Theological term
Charitable Spirit
2 sermons · All terms
The Tenth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment's prohibition against covetousness exposes the internal nature of God's law in a way no other commandment does: it is a sin but not a crime, reaching the desires and affections rather than merely outward conduct. Covetousness is shown to be inextricably linked to idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5), rooted in discontentment with God's providential allotment, and often the seed from which violations of every other commandment spring. Positively, the commandment calls believers to acknowledge God's sovereign ownership of all things, rest in his promise of temporal provision (Hebrews 13:5), cultivate contentment (1 Timothy 6:6), and displace covetousness with a charitable, generous spirit. The sermon also treats the three classical uses of the law — civil, pedagogical, and normative — showing that the Tenth Commandment functions as a searching pedagogue that drove the Apostle Paul and the rich young ruler alike to confront their need for Christ.
The Tenth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment forbids not merely external acts of acquisition but the inward disposition of covetousness itself — the inordinate desire for what belongs to a neighbor. The sermon traces three aspects of the commandment: its prohibition (covering a neighbor's spouse, goods, discontentedness, and envy), the reasons underlying it (the spirituality of the moral law and the duty of love for neighbor), and its positive demands (contentment, appreciation for others' blessings, and a charitable spirit). The three classic uses of the law — civil, pedagogical, and normative — are then applied, with the pedagogical use directed especially toward those who, like the rich young ruler or Paul before his conversion, suppose they have kept the commandments outwardly while remaining guilty of covetousness within.