19 Bible Verses about Coveting, prohibition of

What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire." Sin found its rallying point in that command and stirred within me every sort of evil desire, for without law, sin is lifeless.

For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not have an evil desire," and any other commandment if there is any, are summed up in this command, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself." Love never does a wrong to one's neighbor; so love is the perfect satisfaction of the law.

"Stop storing up your riches on earth where moths and rust make away with them, and where thieves break in and steal them. But keep on storing up your riches in heaven where moths and rust do not make away with them and where thieves do not break in and steal them. For wherever your treasure is, there too your heart will be.

And then He said to them, "Be ever on the alert and always on your guard against every form of greed, because a man's life does not consist in his possessions, even though they are abundant."

Just at that moment the disciples came up and asked Jesus, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And He called a little child to Him, and had him stand in the midst of them, and said: "I solemnly say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you can never get into the kingdom of heaven at all.

Then they reached Capernaum. When He got home, He asked them, "What were you discussing on the way home?" But they had nothing to say, for they had discussed with one another which of them was to be the greatest. So He sat down and called the Twelve to Him and said, "If anyone wants to be the first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all."

Now a controversy sprang up among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, as He knew that the controversy was going on in their hearts, took a little child and had it stand by His side. Then He said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child on my account is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me is welcoming Him who sent me; for the one who is lowliest among you all is really great."

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not have a share in the kingdom of God? Stop being misled; people who are sexually immoral or idolaters or adulterers or sensual or guilty of unnatural sexual vice or thieves or greedy graspers for more or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers will not have a share in the kingdom of God.

And Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan so completely possessed your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourselves a part of the money received for the land? As long as it was unsold, was it not yours, and when it was sold, was not the money at your disposal? How could you have the heart to do such a thing! You did not lie to men but to God!" When Ananias heard these words, he fell dead, and a strange awe seized everybody who heard it.read more.
The younger men, however, got up, wrapped up his body, carried it out, and buried it. About three hours later, his wife came in, without having learned what had taken place. Peter said to her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for such and such a sum?" She answered, "Yes, that is it." Peter said to her, "How could both of you agree in such a way to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door; they will carry you out, too." She instantly fell dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

So Simon himself came to believe too, and after he was baptized he continued to be devoted to Philip, and he was always thrilled at seeing such great signs and wonder-works continuously performed. When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent Peter and John there. They came and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,read more.
for as yet He had not come upon any of them, but they had been baptized merely in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them, and one by one they received the Holy Spirit. So when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, and said, "Give me this power too, that when I lay my hands on anyone he may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "Your money go to perdition with you for even dreaming you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not sincere in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, to see if this thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are a bitter weed and a bundle of crookedness!"

I have never coveted any man's silver or gold or clothes.

If others share this right with you, have we not a stronger claim? Yet, we have never used this right; no, we keep on bearing everything, to keep from hindering the progress of the good news of Christ.

Make room for me in your hearts, I have not wronged or harmed or taken advantage of a single one of you.

and when I was with you and needed money, I never burdened a single one of you for a cent, for the brothers came from Macedonia and supplied what I needed. And so I kept myself, as I shall always do, from being a burden to you in any way.

It is now the third time that I have been ready to come to see you, and I will never ask you for financial support, for it is not your money but you yourselves that I want; for children are not by duty bound to lay up money for their parents, but parents for their children. So in my own case, I will most happily spend my money and myself for your sakes. If I love you much more than I love others, am I to be loved less by you? But let it be granted, you say, that I never received from you financial support, yet, you say, by being a trickster I cheated you by my cunning.read more.
I did not make any money out of you through anybody that I sent to you, did I? I actually begged Titus to go, and sent the well-known brother with him. Titus did not make any money out of you, did he? Did not he and I act in the same spirit, and take the very same steps?

Indeed, we never resorted to flattery, as you are well aware, nor to any pretext for making money; God is our witness.

But you must earnestly continue to cultivate your higher spiritual gifts. And yet I will show you a way that is better by far:

Keep on pursuing love, but still keep cultivating your spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophesying.

This is a saying to be trusted: "Whoever aspires to the office of pastor desires an excellent work."