THE SIN OF ENVY

"For wolves to devour sheep is no wonder, but for sheep to devour one another is monstrous and astonishing." - Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations


James 3:14 declares - "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth."

Matthew Henry once made this statement - "If we love our neighbor we shall be so far from envying his welfare, or being displeased with it, that we shall share in it and rejoice at it."
Thomas Manton remarked - "There are two sins which were Christ's secret enemies, covetousness and envy. Covetousness sold Christ and envy delivered Him."
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The Apostle James in Verse 13 of Chapter 3 mentioned the "wise man...endued with knowledge." Nonetheless, in Verses 15-17, he begins a discussion of two kinds of Wisdom - that which is "earthly," "sensual," and "devilish" versus that which is "pure," "peaceable," and willing to yield.

The First Wisdom - that which is "earthly," "sensual," and "devilish" - is marked by a heart that is full of envy and strife. James admonished the brethren who were puffed up and boasting in their great wisdom -yet had hearts full of jealousy, contentious rivalry, self-seeking and self-supporting ambition - to "...glory not, and lie not against the truth." In other words, don't deny or defy the Truth; don't speak deliberate falsehoods; don't deceive yourself and others by believing a lie that you have Great Wisdom.

What kind of Wisdom do you really have if you have jealousy and rivalry in your heart?

For the purpose of this message, we would like to look at several Scriptures dealing just with envy.

What exactly is it?

Thomas Watson, a renowned preacher, defined it as such - "Envy is a self-murder, a fretting canker."

This quote certainly coincides with Proverbs 14:30 which says - "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones."

A "sound heart" speaks of a heart which is in a healthy condition - spiritually speaking. The word "sound" can be explained or depicted by such words as - medicine, healing, remedy, wholesome, and curative. This "sound heart" is the "life of the flesh."

On the other hand, "envy" is pictured as the "rottenness of the bones." Instead of medicine, healing, remedy, and a cure; we find decay and rottenness. Instead of a "sound heart," we find "envy."

So we may conclude from this comparative study that an envious person is a spiritually-sick person.

However, lest anyone excuse envy as a sickness, let's examine some Scriptures which definitely consider it to be a sin which will deny heaven to anyone guilty of it and take their soul to Hell.

Galatians 5:19-21 lists "envy" along with the sins of adultery, fornication, witchcraft, murders, and drunkenness. The Apostle Paul said - "...of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
In Romans 1:29, he also listed "envy" with "unrighteousness," "wickedness," and "maliciousness."
In Titus 3:3, he listed "envy" as a part of our past life of sin from which Jesus redeemed us.

In 1 Peter 2:1, the Apostle Peter admonished us to lay aside envy. In other words, put it away, cast it off, lay it down, and put it off like the putting off of clothes. No longer practice it. Renounce it.

The Scriptures abound with similar commands to believers to lay aside sin.

Ezekiel 18:31 says - "Cast away from you all your transgressions..."
Romans 13:12 says - "...cast off the works of darkness..."
Ephesians 4:22 says - "...put off concerning the former conversation the old man..."
Hebrews 12:1 says - "...lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."
James 1:21 says - "lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness..."
Peter just adds to the list when he says - "Wherefore laying aside all...envies..." (1 Peter 2:1).

The Apostle Paul called for the united action from all believers in avoiding this sin of envy by two particular Scriptures which begin with the words - "Let us..." -

Romans 13:13 says - "Let us walk honestly...not in strife and envying."
Galatians 5:26 says - "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

As children of Light, we are to live our lives decently, orderly, appropriately, and in a fitting manner. This can only be done if we negate all rivalry and jealousy. We are to cease from envying those on whom God bestows honor and advantage - even before ourselves.

The Scriptures tell us that Rachel "envied her sister" because she bare no children to Jacob as Leah did (Genesis 30:1).
Joseph's brothers "envied him" for the preferential treatment that he received from their father (Genesis 37:11).
The Pharisees and Sadducees envied Jesus' ministry of Miracles (Matthew 27:18).

It was because of envy that Joseph ended up in a pit and was eventually sold to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. It was because of envy that Jesus was delivered over to Pilate and was then crucified on the Cross.

To be envious is to be grieved at the earthly, intellectual, or spiritual blessings of another. It is to feel uneasy and grieved at the happiness, excellence, superiority, and reputation enjoyed by another.

1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that "...charity envieth not..." A person walking in envy is not walking in Christian Love.

Envy kills!

Job 5:2 says that "...envy slayeth the silly one." The "silly one" is the one easily deceived, enticed, and seduced - one who is simple and foolish, gullible and unsuspicious.

As Thomas Watson was quoted earlier as saying - "Envy is a self-murder..."

The Apostle James said - "But if ye have bitter envying...in your hearts, glory not..." (James 3:14).

It is not a time to rejoice or boast. It is a time to lay it all aside before envy slays or destroys you.

That it will do - for it is Sin.

Romans 6:23 confirms this fact in saying -

"For the wages of sin is death..."

May God Bless His Word,
Connie

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