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The Covetous Man and the Sweet Smelling Savor
The covetous man is an idolater. What is a covetous man? To be covetous requires lust which is love
for the wrong thing. One can love things and be covetous. One can love others inappropriately and be
covetous. Well what about the idolater part?
Idolatry is misplaced love or lust which is sometimes mistaken for true love. So one can love money
rather than God and have an idolatrous situation. One can love someone else's wife in a lustful way and
covet the wrong thing. In a sense worshiping the created being or thing, rather than the Creator.
Idolatry and adultery then seem to be related, neither are desirable in the life of a believer. Here is the
idea of idolatry in scripture:
Galatians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is
an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
No inheritance for the covetous man who is an idolater. This is truly a negative passage of scripture.
How about turning it around? How about reading what precedes this passage? Here is another part of
this passage:
Galatians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling
savor.
You can pick up on the King James English here, but it's a beautiful passage. As dear children, nothing
is sweeter than a child with a good attitude. Follow God. Walk in love. Walk in love as Jesus Christ
the messiah did. He loved us. He gave himself for us. Like an offering or gift he gave himself. As a
sacrifice or giving something sacred or required, he did that for us. And that gift to God the Father
smelled sweet, it had the most wonderful aroma to God.
The covetous man is held up as an example not to follow. Turned around, we find the challenge to be a
follower of God. We can do that because of the sweet smelling gift of Jesus. Through his gift of himself
we become partakers of the divine nature. We become acceptable to God.
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
In essence, we become like our savior Jesus, therefore we too are a sweet smelling fragrance to God.
Rather than a covetous idolater, we become devoted, loving, divine nature participating followers of
God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We can never thank you enough. You made
it so we could be like you, and we are, now. Do we make mistakes sure, but just like a child, we learn
and do our best to follow the leader. Jesus.
This devotional written especially for you. 29 April 2009 Bruce Dickey
The covetous man is an idolater. What is a covetous man? To be covetous requires lust which is love
for the wrong thing. One can love things and be covetous. One can love others inappropriately and be
covetous. Well what about the idolater part?
Idolatry is misplaced love or lust which is sometimes mistaken for true love. So one can love money
rather than God and have an idolatrous situation. One can love someone else's wife in a lustful way and
covet the wrong thing. In a sense worshiping the created being or thing, rather than the Creator.
Idolatry and adultery then seem to be related, neither are desirable in the life of a believer. Here is the
idea of idolatry in scripture:
Galatians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is
an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
No inheritance for the covetous man who is an idolater. This is truly a negative passage of scripture.
How about turning it around? How about reading what precedes this passage? Here is another part of
this passage:
Galatians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling
savor.
You can pick up on the King James English here, but it's a beautiful passage. As dear children, nothing
is sweeter than a child with a good attitude. Follow God. Walk in love. Walk in love as Jesus Christ
the messiah did. He loved us. He gave himself for us. Like an offering or gift he gave himself. As a
sacrifice or giving something sacred or required, he did that for us. And that gift to God the Father
smelled sweet, it had the most wonderful aroma to God.
The covetous man is held up as an example not to follow. Turned around, we find the challenge to be a
follower of God. We can do that because of the sweet smelling gift of Jesus. Through his gift of himself
we become partakers of the divine nature. We become acceptable to God.
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
In essence, we become like our savior Jesus, therefore we too are a sweet smelling fragrance to God.
Rather than a covetous idolater, we become devoted, loving, divine nature participating followers of
God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We can never thank you enough. You made
it so we could be like you, and we are, now. Do we make mistakes sure, but just like a child, we learn
and do our best to follow the leader. Jesus.
This devotional written especially for you. 29 April 2009 Bruce Dickey