“…having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.”
They have a heart trained in covetous practices
We obtain our English word “gym” from the Greek word for “trained.” These false teachers “trained” their hearts in covetousness as in a gym. “Trained” primarily meant to exercise naked. The term then came to mean exercise or training.
Some people enter vigorous training when it comes to covetousness. They are thoroughly disciplined when it comes to what they covet. These false teachers “work out” their wrong ideas to become more proficient in them. They develop their covetous skills. Their greed is never enough. False teachers train themselves in their erroneous beliefs about doctrine and sin. They establish strong lust patterns for more material possessions or sexual lusts.
Lu 12:15, “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’”
Eph 4:19, “…who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”
Eph 5:5, “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Co 3:5, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
Training in a gym makes our bodies accustomed to discipline. We can train our mental attitudes as in a gym to become accustomed to thinking of mental lusts.
and are accursed children
This verse describes God’s curse on false teachers and their followers. They may not know it, but God put a particular curse on those who do not know Jesus Christ.
1 Co 16:22, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!”
Jn 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
If you do not love the Lord Jesus, God’s curse is upon you. However, Jesus took that curse on himself. If we accept His curse for our curse, He will give us eternal life.
Ga 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) …”
PRINCIPLE:
Covetousness is a treadmill.
APPLICATION:
We live in a society that runs on a treadmill of covetousness. We live in the rat race of more work, more status, and more money. When this begins to sour our spiritual life, we know we have entered a state of covetousness. This is why young people do not want to go into Christian service. They think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence where their models operate in the desire to have more.
Some people worship the dollar. They earn a hundred-thousand-dollar salary, which is not good enough, so they want to make a two-hundred-dollar salary. Earning money in itself is not wrong. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. Some people with little finances are more covetous than some very wealthy people. When a person becomes greedy, they will do anything to get more and more money. Greediness is an earmark of false teaching.
Covetousness can seep into the hearts of our children as well. You may look back one day and say, “I have raised children of greed. They learned greediness in my home.”
Do not let your life be driven by greed. Greed will defuse your spirituality. We will work ourselves into the exclusive desire to gain more. There are not many content people anymore.
