Christian fellowship, many of our issues with one another can be connected to this inappropriate coveting. It hits home right here.

[Jonathan] (35:10 - 35:10) Uh-oh.

[Rick] (35:11 - 35:16) Yeah, yeah, yeah. The next Scripture is an "uh-oh Scripture," you're right. James 4:1-3:

[Jonathan] (35:16 - 35:42) "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures (or sensual delights) that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder.

You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures."

[Rick] (35:43 - 36:47) That's the key. Jesus says, "Seek and you will find," "ask, and it will be given to you." James tells us that you're not receiving because you're asking with the wrong motives.

There's coveting, there's inappropriate coveting desire in there that doesn't belong, and it's creating friction, and it's creating problems, and it's creating disunity, and it's creating a godless environment. Can't have that. Can't have that amongst the brotherhood.

We can't. We just can't go there. Again, mirror questions:

Do my thoughts obsessively covet anything that has to do with my neighbor? Jonathan, if you're really, really good at something, and it's like, man, if I had Jonathan's opportunities, I could do so much better. Not appropriate.

Instead, what if I said, Brother Jonathan, can I talk to you for a minute? I really appreciate the way you are able to "fill in the blank." I would love to learn how you've learned to do that, so I could try to do it for myself.

Can you help me? That's appropriate. It's not coveting what you have.

[Jonathan] (36:47 - 36:48) No.

[Rick] (36:48 - 37:25) It's asking you to help me be better. Turn it around.

Make it a question instead of that inordinate desire. It's a huge change. Next mirror question,

more about the friction that comes from these things. Am I engaging in conflicts with the brotherhood that can be traced back to my own desires? Am I a troublemaker with the body, because I think things should be the way I think they should be?

Got to be careful when we get to the point of coveting positions and authority that simply doesn't belong to us. Jonathan, let's continue in 1 Timothy 6. Let's read 1 Timothy 6:11-12:

[Jonathan] (37:25 - 37:52) "But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

Passion is appropriate, as long as it's directed towards pursuing godliness and the hope set before us.

[Rick] (37:52 - 38:06) Isn't that the point? Absolutely have passion, but let it be in the desire to do the will of God at the expense of my will. That's how we turn the table on this.

[Jonathan] (38:07 - 38:22) Stephen had such passion when he witnessed at the temple the beautiful truths, and they were not received well, but he had the passion. The Apostle Paul has passion. Peter has passion.

Let's use what they used to promote following Christ.

[Rick] (38:22 - 38:41) It cost Stephen his life. That passion cost him his life. You can say, well, that was foolish.

Look at the glory that he was given. It's incomprehensible. It's not about here and now.

It's not about today. It's about God's plan and eternity. That's where our true desire should be.

Again, let's go to The Discipline of Appropriate Desire:

[Jonathan] (38:42 - 39:03) To stand for Christ is to stand in support of and love for the brotherhood. If our focus is first and foremost on standing for Christ, we will not have either the time or the inclination to allow coveting to even begin to take root. Let us look in the mirror and actively and decisively choose to serve God through Christ. Period!

[Rick] (39:03 - 39:25) I'm glad you said that, because just end it there. Finally, let's do what Jesus did and bend all of our personal desire towards fellowship, godliness, and self-sacrifice. Listen to what Jesus said in using these words for desire in an appropriate way;

Luke 22:14-15.

[Jonathan] (39:26 - 39:40) This is from the New King James Version: "When the hour had come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. Then he said to them, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."

[Rick] (39:41 - 40:09) With great desire. This is a good desire. I've desired to be with you before my greatest trial that will take my life.

That's the kind of desire we want to put ourselves in. That's what we want to be focusing on. That's how to walk in Jesus' own footsteps.

To conquer coveting is no small task. It requires not only perseverance, but a fundamental honesty and humility to set our sights and move in the right direction.

[Jonathan] (40:10 - 40:17) We have examined and discussed each of the Ten Commandments and applied them to Israel and ourselves. How do we put this all together?

[Rick] (40:18 - 40:48) We want to put all of the Ten Commandments together now as a wrap-up this series. Let's start with a simple pattern. Breaking the First Commandment, having no other gods before God, happens within us and cannot be seen by others until our actions change.

We called it an "internal instruction." The next eight Commandments, after that first, are all "external action instructions." They are readily visible by those around us.

This Tenth Commandment we just discussed is like the first. It's an internal instruction, as well.

[Jonathan] (40:48 - 40:59) The first and the last Commandments create a kind of sandwich effect. The desire to serve God on one side and the desire not to serve ourselves on the other.

[Rick] (40:59 - 40:59) Yeah.

[Jonathan] (40:59 - 41:19) Well, let's get into it. The First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before Me." For Jews, this is an internal instruction and is fulfilled within our heart and mind.

It establishes the necessity of having our hearts and minds clearly fixed on God through Jesus as our only object of loyalty and praise.

[Rick] (41:19 - 41:38) You've got the Jewish perspective of their hearts and mind had to be on God and also that's the Christian perspective as well. Violation of this First Commandment is the beginning of the downfall of any individual or any civilization. Period.

That's the beginning of the downfall.

[Jonathan] (41:39 - 41:55) The Second Commandment: "You shall not make unto thee a graven image." For Israel, this is an external action instruction. To make an idol is to create a physical or emotionally tangible object of worship

to physically or emotionally bow down and serve.

[Rick] (41:55 - 42:20) For Christians--the other side--this becomes an internal instruction to firmly, consistently, and overwhelmingly seek out and destroy any forms of idolatry that may be lurking in the corners of our hearts and our minds and our desires. We have to be able to root those out from the inside out.

[Jonathan] (42:20 - 42:37) The Third Commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain." Again, for Israel, this is an external action instruction. To thoroughly live what we proclaim to be,

the name that we carry must always reflect that which we most highly honor.

[Rick] (42:37 - 44:08) You have that for Israel. For Christians, this becomes an internal instruction to possess the name of God essentially as the signature of your life

and not have that signature be a forgery. In other words, not be saying I am this and signing your name to something that you really aren't. We don't want it to be a forgery.

We don't want it to be a false or frivolous representation of being a disciple of Christ. Don't take God's name in vain-- be genuine in how you walk in Jesus' footsteps.

Let's connect these first three Commandments just for a moment, okay? These first three demonstrate an alarming and degrading human pathway away from God. That's why they're the first three.

It's interesting; Jesus connected them clearly in the Lord's Prayer in very few words. I love this, Jonathan. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus says, "Pray, then, in this way: Our Father..."

Stop. That's the First Commandment. Our Father, have no other God before God.

Next words, "...who is in heaven..." Stop. Make no idols <Second Commandment>.

He is in heaven. You cannot make an idol of that which you can't see, which is so lofty and so great. Then he says, "...Hallowed be Thy Name..."

Stop. That's the Third Commandment. Reverence be Your Name.

Don't carry the name frivolously. Reverence it. You see that Jesus in the Lord's Prayer put these first three Commandments in front of us and said, this is the basis for your entire life.

[Jonathan] (44:08 - 44:28) On to the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." For the Jews, this external action instruction is the first "do" Commandment after a string of three "don't" Commandments.

For Israel, it was a solemn reminder to pause, consider, and fully keep the first three Commandments.

[Rick] (44:29 - 45:08) The Sabbath was critical to them. For Christians, this becomes an internal instruction as well, because we rest now while doing God's work. Our rest isn't stopping from everything.

It is resting in His work. We rest because we have nothing to fear, and because we know that we are told we must do with our might what our hands find to do, while leaving everything else in God's hands. There's a great rest in that.

When we look back over these first four Commandments, Jonathan, they're all about how to thrive in relation to spirituality and to how God is. Now let's change it a little bit.

[Jonathan] (45:09 - 45:23) Right. The Fifth Commandment: "Honor thy father and thy mother."

For Israel, this is also an external action instruction and is the foundation in establishing how to thrive as a physical people in relation to one another.

[Rick] (45:23 - 46:14) It was about the physicality of their social experience. When we look at all six of the final Commandments, starting with this fifth one--five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten--all six of these will show us what governs successful interpersonal relationships. The first four are about spiritual relationships with God, the next six are about interpersonal relationships.

With Christians, this Fifth Commandment of honoring our father and mother--a Christian has to respect our parents, has to filter through our recognition of their best and yet imperfect efforts. While honoring a destructive parent is not a biblical principle, we must not confuse that challenge with our potential resentment or frustration against them. The honor that we give to our parents must come from our hearts.

[Jonathan] (46:14 - 46:36) The Sixth Commandment: "You shall not murder." For Israel, this is an external action instruction to thoroughly honor the sanctity of human life.

The penalty for breaking this Commandment was severe. Jesus raised the bar by making this an internal instruction and teaching his disciples that anger and slander were akin to murder for them.

[Rick] (46:36 - 47:20) You have the physicality of the command, do not murder. The penalty is very, very severe and Jesus takes it and he elevates it. For Christians, he elevates it to the idea of contempt and disdain and things like that.

He says you can murder your brother that way. For Christians, if our contempt and our disdain for anyone is not appropriately checked, it can bring us to the same moral category as murder. That's what Jesus said.

Unchecked disrespect for our brother or sister can bring disastrous results as we may end up murdering their reputation and any and all aspects of their worth before others. You shall not murder on a Christian level. Big requirement.

[Jonathan] (47:20 - 47:24) That made me think of Jesus. He loved his enemies.

[Rick] (47:24 - 47:24) Yes.

[Jonathan] (47:25 - 47:49) He would not stoop to that level in his life. Now let's go on to the Seventh Commandment: "You shall not commit adultery."

For the Jew, it is another external action instruction as it addresses what we do or don't engage in. This Commandment is the foundation of the human family relationship as it is based on the sacred marriage covenant between husband and wife.

[Rick] (47:49 - 48:22) Again, Jesus takes that Commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," and he transforms it into an internal instruction as well. For his disciples, for us, looking upon another person with inappropriate desire is adulterous. It can actually lead to spiritual death and destruction.

That's what Jesus said. Even more important is the higher necessity regarding our internal and external fidelity towards God. We should not adulterate our relationship with God either.

These things are raised to a much higher level for us.

[Jonathan] (48:22 - 48:43) The Eighth Commandment, "You shall not steal," is an external action instruction for the Jews that establishes the personal rights of our community. It applies to the general business of life, the specifics of buying and selling, to stealing from a family's livelihood, and to negligence that results in another's losses.

[Rick] (48:43 - 49:21) Stealing in the Old Testament was well explained for us. Now, Jesus again takes that "you shall not steal" and he makes it even bigger into an internal instruction as well. Let's be clear.

Written in the New Testament, it says, heaven is closed to thieves. Pretty simple, straightforward statement. Let's deeply consider our "why" before we allow ourselves to engage in a sinful "what."

This lesson begins in the heart to be aware of the subtlety of thought, especially when we might have a need or a desire. We need to be careful. We need to pull back and not put ourselves in that category.

[Jonathan] (49:21 - 49:41) The Ninth Commandment: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," is another external action instruction for Israel. This legal focus is on the sin of publicly and legally accusing your brother on the basis of pre-planned falsehoods for the purpose of publicly and legally damaging or destroying him.

[Rick] (49:41 - 50:20) That's a nasty situation. Jesus takes this and he again makes it into an internal instruction. No matter how driven we are about our positions regarding our serious disagreements with others, speaking falsehoods is never appropriate.

Incidentally, when you're exaggerating something, you're speaking a falsehood. Let's get it straight. Elevating things to a formal level with any hint of malice or contempt is diametrically opposed to our discipleship.

Sometimes things need to be elevated, but we have to do it with the right heart attitude. "You shall not bear false witness." Jesus showed us how to do that.

[Jonathan] (50:21 - 50:40) And the Tenth Commandment, "You shall not covet," is an internal instruction like the First Commandment. For the Israelites to desire something is not inherently bad, but coveting anything that is your neighbor's—his house, his wife, his servants, or his cattle—amounts to dishonoring your neighbor and God.

[Rick] (50:40 - 52:11) Just like we talked about, Jonathan--just in this episode--Jesus' standards are those of mutual care. Such standards have no room for coveting, for inappropriate desire. To stand for Christ is to stand in support of and love for the brotherhood.

If our focus is always on standing for Christ, we'll neither have the time or the inclination, as you said before, to allow coveting to even begin to take root. Folks, as we look at these Ten Commandments, and we've looked at them over the last ten episodes, we can see a dramatic story unfold of how God, in His incredible wisdom, laid out the civil laws for the Jewish nation and laid out spiritual laws for us as well. Let's go back to what Jesus said about these Commandments <Matthew 22:36-40>:

"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." Then he said, "The second is like it,

YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." He takes all ten and puts them into those two simple statements. Then he says, "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the prophets."

Folks, when we look at the Ten Commandments, let's not take them as something that was old-fashioned, over with. Something that, as Christians, we should look at seriously and approach with reverence, to follow after God through Christ. The Ten Commandments;

think about them. Coming up in our next episode: "Can Death and Hope Actually Work Together?"

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