Unlawful Desire – The Tenth Commandment

Unlawful Desire

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet…”

The command not to covet stands alone, without any supporting staff of precepts, statutes, and rules. It’s as though God said, “Don’t covet. ‘Nuff said.” We’re expected to get it from this much alone.

At base, coveting is a form of desire. Something beyond us, something outside our possession or experience, gets our attention, and we begin thinking that this might be something that might be right for or of some benefit to us.  Now if this is something lawful–like a little more time spent in prayer, or better Bible reading habits, or some new way to show your love for your neighbor–that’s not coveting. Those are entirely lawful and even needful desires.

Desire in itself is not wrong. But watch the lawfulness of your desires. The more you read, study, and reflect on the Law of God, the better able you will be to know when lawful desires are being compromised and unlawful coveting has begun to set in.

How can you tell when your desires are lawful? Whose law should determine that? Can you be sure your desires are lawful without a good understanding and working knowledge of the Law of God?

Daily meditation in the Law of God helps us along the path of holiness, righteousness, and goodness (Rom. 7:12). Order your copy of The Law of God, a compilation of the Mosaic Law for contemporary believers, by going to www.MyParuchia.com, point your browser to “Publications,” then click on the drop-down option, “Waxed Tablet Publications.”

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.