Oct
2
Sinful covetousness and godly ambition
Filed Under Ethics, Ten Commandments | 3 Comments
Is there a difference between the two? Time did not allow me to explore this in my sermon on the 10th Commandment, which requires of us , “full contentment with our own condition.” Does this mean that a Christian should never desire to advance in a career, to move from a position of indebtedness to debt-free living, from being single to being married, to take another job, to trade in that clunker and buy a shiny new car, etc.?
In short, the answer to the question is NO. In fact, in some cases the Bible commends a godly ambition that is distinct from sinful covetousness. Here’s an example from 1 Timothy 3:1: “If a man desires the position of an overseer (i.e., bishop, elder), he desires a good work.” What is interesting is that Paul uses the same word for desire in chapter 6:10 to describe the greediness of people that drives many to stray from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows!
So is ambition good or bad? Well, that depends. The desire to be rich described in chapter 6 is a recipe for ruin, while the desire in chapter 3 is a good thing. Part of the answer lies in the object of our desires and ambitions? Do we value the right things in light of the kingdom of God? The other part of the answer lies in the 1 Timothy 3 passage. Right on the heels of commending the desire to be an elder, Paul spells out qualifications. While the desire may be godly, it could also arise from envy and self-seeking. Others must be able to look at a man’s life and recognize certain character traits and giftedness that an elder must possess. An examination of his life may reveal that he wants the respect and prestige of being an elder (which is overblown anyway, trust me on this one), but he may not take godliness seriously and may not care a whit about people. In that case, his desire is more akin to covetousness than to the good desire Paul praises. C.S. Lewis once observed that when a man is in the grip of lust for a woman, the truth is that a woman is the last thing that he wants! He merely longs for a physical sensation for which a woman is a necessary apparatus. If he wanted a woman, he would also want marriage, the long walks, the house, the curtains, the landscaping, the gravy boat, etc.
Sinful covetousness differs from godly ambition by the willingness to ‘pay the price’–in other words, to walk in submission before God, which another term to describe, well, contentment. Can I trust God and submit to him even if I am not given what I desire? Sinful ambition and godly ambition give two different answers to that question.
Sep
5
Modesty and the wandering eye
Filed Under Christian Living, Family, Ten Commandments | 1 Comment
I’ll pass along a couple of web resources that provide a lot of good, gospel-centered information on two matters that I sought to address in Sunday morning’s sermon on the 7th Commandment: modesty and pornography.
On the subject of modesty, girltalk is a blog hosted by Carolyn Mahaney and her three daughters. Carolyn’s husband and the girls’ father is Rev. C.J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries. There are a number of entries on the subject of modesty, including this one on ‘Modesty and Your Wedding Day’ and a seven-part series on ‘Fashion and Following the Savior.’
On the subject of pornography, here is a link to a piece by Dr. Philip Ryken, senior minister of the Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Note the links toward the end of the article for some ministries that provide other resources to help us deal biblically with this serious issue.
Aug
28
Pro-life and end-of-life issues
Filed Under Ethics, Resources, Ten Commandments | Leave a Comment
In my sermon on the 6th Commandment I urged those over the age of 60 to take a special interest in the future of pro-life issues, because their lives are “next in line” to be counted as worth “terminating” because of economic and social pressures. Such is the progression of the culture of violence and death around us. We must develop and apply a biblically informed view these issues which many of us face (or will face): living wills, medical directives, managed care, physician-assisted suicide, deciding when to discontinue treatment, talking to children about death, and helping the grieving.
Later in the day I remembered an oustanding resource that I want to recommend. In 1998, First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, the Christian Medical and Dental Society and Baptist Medical Center of Jackson sponsored a weekend seminar called Breathtaking Decisions. The seminar gathered physicians and other health care professionals, ethicists, theologians and pastors who delivered lectures on a wide range of end-of-life issues from a Christian perspective.
You can see the list of topics and speakers and find information on how to order individual lectures or the entire set from the library section of the First Church, Jackson web site. I would recommend purchasing the entire set. Click here.