God's commandments are very precious. By them we know His righteousness and the very high standards that He has. We get to know just how holy and righteous our God is through them.
We know that no man has ever and can ever fully meet God's requirements. That is why Christ came down to earth as a human being, so that He can fulfill all of God's commands and meet His righteous requirements.
While Christ is indeed the propitiation sent for our sakes, and while His life, death and resurrection fully paid the price for us to be made righteous before God, it doesn't mean we should be careless and live our lives in sin again.
We should strive to live a life pleasing to God and worthy of being called His own.
In this article we'll take a look at a few ways we fail to do that. Specifically, we'll take a look at how we break the tenth commandment.
Why the tenth commandment only?
God's holiness and righteousness is beyond measure. For now, we'll focus on just this command because it's commonly broken among every kind of man.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." (Exodus 20:17)
This verse specifically talks about covetousness. While the word covet can be defined in a good sense, it can also be defined in a bad sense, and it's the latter that God is warning us against.
Webster's 1828 dictionary defines "covet" in a bad sense as "To desire inordinately; to desire that which it is unlawful to obtain or possess."
In other words, we desire what we must not desire. We long for what we must not long for. And we want to get it, even if the means are wrong and ungodly.
Many Christians break this command without blinking an eye. This is because we've thought little of it.
Here are three ways we break this commandment.
1) When we get envious of other people's relationships
Ever envied another person's relationships? Ever felt jealous of your co-worker's friendship with your boss? Or ever felt jealous of your friend's spouse?
When we desire the relationships another person has, and even attempt to acquire it for ourselves using cunning methods, for example, we break the tenth commandment. Why should we feel jealous or envious of the relationships they have with others?
2) When we get envious of other people's belongings
Ever wanted your friend's (insert item here) so badly you: tried to get it, or spoke ill of your friend because of your envy, or found it difficult to compliment them?
That is wrong. We must never covet that which belongs to others.
3) When we connive to acquire what belongs to another
Desiring is one thing, actually working to get what we desire is another. Conniving or manipulating others is a totally different thing.
Some use underhanded means to acquire what they want -- even in the church. This is wrong and must not be done.
