Many Christians fail to see how covetousness which stems from idolatry puffs up human pride. They dismiss it as just another sin like any other. However, the idolatry, from which covetousness grows is placed in the same categories of sins as sexual sin which is lust of the flesh. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (1 Corinthians 6:9).
The sins of idolatry and sexual immorality are both those who crave to the carnal flesh. Although all sin is against, sexual immorality is literally the indicator that a person is hostile against God. Apostle Paul told the believers of Thessalonia in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8:
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
The word 'purity' means chastity, uprightness, blamelessness or cleanness. To chastise or chasten another is to punish or discipline the person. Therefore, to be pure means to not only accept punishment, or even accept it as precious for oneself, but to seek and desire disciplining and correction where one goes astray. To be impure means to hate discipline and correction. The one who is impure hates his own soul and does not care about the path to Life as is the adulterous woman in Proverbs (Proverbs 5:6). He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding (Proverbs 15:32).
There are many unsaved people who do not care that they are headed for Hell despite knowing about how it is described in the Bible. This is because they despise their own soul so much that even another fallen human cares for their soul more than they do. The adulterous woman, who represents anyone who lives a life of perversity does not care about the path of Life because she is so indulged with the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. She loves her sins so much that she is prepared to go to Hell so that she can enjoy the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. What could be more foolish than not caring about going to Hell simply because one wants to continue indulging in one's sins? Nothing could be more foolish than that.
The adulterous woman or man is one who is a fool (Proverbs 6:32). Sexual sin hardens one's heart against the Way to Life because it feeds the carnal flesh that is diametrically opposed to God and therefore His Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). Love does not envy, does not boast nor is it proud (1 Corinthians 13:4). The flesh is opposed to the Spirit and therefore cannot produce that of the Spirit. Therefore, the flesh is jealous, boastful and proud.
The spirit of covetousness is behind all sin, including envy and pride. Pride is not a feeling of mere entitlement that one should have more than what one has. It is a product of the carnal mind, a desire that one's flesh is to be indulged on one's terms according to what the flesh desires. It resists chastening of the carnal, wicked flesh because it seeks only its own way. It hates correction and despises those who seek to even doubt its ways.
The carnal flesh is infected by pride as there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). The spirit of covetousness seeks to seduce the flesh into seeking its own ways and striving to satisfy its own desires without regards for any correction. Covetousness is lust of the eyes and flesh which make the person in the flesh. When a person is in the flesh, he is open to temptation to pride of life, and very weak in resisting the pride of life because his flesh is either alive in the case of the unsaved, or dug up in the case of the saved.
Pride hates correction and discipline because its despises the soul as it thinks that all is well with its soul. Covetousness is idolatry because it not only feeds the flesh; it can only feed the flesh because its lusts after the things of the world which appeal to the flesh. This is why Hebrews 13:5 warned: Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Covetousness begets idolatry which serves mammon which is the things of this world. It is the yeast of the unleavened bread of pride. Idolatry is pride as it seeks not God but material things that satisfy the flesh and has disregard for the Way to Life just as the adulterous woman in provides has no regard for the Way to Life - because she is possessed by her sin and she loves her sin that she is willing to die in her sins to spend Eternity in Hell.
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