WHAT IF GOD HAD NOT CONDEMNED COVETING

One of the greatest evidences of the divine origin of the Ten Commandments is the last commandment. While the first nine focus on what man should not do, the last one focuses on what he must not think. The tenth commandment forbids lusting after anything that belongs to others. Thus, to God not taking what is not ours is not enough; the very desire is condemned as well.

But what if God had not included coveting in the Ten Commandments? What if He had not shown any concern toward the evil motives that often arise within the human mind?

Upon reflection, one is overwhelmed by the profound wisdom inherent within this commandment. The forbidding of coveting reveals not only a profound understanding of the human mind but, also, an astonishing understanding of how many sins originate. In the New Testament, the Apostle James explains the steps that precede sin: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin” (James 1: 14-15).

Therefore, sin has a psychological starting point, and lust is one of its major driving forces. God, the great designer of the human mind, knew that forbidding actions was not enough. For sin to be dealt with effectively one must, first and foremost, address its origins. In trying to control evil action, not dealing with the coveting factor means almost certain failure.

Coveting is what precedes a multitude of sins. Before stealing, one must desire the object he or she is stealing. Before committing adultery, one must lust after someone else’s wife. Lying is often used to get what is lusted after. God knew the steps and taught us the need to deal with sin at its origins. His great wisdom becomes evident in the the last Commandment.

Christians must understand this principle in their battle against sin. They must always be on guard by monitoring their thoughts and attitudes. We have been given a great gift directly from God on how to win the life-long battle against temptation and Satan, and we must gratefully accept it -- and use it.

It is also very meaningful that God included this principle in the Ten Commandments. God doesn’t simply teach us about the need to deal with coveting -- He commands us to do so. We are commanded to search and destroy any form of illicit desire, so as to stay a safe distance from sin.

Some Christians fail their battle against sin, because they have never understood, or because they have never given heed to the importance of dealing with first steps. God has made it perfectly clear that resisting coveting is of utmost importance. Christ also reinforced this reality, by stressing that adultery is not just the action -- it is also the desire that precedes the action. He stressed,“ You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You Shall not Commit Adultery,’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5: 27-28).

The battle with sin is very hard, but it can be made much easier, if we fight it at the source when the temptation is still at its inception. If God had not included the last commandment in the Great Code, we would have been deprived of a most critical and powerful tool in fighting sin. Therefore God, in His great wisdom, made sure the Ten Commandments included coveting and, by making the battle against it central to our spiritual warfare, we can be victorious over sin.

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