As a young Christian, this commandment was often explained to me as “wanting something really bad that isn’t yours.” But it’s really the guts of the whole lot that goes before (at the very least within the second table). It speaks of an inner disposition of the guts and never only of motion. Covetousness is an absence of contentment. We must also not miss that every covetous desire has an object already belonging to another person.
If I take a look at someone with a successful profession as an creator and say, “I would love to do what’s needed likewise to develop into a successful creator,” that will not be covetousness. That is a desire and maybe even an appropriate desire, as long as it’s tied to the glory of God. What could be coveting is that if I said, “That person has a successful profession as a author. I have the desire to make his platform my very own and be the one getting the book deals as an alternative of him.” Now, that is covetousness. And it’s at the guts of all of the brokenness in society.
As we reflect on these commandments for our day, we should always remember their achievement in Christ. His role on this will not be only a passing thought but the middle of our interaction with these commandments. We, as humans, have already broken the covenant; we now have already broken the law. As such, we stand as condemned law-breakers. But this will not be true of Christ. He has kept each commandment perfectly, not only by letter but, more importantly, in the guts and spirit.
Thankfully, His record becomes ours. As we reflect upon these commandments, we don’t try to fulfill them alone or for a right standing with God. That has already been secured through the work of Christ. No, we pursue these because we’re accepted. We pursue these because we agree with God about how we should always live. We live out the Ten Commandments because we’re enthralled with the dominion of God, and we would like to like God and other people, fostering a way of connection and compassion.
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