The Doorpost: Covetousness is idolatry
By Ray King · Dec 31, 2012
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. … For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Ephesians 3:3,5
In this passage, covetousness is included right next to sexual immorality. It is just as serious, but it is often easier to conceal. The passage points out that a covetous person is an idolater.
An idol is anything that we care about more than we care about God. What do we arrange our lives around, even if it means hindering our fellowship with God or delaying our obedience to Him?
An idol may not appear to be a bad thing. It can involve caring more about the good gifts God gives us—work, possessions, relationships, reputation, comfort—than we care about God Himself.
We must examine ourselves to make sure we have not allowed covetousness or other idolatry to take hold in our lives.