We Forgot Covetousness
We even train our children to covet - with Christmas wish lists!
The Gospel of Prosperity, so popular with tel-evangelists,
is nothing but covetousness,
and is an abomination to the Lord.
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;
a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness,
let it not even be named among you.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth,
who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
From such withdraw yourself.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
All these evil things come from within and defile a man.
The desire for more, wanting, is so inherent in our human nature that we cannot be rid of it by ourselves; it is only by the changing grace of God that we can be free of the slavery to always wanting more or one more thing. Too many of us have lived a life of "just one thing after another." To those of you who want to please God, or who are tired of slavery to their possessions, which give no lasting satisfactions, the grace of God promises to free you from these wants and desires, by abiding in his Living Word and Light, through the power of the inward cross of Christ - to arrive a quietness and confidence forever - lasting, satisfying, peace - at rest.
A Warning to all that profess Christianity, and others, to beware of Covetousness,
which is Idolatry.
—By George Fox
From Vol. 5, The Works of George Fox, Doctrinal Books II
All people that do profess Christ, and christianity, this is a warning
to you all, to take heed of covetousness; for covetousness was forbidden
both in the Old Testament and the New, and by the law of God, and by
Christ and his apostles.
For the apostle said, ‘covetousness is idolatry;’ [or greed], and both to the rulers,
priests, teachers, and people in the Old and New Testament, that
idolatrous practice was forbidden.
And Christ said, ‘it is one of those evils that defiles a man, that
comes out of him.’
And the Lord said in his law, and ten commandments, ‘thou shall not
covet your neighbor's house, thou shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor
anything that is your neighbor's.’
Now, if this covetous spirit be kept down, then the idolater is kept
down, and that idol out of the heart.
Also, theft and stealing was forbidden in the old covenant, and so it is
in the new; and all are to labor in the thing that is good.
Likewise, adultery was forbidden in the old covenant, and so it is in
the new; yes, and more than outward adultery: for, ‘he that looks
after a woman to lust after her,’ in the new covenant, Christ said, ‘he
has committed adultery with her already in his heart.’
And ‘bearing false witness against his neighbor's,’ was forbidden in the
old covenant, and so it is in the new! For all are to speak truth to their
neighbor's, and lie not. And the Lord said, in the Old Testament, ‘thou shall not kill.’
The apostle said, in the new covenant, ‘they did not wrestle with
flesh and blood; and their weapons were not carnal, but spiritual;’ and
Christ forbids wrath in the new covenant..
And Samuel, who was a judge and a prophet, who judged Israel, 1 Sam 12:2-4. Samuel said, ‘I am old and gray-headed, and I have walked
before you from my childhood unto this day; whose ox or ass have I
taken? Or whom have I defrauded or oppressed? Or of whose hand have
I received any bribe to blind my eyes therewith?’And the children of
Israel answered and said, ‘thou hast not defrauded nor oppressed any of
us, neither hast thou received ought at any man's hand.’
Now here was a prophet, and a priest, and a judge, clear from that
idolatry of covetousness; and has not he outstripped many of them
which now call themselves prophets and priests, judges and teachers,
that profess the new covenant?
And David said, ‘incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to
covetousness.’ Psalm 119:36
So, if the hearts of all who profess christianity, were inclined to the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy, that would keep down the
earthly spirit of covetousness, which is idolatry.
And as Solomon said, in Pro 28:16, ‘he that hates covetousness,
shall prolong his days.’ Then he that loves covetousness, which
is idolatry, shall not prolong his days.
And Jeremiah cried out against the Jews in the old covenant, and
said, ‘from the greatest to the least of them, the prophet and the priest,
every one of them was given to covetousness, and to deal falsely.’Jer 8:10, and Isa 56:11-12.
And yet, these priests and prophets, from the greatest to the least of
them, could make a profession of the old covenant.
And let the priests, and prophets, and people, that profess the new
covenant, see if they be not given to this idolatry of covetousness, which
was hated and forbidden of God and Christ, and his people, prophets,
and apostles.
And Jeremiah further cries out against the Jew, in Jer 22:17, and
said unto them, ‘your eyes and your heart are for your covetousness, and
for shedding of innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence.’
Now this was the Jews condition in the old covenant, when they forsook
God, and his law and spirit.
And now, let all who profess themselves christians, in whom Christ
does not reign, which are not guided by the spirit of God, as the prophets
and apostles were, search and try themselves, if the fruits of their
eyes and hearts, and the fruits of the spirit that was in the Jews, does
not appear, and is manifest in them; a spirit that lusts to do violence and
oppression, and a spirit of covetousness, and of persecution, and of shedding
innocent blood, which was forbidden by God and his prophets in
the old covenant, and by Christ and his apostles in the new covenant,
and by them abhorred and cried out against. But what was the end
of the Jews which followed after that wicked spirit, and went from the
Lord?
And do those called christians, think in their profession of the new
covenant, that they must have liberty in these evil things now, which
were forbidden in the time of the old law and covenant? No, no; they
are much more forbidden in the new.
And the Lord said unto Ezekiel, ‘that the Jews would come and sit
before him as the Lord's people, and they would hear his words, but they
will not do them; and with their mouths they would show much love,
but their hearts went after their covetousness.’ Eze 33:31
Now will not the priests and professors of Christendom, hear and say the words of the new covenant and gospel, and appear to show much
zeal and love for the words of the New Testament, but they will not do
them nor practice them; for their hearts and eyes go after their covetousness,
which is idolatry.
For have not you, that profess the new covenant in words, done as
they that professed the old in words; even coveted goods, fields, houses,
and taken by violence, and oppressed a man in his heritage, and devised
iniquity, and wrought evil upon your beds, and in the morning-light have
practiced it, because you had power in your hands?
And was not woe pronounced against such, that professed the old
covenant, and yet walked contrary to it; and much more against all
such, as are found in these practices now, who profess the new. Micah 2
And Habakkuk cries, ‘woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to
his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered
from the power of the evil,’ etc. Hab 2:9-11, he tells them, ‘the stone shall
cry out of the wall, and the beam of the timber shall answer it against
them.’
And therefore, let such covetous persons, that profess christianity,
hearken and hear, if the stones out of the very wall do not cry out
against you, and the beam of the timber does not answer it?
And Christ said, in Mark 7:21-23, ‘that which cometh out of the man from
within his heart, defiles the man, (namely,) evil thoughts, adultery, fornication,
murder, theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, blasphemies,
pride, foolishness, and an evil eye:’ now these are the evils that defile
men, which the devil, the serpent, who is out of the truth, has
wrought in man's heart, both in Adam and Eve, and the Jews, and the
christians that go from God, and disobey his voice and command. For
neither God nor Christ wrought any of these evil things in man in the
beginning, nor since, who is the author of all good. And therefore, these
evil things must be purged out of man by Christ's blood and baptism,
and by the mortification and circumcision of the spirit of God.
And Christ said unto them, (namely, the Jews,) ‘take heed and beware
of covetousness; for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the
things which he does possess.’ Luke 12:15
Oh! that all that are called christians, and all people, would consider
this blessed doctrine of Christ the heavenly man; and that they might
come to understand and know what their life does consist in; then they
would take heed and beware of covetousness, which is idolatry.
And the apostle Paul, who had the care of the churches upon him,
he writes to the Corinthians, ‘not to keep company with any man that
is called a brother, that is a fornicator, or covetous, or idolater, or railer,
or a drunkard, or an extortionist;’ with such an one they were not so
much as to eat,1 Cor 5:11: for such as professed christianity, and followed such
practices, the saints were neither to eat nor keep company with; for
they shamed their profession of christianity.
So here the apostles and saints, the true church, had a judgment given
them, and did judge out the covetous idolaters, fornicators, drunkards,
railers, etc. from having any fellowship with the saints, the true church,
not as much as to eat with them, nor to keep company with them of
that spirit: for he said, ‘neither fornicators, nor thieves, nor drunkards,
nor covetous idolaters, railers, nor extortionists, etc. shall inherit the
kingdom of God.’
And the apostle told the Corinthians, that ‘such were some of them,
but they were washed, sanctified, and justified from these things, in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the spirit of God.’ So these were
washed from their fornication, covetousness, idolatry, drunkenness, railing,
and extortion, and justified in the name of Jesus, and by the spirit of
God.
So the apostle here does not speak of the fornicators, and covetous
idolaters, and extortionists of the world, which were without; for God
judges such. But the saints, the apostles, and the true church were to
judge them that practiced such things within the church, showing the
true christian's church had a power; and not to keep company nor to
eat with such, professing Christ, that were of such practices, knowing
that the unrighteous should not inherit the kingdom of God, nor drunkards,
nor fornicators, thieves, railers, extortionists, nor covetous idolaters;
they that lived in these evils, were not like to inherit the kingdom of
God; for they were defiled, unwashed, and not sanctified nor justified,
etc. So that if the saints did keep company, or did eat with such unwashed,
unsanctified, unjustified persons, or have fellowship with them,
they took the members of Christ and joined them to an harlot; for he
that is joined to an harlot, is one body; ‘for two,’ said he, ‘shall be one
flesh.’ And therefore, the saints' bodies are members of Christ; God
forbid they should be joined to harlots, or that they should make them
members of an harlot. ‘And he that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit:’
And the saints' bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, which proceeds
from God and Christ, and being bought with a price, the blood of
Christ, and washed, and sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus
Christ by the spirit of God, they are to glorify God in their bodies, souls,
and spirits, which are God's which he has given to them to glorify him
withal; glory to his name forever.
And therefore, all this old leaven of fornication, adultery, theft, covetousness,
idolatry, drunkenness, reveling, extortion, and all unrighteousness,
envy, malice, and wickedness, must be purged out, which is the
world's god the serpent has wrought in, that they may be a new lump,
and keep the feast of unleavened bread of sincerity and truth: for Christ,
our passover, is sacrificed for us, as you may see in 1Cor 5:7, the
practice of the church in the apostles' days, and which should be so now,
to keep this heavenly passover with unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth.
And further, the apostle tells the church of Corinth, in 2 Cor 6:14-17 and
explains himself with a great care of the church, that they must not be
unequally yoked together with unbelievers. So this is an unequal yoke,
to yoke believers and unbelievers together; and gives his reason, and
said, ‘what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? And
what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has
Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an infidel? And
what agreement has the temple of God with idols?’
Now, they that go contrary to the apostle's doctrine in these things,
have lost their sense, and sight, and feeling; for here is no fellowship,
nor unity, nor concord; here is no agreement, nor part with such aforementioned,
that are out of the truth; but they are unequally yoked with
such who are the temples of the living God, that join with them; they
in whom God does dwell and walk, and he is their God, and they are
his people.
‘Wherefore, come out from amongst them, and be ye separate, said
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and
I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, said
God Almighty.’ Here you may see, what the saints, the sons and daughters
of God, are to forsake, and not to touch, nor make agreement
with, nor be yoked to, but be separated from, that the Lord God Almighty
may receive them.
And again, the apostle writes to the Ephesians 4:25-29, ‘that they should
put away lying, and every man speak the truth to his neighbor's; for
they are members one of another: and him that had stolen, steal no
more; but let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good.
And let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, but that
which is good, tending to edification, which may minister grace to the
hearers: and all filthiness, foolish talking and jesting, which was not convenient,
was to be put away.’ And the saints, the church of Christ, was
not to have any fellowship with such things, the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them. ‘And fornication, and all uncleanness,
and covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you, as becomes
saints. For this you know, (namely, the saints, the church of Christ,) that
no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an
idolater, (mark, covetous, that is an idolater,) has any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God.’ Here the church of Christ had their
knowledge, and had their judgment to judge out these things, that kept
people out of the kingdom of God. And now mark, ‘if a covetous man
be an idolater,’ as the apostle said, then all ‘covetous men are idolaters,
and shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’
And now, let all those that are called priests, teachers, ministers, and
prophets in Christendom, see if their fruits do not declare them to be
covetous, and so idolaters, who preach Christ and the apostles' (and seem
to have a zeal for their) words; but how many of them will preach
without tithes and hire? And if people will not give it unto them, then
to spoil their goods, and cast them into prison, yes, till death, as many
have been, because they would not hold up and feed that idolatrous
spirit of covetousness in them. When as the apostle commands the
church, not ‘so much as to have fellowship, nor company, nor to eat with
a covetous person, which is an idolater.’
And now, if the saints, the true church of Christ, must not eat, nor
keep company with such, then how must they hear them, or be compelled
or forced to hear such? And knowing that Christ said to his ministers,
whom he sent forth ‘freely they had received, freely they were to give;’
and they were ‘neither to provide silver nor gold, nor bag nor scrip; but
to enquire who was worthy of their message; and what was set before
them, that they were to eat; and such as were unworthy, that would
not receive them and their message, they were to shake the dust off
their feet, which should be a witness against them at the day of judgment.’
And the apostles did not cast those unworthy ones, that would
not receive them, and set meat before them, into prison, as some of your
ministers do the people of God, because they cannot uphold your covetous,
idolatrous spirit, in giving you tithes and hire.
And now, all you that will not preach Christ's and the apostles' words,
nor pray amongst people, or give them psalms to sing, and sing among
them, and baptize children, (as you call it,) or sprinkle them, without
the tenths of people's increase of their labors [tithes], and without the tenths
of the increase of their cattle and goods, and have set wages by the year
for these things; are not you the covetous idolaters? Yes, and cast people
into prison, and spoil their goods, and excommunicate them whom
you do none of these works for, neither have they set you at work, nor
hired you to do any of these things for them: for do not most people,
everywhere, generally hire you, and agree with you for so much in the
year? Or do not you make friends with great persons, to put you into fat
benefices? And instead of inquiring where the worthy people are, are
not your priests inquiring, where is the greatest benefices, and most tithes
and incomes? And then, when you are settled, do not you spoil the goods,
and cast into prison, such as never hired you nor hear you? And is not
this contrary to the general command of Christ to his disciples, both to
the twelve and the seventy? ‘Freely you have received, freely give,’ etc.
So is it not manifest here, that you are covetous idolaters that the apostle
speaks against, ‘that shall not enter into the kingdom of God.’
For Peter in his second general epistle, 2 Pet 2:2-3, speaks of the false
prophets and false teachers, and how ‘many should follow their pernicious
ways, by reason of whom the way of truth should be evil spoken
of;’ which truth the apostles preached freely, as they had received
freely, according to the command of Christ. And these false prophets and
teachers through covetousness should with feigned words make merchandize
of people. For how often have the teachers changed their places
and ways? The apostle compares such with the old world, and Sodom,
and fallen angels that kept not their habitation. And therefore, let the
teachers in Christendom, who cast into prison and spoil people's goods
for their bellies, examine and see if they be not the men.
And also, the apostle writes to Timothy, in 2 Tim 3, of such ‘covetous
proud boasters, and false accusers, and fierce despisers of them that
were good, and which were heady, high-minded lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God; that had the form of godliness, (which was the form
of christianity,) but denied the power thereof; from such the saints,
(the true church,) were to turn away.’ For he likened them to Jannes
and Jambres, that withstood Moses, who were men of corrupt minds,
and did resist the truth, and were reprobate concerning the true faith;
these led such captive who were laden with sins, and led about with
divers lusts, always learning, and were never able to come to the knowledge
of truth;’ and how should they, being destitute thereof themselves,
and men of corrupt minds, bring any into the truth and the faith, when
they are out of the true faith themselves, and tell people, ‘they must
carry a body of sin and death to the grave with them;’ and others say,
‘they must have a purgatory when they are dead:’ and such are reprobate
from the apostle's doctrine and faith, which is the victory, and in
the damnable heresy. But the apostles exhorted the saints, ‘to walk
in the light, and the blood of Jesus Christ should cleanse them from all
sin.’
And the apostle told the church, ‘that they were washed, cleansed,
sanctified, and justified,’ etc. and this was while they were upon the
earth. And he tells the Ephesians, the saints, ‘you that were sometimes
darkness, now are you light in the Lord.’
And the apostle writes to Timothy, 1Tim 6:8-11, ‘having food and raiment,
let us therewith be content; and godliness with contentment is
great gain: but they that will be rich, fall into temptations and snares,
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition: for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness. This is the man of God's path, and to flee covetousness, and
the love of money, and such as make gain their godliness; for such are
destitute of the truth: and this should be the practice of all true christians
now.
And do not the men of the world, with the covetous priests and teachers,
and others, fly after riches and money, instead of flying from it? And
after gain supposing it to be godliness? And is not this a mark, that such
have erred from the true faith, and are fallen into hurtful lusts, which
drown them in destruction and perdition, by falling into a temptation
and a snare, in coveting after riches and the love of money, which is
the root of all evil? Has not the root of this evil been manifest by the
teachers of the world, and other people? The priests and teachers by
destroying people for their bellies; and the people by coveting and encroaching
other people's goods, and so destroy their own and others too:
the teachers and others showing, that they are erred from the faith
which Christ is the author and finisher of, who said, ‘freely you have
received, freely give; and beware of covetousness.’ For the apostle
said, ‘a bishop must not be a striker, nor greedy of filthy lucre, nor a
brawler, nor covetous; but he must hold fast the faithful word, and be
blameless:’ and such bishops and elders, teachers and deacons, were
Timothy and Titus to ordain, as you may see, in 1 Tim 3:2 and Titus1:6-9.
And they were to hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience: and
therefore, how can any bishops and teachers, elders or deacons be the
succeeders of them, that the apostles, and Timothy, and Titus ordained,
that are strikers, persecutors, covetous and greedy of filthy lucre, yes,
and cast people into prison whom they do not oversee, nor teach, nor
preach to? Are not such erred from the faith, the evil beasts and slow-bellies,
that suppose gain to be godliness, that serve not the Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own bellies, which the apostle bid Titus, ‘rebuke
sharply.’ And now you may see such as coveted to be rich, and were persecutors
and strikers, and greedy of filthy lucre, such Timothy and Titus
were not to ordain bishops and teachers, elders and deacons; for such
were erred from the faith; then they were not like to hold the mystery
of faith in a pure conscience, which Christ is the author and finisher of,
who said, ‘freely you have received, freely give.’ For the apostle, in Acts 20:26-34 said, that ‘he was pure from the blood of all men;’ he took
the church to record, ‘that he had coveted no man's silver, gold, nor apparel;’
and said, ‘that the church knew themselves, that his hands had
ministered unto his necessities, and them that were with him.’ Now
here was a clear free minister of Christ. And now let the bishops, priests,
and teachers, etc. in Christendom, try themselves and their practice by
the scripture, and the apostle's example, and the command of Christ,
who said, ‘freely you have received, freely give.’ Can you say, that
you have coveted no man's silver, gold, nor apparel, either of your own
people, nor others, whom you have not preached to? Can you say, you
are clear from the blood of all men, as the apostle said, and call the
christians to record? If you do say you are; will not the jails testify
against you, and the courts, and your own hearts and consciences also
will witness against you? And how many have been persecuted and
imprisoned by you until death, for not giving you money and tithes, whom you
do not work for? What persecuting and hauling before courts have you
made? You cannot call the christians to record, ‘that you are clear from
the blood of all men, that you covet no man's silver, gold, nor apparel,
and that you labour with your hands for your own necessities and others,
and that you are not greedy of filthy lucre, and are not strikers and
persecutors, nor are they that covet after money and the riches of
this world; and that you do not give freely,’ as Christ commands, manifesting
that you have not received freely from him; but that you are
erred from the faith of Christ, (by which the apostles lived,) and from
the conversation of the saints in the primitive times. For the apostle
said to the church, ‘let your conversation be without covetousness, and
be content with such things as you have.’ And the Lord said, ‘I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee.Heb 13:5 and Josh 1:5. And so,
this should be the conversation of all that profess Christ Jesus, and then
they would covet after the best gifts, and not after the earthly things,
and follow after love and charity.
And the apostle said, ‘be ye followers of me, even as I am also of
Christ.' And so it is clear the church of the true christians is not to
follow any teacher, but as he follows Christ in his life, faith, practice,
and doctrine. And if they make a profession of the form of godliness,
without the power, and spirit, and truth, they were to turn away from
them, and not to follow them; but as every one has received Christ
Jesus, so walk in him in humility.
George Fox
The 5th month, 1679.
Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat?
or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right),
and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions]
and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];
for He Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.
Not, not, not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
Amplified Bible
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by benefiting from the changing power of God through the cross,
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