In a previous paper we touched upon the question of "desire", and found among other

things that both the flesh and the spirit have "desires", and that these are opposite the one

to the other. The light in which our "desires" are viewed by the Lord may be seen by

observing the opening and closing words of the ten commandments:--

The reader may object to the alteration of the word "covet", but he will find that the

A.V. has put the alternative translation of the same Hebrew word in Deut. 5: 21.

If the relation between these two commandments means anything, it reveals

essentially two deities. To follow one's own desires is incipient atheism. The Gentiles,

unilluminated by the law of God, plunged in ignorance and darkness, alienated from the

life of God, and living "in the desires of the flesh, doing the will of the flesh and mind"

(Eph. 2: 3), were "without God" (atheoi, Eph. 2: 12). In other words, we are, all of us,

serving either God or mammon, God or self, God or the flesh; and the vehicle of that

service is "desire".

Desire operated in the garden of Eden.

We think immediately of the statement

concerning Eve:--

Desire is certainly prominent in this temptation, for two different Hebrew words are

used, but it should be remembered that not only did the Serpent use desire as a means to

his ends, but the Lord used it also.

The word "pleasant" here is the word "desire" in Gen.3: 6.

By our desires we are led, and desire is at the bottom of both sin and service. It was

the realization of this that overwhelmed Paul and as he says, "slew him". As a Pharisee

of the Pharisees he was "blameless" as touching the righteousness of the law, but, "one

day", he says, "the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom. 7: 9). Now the

commandment that "came" was not that which enjoined some extreme obedience; it was

simply, "Thou shalt not desire" (Rom. 7: 7), the complement, as we have seen, of the

command, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me". If this be the law, then salvation