It is Criminal to Covet What Belongs to God

Matthew 25:14-30

^14-18 “”It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities.  Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment.  The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s investment.

^19-21 “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

^22-23 “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

^24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’

^26-27 “The master was furious. That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to be cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I could have gotten a little interest.

^28-30 “Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’” MSG

In the last post. we mentioned briefly the dangers of covetousness. To review, we cannot operate out of jealousy and envy of what others have and are able to accomplish, especially when they have paid a great price to walk in their calling. This puts the covetous person in danger of operating out of his or her sphere of protection and is open to get unnecessary warfare and suffer devastating blows that could also hurt those they are connected to. Now, here I will expand more on that and give examples of ways one can fall into the dangers of coveting what belongs to someone else. 

As we entered into the family and army of God by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we also entered in to fulfill the mandate given in Genesis 1:28 which says, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the earth, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NKJV

In other words, when God blessed us—this means that He empowered us to accomplish His mandate by giving us the necessary measure of every tool we would need be it spiritual, physical, financial, mental, and so on, and according to our task to be fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue, as well as take dominion in the areas we are given influence and authority. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 says it this way: “”And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers as it is this day.” NKJV

But one other principle most people ignore that works with this mandate, is the principle of helping to carry one another’s burdens. This is stated in at least two places in the New Testament. One is Romans 15:1-6 which explains, 

“¹We then who are strong are to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. ³For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.’ ⁴For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ⁵Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶that you with one mind and one mouth may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” NKJV

The other passage of Scripture is Galatians 6:1-2 “¹Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ²Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” NKJV

You may be asking yourself what is the law of Christ. It is found in Luke 10:27. “So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ And ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” NKJV

I have given you, reader, all this Scriptural background to now demonstrate when a person falls into covetousness. As we return to the initial passage in Matthew 25, verses 24-30 say, “^24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’

“^26-27 “The master was furious. That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to be cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I could have gotten a little interest.

^28-30 “Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’” MSG

To explain the careless ways of a man mentioned in verse 24, we need to understand that we are not owners of anything on this earth but only stewards of the things God has given to us in order to fulfill the mandate stated in Genesis 1:28. God owns the earth, as well as everything in it, including the people He placed in it (Psalm 24:1). For this reason, even when He has given us the power and ability to grow and multiply the resources, finances, relationships, businesses, ministries, positions, and possessions He has placed under our care, He has the right to tell us when it is time to hand over those things to the next steward He has decided to appoint the managing and care of them.

However, when we fail to obey this command, we have entered into criminal territory in the sight of God. And the longer it takes us to obey, the more we are recognized in heaven as thieves. We have also become covetous people that want what belongs to another. A third label we now have is of being hoarders: someone that accumulates, hides, or carefully guards something for preservation and future use.¹

This is also saying that we do not take risks in letting go because we deem those things as ours. Part of the mandate given in Genesis 1:28 involves helping our brothers and sisters be enabled to accomplish their part of this mandate. This means that what we have been given is also to help those that may have burdens in their lives that are too much for them to bear on their own and prevent them from fulfilling their assignments in order to obey this mandate.

In addition, as also stated in verses 19-20 of the passage, the time comes when God settles accounts with us and sees how much we have taken risks in letting go of what He mandates to pass on to the one granted stewardship of what belongs to Him. The more we obey this command, the more we are entrusted with until God can give us the true riches of His Kingdom and makes us to partner with Him because He has seen we are faithful in trusting Him and do what He commands us to do in this area.

The opposite happens when we fail to obey. The less we do this, the more He takes from us because He sees that we are not trustworthy to have what belongs to someone else and He gives it to His faithful ones who proved themselves faithful risk takers. Not only that, but Proverbs 6:30-31 says that a thief may not be despised if he steals to satisfy his starvation, but when he is found, he must restore sevenfold, and that may have to be out of the substance of his house. 

Zechariah 5:1-4 also reveals the curse that goes to the house of a thief and a perjurer to consume it until it is gone. Therefore, if you find yourself shaken in any area, ask the Lord if it may be because you were asked to pass on stewardship of finances, or resources, a relationship, or a position or something else that also belongs to God to someone else or were asked to help someone bear his or her burdens and you failed to obey the command. 

The New King James Version says of this passage in verses 24-26, “²⁴Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

²⁶”But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I had not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.’” 

So know that it is important to take heed and not only work steadfastly in being fruitful, subduing, multiplying, replenishing, and taking dominion in the areas we have been called to have influence and authority over, but also, we are mandated to help others be able to do their part by helping them carry their burdens when it is too much for them to bear and as they do their part in fulfilling the same mandate. We are also to remember that on this earth we are not owners but stewards and need to serve the Lord also in this way because He has the right to cause us to reap where we have not sown, and gather where we have not scattered (John 4:37-38; Ecclesiastes 2:21).

Now, please pray with me: Heavenly Father, we come boldly to your throne of grace and mercy, but with humble hearts to ask you to forgive our sin of rebellion against you and against your Kingdom. Help us to turn from our wicked ways, and hear our prayer to heal us from the wrong mindsets that have kept us from obeying your commands. Remove all wrong doctrines and ways of the world that advocate seeking after self and to pursue selfish and ungodly ambitions. Give us understanding of the ways of your Kingdom and of your heart so we may not sin against you. With contrite hearts we come and ask you to help us walk out your mandate and perfect will for us so our land may be healed. We ask you this in the precious name of your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.

To God alone be all the glory. ▪

Endnote: 1. Definition of hoarder

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Effects of the Wise Virgins & the Foolish Virgins

Acts 19:10-17

¹⁰”This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the province of] Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].

¹¹And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.

¹²So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirts came out of them.

¹³Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!

¹⁴Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this.

¹⁵But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?

¹⁶Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.

¹⁷This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified.” AMPC

We have come to some exciting times in the Kingdom. Times of restoration and of seeing many souls be ripe for salvation. Society as a whole is now taking a paradigm shift that as the spirit of Elijah continues to work to restore families and seek the lost, many will see the effects of their labor of love unto God and love for their neighbor as they love themselves. Now these will go behind the doors of increased anointings, mantles, and rewards with the groom they chose to love and follow even in hard times of testing and trials.

But there is also a group that has lived presumptuously and with a divided heart towards God and the Kingdom. These have refused to leave the ways of the world and allow God to do a deep work in them that may seem risky to them. They have forgotten that in order to live a life where you sow into eternity, you will be asked of God many times to take risks.

Their failure to trust God and relinquish control of their lives to Him have left them behaving like the foolish virgins. Their wrong thinking and behaving have kept them going from one disobedience to another. This in turn caused them to loose authority in the Kingdom until, like the seven sons of Sceva mentioned in the Scripture above, could come to a catalyst incident, that proves that what they had sown into was not eternity, but works of the flesh. 

God demonstrated through the Apostle Paul what it means to work in partnership with Him in order to save a society that was infested with idolatry, national pride, and loving gain for selfish ambition like Ephesus, where the doctrine presented by Paul continued to be rejected and prejudiced against because it did not fit their philosophy and contamination with paganism.¹

However, because of the depth of the stronghold that demonstrated such things in the natural, God knew that it would take the supernatural to get the attention of those God wanted to touch through the Apostle Paul in that region.

But the sons of Sceva, a chief priest and respected member of their society, presumed that their father’s influence would be enough to cast out devils out of the oppressed without having a wholesome relationship with God and a walk of continual obedience and trust in Him. 

Verse 13 of the passage shows that for a while it seemed like what they were doing had some type of effect, but not like Paul’s in changing the hearts of the people back to God because they were casting out demons in the name of the God of Paul. This reveals that they had been in a process that was not yet completed, and their level of authority in the spirit realm was not the same as Paul’s. It also verifies that their rank in the spirit was not as high as the Apostle’s.

The other thing the sons of Sceva did that proved detrimental for them was that they went outside of their sphere of influence and authority given by God. This also showed their lack of understanding of staying faithfully within the confines of the metron given by God to operate in (group of people assigned by God to influence and area to have authority over in the spirit realm). 

When God has enlarged our territory, He will prove that by the ease in which doors open for us to establish the Kingdom of God and we see how He backs us up in the battles over those territories. The opposite happens when we are not operating in our assigned sphere of influence and authority. 

One other thing the sons of Sceva should have guarded against was covetousness and jealousy of Paul’s gifts and anointing to win the lost, as well as his mantle to see supernatural manifestations of the creative power of God to influence the people of the region and win their hearts. This means that we need to be careful to not do things just because we like or want what others have and presume to do them without inquiring of the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) to see if this is something we need to be doing.

It is dangerous to act out of covetousness and jealousy of what others have because where there is no authority to operate, there is no protection and the people are wide open to unnecessary warfare that can result in overwhelming damages to them and those they are connected to.

We can see in verse 16 how two of the sons of Sceva received devastating blows at the hand of someone that was oppressed by a demon for which they had not yet paid the price to be able to overcome. That is because we cannot cast out of others what is still influencing us (Matthew 7:3-5).

Matthew 25:5-13 says,

“⁵ While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep.

⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!

⁷ Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order.

⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

⁹ But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.

¹¹ Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us!

¹² But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you].

¹³ Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.” AMPC

Verse nine of this passage conveys how it is necessary for us to preoccupy ourselves with completing every step of the journey towards our destiny more than the destiny itself. When we reach our destiny, we would have reached the necessary level of authority in the spirit realm that will help us be recognized like Paul and Jesus were. Verse twelve attests to this as Jesus acknowledged to the foolish virgins that they had no recognition in the spirit. That is because to be recognized by heaven or hell it is necessary to obtain the results we look for of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). For this, we must pay the price of keeping the supply of the oil of our lamps continually accessible to us through intimacy and obedience.

What the foolish virgins found instead was time in the wilderness of testing and trials designed to help them reach the necessary levels of authority and delegated power from heaven to destroy the works of the enemy at every level of their journey. No one that calls himself a believer of Jesus can escape this process if they want to be counted among those who are world changers and Kingdom advancers for the glory of God. Those who escaped this process before will be sent to do it again until they complete what God wants to get out of them in the wilderness while being mindful of their journey on behalf of the many souls that will benefit from their obedience.

To Him alone be all the glory.▪ 

Endnote: Paul at Ephesus

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