Love and Lust: the 10th Commandment

Big Idea

Tension: How should God’s people keep themselves from coveting?

Resolution: By desiring God more.

Exegetical Idea: God’s people keep themselves from coveting by desiring God more.

Theological Idea: While the Fall has turned our love for God into lust for idols, the gospel gives us a new heart.

Homiletical Idea: In Christ’s death and resurrection, we die to lust so we can live for love.

Big Idea: Christ > Coveting

Outline

Intro/Law as Acquaintance

Illustration: kids trying to one-up one another.

Monk: The deadliest of all sins is coveting. (Episode with the ‘Frisco Flyer’)

Image of God

Daniel Kahneman - System 1 vs. System 2. Our mind is run off of intuitive desires. 99% of the decisions that we make are driven by our deepest desires and intuition.

Exposition of the Law

“Desire” - Desire can be a positive/neutral term. The same word is used for desiring God as for coveting (Isaiah 26:9)

Coveting is really to desire anything more than I desire God. In essence, coveting and idolatry are linked (Col 3:5), two sides of the same coin.

Yet, coveting is also the root of all my sins against my neighbor. 7 different categories of neighborly items.

The best thing that I can do for my neighbor is to desire God more.

Coveting is the root and the fruit, the “grand daddy” of all the other sins (Genesis 3:6)

The Bible is plain: Our desires, our heart is desperately wicked (Jer 17:9).

Law as enemy

Acting on this desire (Cain & Abel: Genesis 4:6-7)

Coveting by false worship (Commandments 1-4) (Col 3:5)

Coveting against parents (Luke 12:13-21)

Coveting in murder (James 4:2)

Coveting in adultery (Matthew 5:28)

Coveting in stealing (Micah 2:1-2)

Coveting in lying (Achan)

Coveting is the root of all sin. (James 1:14-15)

Avett brothers: “Ill with want”

I am sick with wanting And it's evil and it's daunting How I let everything I cherish lay to waste I am lost in greed, this time it's definitely me I point fingers but there's no one there to blame

People say follow your heart, well your heart is a sick task master.

The Gospel

The only solution is the gospel (Tit 2:11-12)

Christ redeemed us from our passions: Christ purchased us for himself by his own blood.

We were selfish, Christ was selfless. We desired earthly things, Christ desired heavenly things. We coveted after what was not ours, Christ gave up what was his. We wandered into a far country, Christ went into the far country and bought us back. When I didn’t desire God, he desired me. When I took from others, he gave himself up for me. The good news of the gospel is that Christ is greater than our coveting.

Law as friend

God is working in us to work and to will (Phil 2:12-13)

We need to put sources of godliness in front of us (illustration Facebook feed) so that we will desire the things of God.

God’s word, prayer, church - all of these things are the most important probably when we don’t realize that we need them. When we don’t necessarily want God’s word, that’s the best time to read God’s word.

Establish habits and rituals and rhythms that cultivate a desire for Godliness.

A great way to do that is to join one of our discipleship opportunities.

Our habits effect the habits of others.

Conclusion: WCF: The chief duty of man is to love God and glorify him forever.