What Is Our Besetting Sin?

What Is our Besetting Sin?

      A child of God ought not to be a fornicator, nor a whoremonger, nor have a mind filled with garbage and unclean thoughts and attitudes; but neither should he be covetous, nor an idolater. All these sins are grouped together and seem to carry the same weight of importance with God. One may frown on a person who has pre-marital or extra marital sex relations, but that same person may be given to covetousness and idol worship, and an idol is any thing that occupies the place in the heart and mind that God ought to occupy.

      “But fornication, and all uncleaness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.” Ephesians 5: 3, 4.

      You who do not have a mind filled with filthy thoughts, and do not gossip, and do not tell dirty jokes, and look with contempt on those who do, what does occupy the place in your mind that these forbidden things occupy in the minds of others? Is it covetousness? Is it longing and desire for things that God has not seen fit to grant you? Do you spend all your time and energy thinking of the things that you don't have, but would give anything to possess? Or is your mind occupied with thoughts of God and his righteousness and his coming kingdom? And are you busy giving thanks for all the blessings that God has already bestowed upon you?

      “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5: 5.

      Beware dear christian brother or sister; and I speak to myself as well as to you, covetousness and idolatry will bar you from the kingdom of God just as much as fornication and adultery will.