• From Bible Study 5/17/09
• based on the book Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

I. ENVY:

• the painful and often time resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by someone else (Covetousness is nothing more than wanting that same advantage for ourselves.)

Conditions for Envy:
1. We tend to envy those with whom we most closely identify.
2. We tend to envy in them the areas we value most.
(We may not even want the better circumstance of our neighbor, we just resent their having them.)

Is it Serious?

Romans 1:28-29 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy…

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

II. JEALOUSY:

• usually defined as intolerance of rivalry.
• Sinful jealousy occurs when we are afraid someone is going to become equal to or even superior to us.

Acts 5:14-18 – 14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number; is to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets, and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16 And also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed. 1′ But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; 18 and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail.

Acts 13:43-45 – 43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.  44 And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.

1 Samuel 18:6-9 6 And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. ‘ And the women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

III. Responding to the Temptation to Envy Or Become Jealous.

1. Maintain a grateful heart.

• a. Remember who we were!
  • Eph 2:1-3 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
  • Eph 2:11-12 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh… remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

• b. Remember who we are!
  • Eph 2:13, 19 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ… So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.
  • Gal 4:4-7 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law; sin 6 order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
• c. Remember what it is that we deserve!
  • Matthew 13:49-50 “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

• c. Remember what it is that we have received!
  • Eph 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ‘ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.

2. Focus on the sovereignty of God.

• a. You were “custom made”!
  • Psalm 139:13-14 For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
• (This includes those things we don’t find so “wonderful.”)
  • Ex 4:10-11 Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” And the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not 1, the LORD?
• b. You were made for a purpose!
  • Rom 9:23-24 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
• c. Your material blessings, no less than your physical, are part of that purpose.
  • 1 Samuel 2:6 The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts.
  • Psalm 75:5-7 Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not speak with insolent pride. For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert comes exaltation; But God is the Judge; He puts down one, and exalts another.
• d. You (with all your limitations and weaknesses) are indispensable to His purpose!
  • Rom 12:3-18 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to helve sound judgment, as God has allotted to~each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ‘ And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly:
  • 1 Cor 12:4-27 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. ‘ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good … But one and the’ same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ … For the body is not one member, but many … But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; [so] there should be no division in the body, but the members should have the same care for one another, ..Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

IV. Competitiveness:

• the urge to win or be the top person in whatever we do.
• 2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
• Col 3:23-24 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
• 1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
• 1 Cor 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

***Not “did I win” but “did I do my best.”***

• “Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself”