What is covetousness? Bible questions

 

497. What is covetousness? 

A criminal desire to possess something which does not belong to you. 

498 What has Christ to say with reference to this sin? 

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness” (Luke 12:15). 

499. What does the Bible call covetousness?

Idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians.3:5). 

500. What does the Bible say with reference to covetous men? 

They have no inheritance in the kingdom of heaven (Ephesians 5:5). 

501. What other sins are either synonymous or connected with this sin? 

Greediness, stinginess, extortion, selfishness, dishonesty, heartlessness. 

502. What are some of the things which people covet? 

Riches, honor, pleasure, ease, power. 

503. Is it wrong to desire any of these? 

It is wrong to desire to rob or defraud others of them that we may have them. 

504. Taking all selfishness out of covetousness, what does it become? 

Lawful desire. 

505. What stands in the way of the Golden Rule and the Gospel admonition to give others preference over 

ourselves, being universally obeyed? 

Covetousness. 

506. What causes conflicts between labor and capital? 

Covetousness. 

507. What makes us smile when we sell things for a high price, and frown and grumble when we must pay 

high prices for what we buy? 

Covetousness. 

508. What makes us frown and grumble, when we must sell our things very cheaply, and smile when we can

buy things cheaply? 

Covetousness. 

509. What makes us call low prices reasonable when we buy and “unreasonable” when we sell? 

Covetousness. 

510. What makes people praise what they sell and magnify the defects of what they buy? 

Covetousness. 

511. What causes the business world to encroach upon the Sabbath and rob the Lord of the time? 

Covetousness. 

512. What causes people to engage in business which they know to be wrong, and detrimental to the spiri-

tual interests of themselves and others? 

Covetousness. 

513. What is the opposite of covetousness? 

A self-sacrificing spirit. 

514. Where can we find a perfect model of unselfishness? 

In Christ (Philippians 2:5-8). 

515. What may be done to get the monster sin, covetousness displaced by this spirit of sacrifice? 

Study our Model, imitate Him so far as God gives us light and grace, and tell others about the excellence of 

this Christ-spirit above that of world-selfishness.

516. When can men be led to turn away from the sin of covetousness? 

When they are led to see the blessedness of our Saviour’s example, and the horrid abomination of selfish-

ness. 

517. What does covetousness do for a man? 

It makes him selfish, grasping, avaricious, ambitious and lustful; closes his ears and eyes to the interests of 

others; robs him of his finer sensibilities; destroys his capacity for happiness, and often leads him into habits 

which are positively sinful and ruinous, generally for this life, but especially for the world to come. 

518. What does the spirit of self-sacrifice do for a man? 

It stamps upon him the image of his Maker, leads him into a higher life, makes of him a benefactor of man-

kind, brings him friends, adds to his happiness because of the consciousness that he is making others happy, 

to say nothing of the joys and glory to come. 

519. What advice is always in order? 

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things

which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).