(Colossians 3:5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ~ Have you ever wondered: Why is covetousness and idolatry together? What is idolatry? Idolatry is creating a "false god" for yourself! The first of the Ten Commandments: (Exodus 20:3) "You shall have no other gods before me." ~ Many people say: Christianity is overbearing! Why can't there be other gods besides Jehovah? Many people think: All gods should be worshipped, just like the ancient Romans, who worshipped everything! There were goddesses, Zeus, Cupid... Just like in traditional Chinese culture, all gods are worshipped! The Chinese believe that worship brings blessings. Therefore, the Chinese believe in everything and worship everything! Or they believe in nothing and worship nothing! And there are a lot of gods that aren't gods at all, but simply "gods" made from dead people after they die! If the dead can become "gods," then are they still "gods"? If "gods" can die, then they are not gods!
Many people say: Didn't the Lord Jesus die too? Logically, the Lord Jesus didn't die! He just slept for a few days! Jesus' soul must have left his body for a few days. As for where his soul went, how would I know? If Jesus had not been resurrected from the dead, then he is not God, and we have no need to believe in him! Therefore, we must understand that resurrection from the dead is the only proof that Jesus is God! If Jesus had not been resurrected from the dead, then we should not believe in eternal life at all! It is because of the power of resurrection from the dead that Jesus has authority over life and death. If Jesus does not have authority over life and death, then why would we become Christians? Therefore, we must be certain that the Triune God is the one true God! And the Triune God has authority over life and death! Jesus has authority over life and death, and He offers us the hope of eternal life. This is the true hope, this is the most important promise! If Jesus had died like any other human being and turned into a pile of bones, how could we possibly call Him "God".?
Why is greed and idolatry considered sinful? Because idolaters are certainly not devoted! Especially those who worship all kinds of gods are definitely not devoted! Just like greed, which means wanting everything! A greedy person lacks self-control. A greedy person cannot control their desires; they are always seeking more! Therefore, greed is the same as idolatry! Greed and idolatry are the same—lack of dedication! Jehovah God is the only God, the Triune God! Greedy people, on the other hand, lack faith in Jehovah God's power. Instead, they place their trust in various idols, creating various idols for themselves! Idol-makers and idolaters have a mindset: They can control God! These idolaters and idol-makers create idols and worship various gods to their own whims! The same is true of greed! Greedy people follow their own desires, taking what they want, and they will use any means to satisfy their own desires. Therefore, greed and idolatry are definitely not Single-mindedness!!
A person who wholeheartedly worships the Triune God will undoubtedly obey God's commandments! They won't be so partial to this idol or that one, and in the end, their entire home becomes a mess of idols! Greedy people are driven by their own desires. They don't think about "enough," but rather they want more! Greedy people often end up dying from greed! These greedy people can't escape the "control of desire"! What is "desire"? "Desire" is the "idol" in our hearts! "Idols" are created according to our desires, and "desire" is a derivative of our greed! If a person doesn't have "greed," "desire" won't arise! Greed indulges desires, and greed leads us to blindly pursue various idols. So, why are greed and idolatry the same sin? Because greed and idolatry are a lack of "single-mindedness"! "Single-mindedness" is our powerful weapon against "greed and idolatry"! There are countless benefits to being "single-minded in worshiping God"! Being "not greedy" is an incomparable benefit to our lives! We could spend three days and three nights describing the pain caused by "greed and idolatry"! Greed and idolatry will bring us endless suffering in this life. Even more terrifying, they will lead us into the lake of fire of eternal death, where they will burn over and over again, forever! Therefore, greed and idolatry are our own choices. The only way to break free from greed and idolatry is to be single-minded! Only by having a single-minded trust in God can we obtain abundance in this life and the hope of eternal life.!
