Welcome. Today we are going to be talking about the fifth of our seven deadly sins, that being envy. What is envy? Well, I believe the Star Wars character Yoda once said it was ‘the shadow of greed, that is’  which is a pretty good point, but let’s get more specific.

Envy has been described as sorrow for another’s good, and a painful or resentful awareness of another’s advantage joined with the desire to possess the same advantage. The advantage may concern material goods or social status. Finally, Webster’s says: To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another’s prosperity; to fret or grieve one’s self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.

If you are trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ then you are full of envy. Any time you look at something someone else has, and desire it greatly, you are envious of their possessions.

Let’s see what the Bible has to say about envy.

(Pro 14:30)  A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. Being envious does nothing for you but make you bitter, and thereby is rotten.

(Psa 37:1)  A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Do not want the lavish estate of the wicked, nor wish that you could be like them in possessions. To want a lavish estate is to want treasures here on Earth, and what does the Bible say about treasures? (Mat 6:21)  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(Rom 1:28)  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (Rom 1:29)  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (Rom 1:30)  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (Rom 1:31)  Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (Rom 1:32)  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

This shows us that envy is in the hearts of wicked, worldly people whom God has given over to vile affections because they had not any love for the truth.

(1Co 3:3)  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Envy is carnal, or of the world and something that has no place in the Christian lifestyle or Christian church.

(2Co 12:20)  For I fear, lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults. The Corinthians have had troubles with these things before, and they are getting their tails chewed and warned that they better not be doing any of those things, including the sin of envy.

Here’s the big list of works of the flesh, which are not of God. (Gal 5:19)  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (Gal 5:20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (Gal 5:21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: 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.

As we see, envy is listed among the fruits of the flesh, and it is something that separates us from God.

(Pro 27:4)  Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? The envious will not change their course. Wrath fades to just anger, and anger can simmer down, but envy does not give up on its own. An angry person often can be placated at least to the point to tame the negative emotions, if only for a moment, whereas nothing placates envy.

Even if the envious see the fall of the ones they envy, they still likely are envious, unless they come into windfall benefits at the same time, in which they will move into a new ‘class’ and find new people to envy.

Here is an example of how envy can move people to horrible things: (Act 7:9) And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.

Some people even commit envy when they serve the Lord. (Php 1:15)  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will. Some people want to be huge successes like Paul was, though they don’t realize that Paul was only doing what he was led to do. He was not a ‘superstar’ so to speak because he lifted himself, but instead because he was humble before the Lord and spoke the words given him.

If you preach Christ and do so because you envy someone else’s ministry or accomplishments, then you are doing Christ a disservice. Envy should not be in your heart when speaking of the joys of the love of God.

(Mat 27:18)  For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. This verse is talking about when Jesus and Barabbas are being offered for release. Pilate knew that the Jews envied Jesus because the people magnified Him, and His ministry was growing by leaps and bounds.

But envy played a role in the torture and sacrifice of Christ. Envy is a sin strong enough that it sent the Lord Himself to the cross. I mean this in a literal fashion, they envied Him so they set about making sure He was put to death.

(Psa 73:3)  For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. The foolish and arrogant can often become quite prosperous in the world, since they are of the world. (2Co 4:4)  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Satan then uses these blinded minds to corrupt others. When they become prosperous, then it is easy for others to envy them and corrupt themselves.

It is easy to fall into this mindset. I sit here in the lap of poverty basically, with nothing but my one t.v. channel but tons of false teachers are out there rolling in millions of dollars. This could nearly make me envious, but I realize that my treasures are in Heaven, not on Earth so I don’t mind.

Someone rolls up to me and says ‘hey check out my second car!’ and I respond with ‘that’s great for you!’ and think to myself just how glad I am that I don’t have two car payments to make. I don’t let envy get to me.

(Pro 3:31)  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. There are those that would want to be like the oppressors in the world! Do not fashion yourself the master of others like someone is the ‘master’ so to speak over you. Don’t sit around and mull over what you would do if you were the landlord and what power you would swing around, or what you would do if you were the bossman or whatever, don’t think of what abuses of power you would like to commit. That is being envious.

(Pro 24:1)  Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. (Pro 24:2)  For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Don’t desire to be the mobster or the bad guy, since they clearly call destruction to themselves, and by their very nature are mischievous.

(Rom 13:13)  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

(1Ti 6:4)  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings. The questions and strifes of words means that the person seeks things that are hollow and empty, and don’t really matter. This might be similar to playing word games when ignoring the message of the text that is plain as day.

By worrying about this word or that word, you end up missing the meaning of the sentence. The message is the important part. People like Jordan Maxwell and Michael Tsarion often play word games, seeking to take focus from the sentence and focus more on some word or another. An example is Maxwell’s love of debating the meaning of the word ‘age’. He’ll point out that ‘end of the world’ can translate to ‘end of the age’ and hold it up as some great finding, ignoring completely what the verse is saying.

(Ecc 4:4)  Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. That is, the more right the work, the more it is envied by the wicked.

(Job 5:2)  For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. Here we see that envy is so dangerous that it is said to slay the silly one. Envy will make you waste your life wanting things you don’t have, and despising those that have done nothing to wrong you.

(Jas 3:14)  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. Envy is inconsistent with the gospel.

(1Pe 2:1)  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (1Pe 2:2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Christians are commanded here to lay aside envy, and to make it part of your old life, your sin-life before you were granted salvation by the Lord.

(Jas 3:16)  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Envy leads to rumor mongering, and that leads to damaged relationships, hurt feelings, and mistrust.

What virtues should we develop instead of envy?

(Pro 14:30a)  A sound heart is the life of the flesh. Sound here means wholesome and pure, which a heart will be if it avoids things like envy.

We should come to be content as we see in (Php 4:11)  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

(1Co 13:4)  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Just for clarification, charity means love, benevolence and good will. These are the things we are to offer to others, not offer them hate because of envy.

We all must learn to look to our neighbors and not be jealous of his possessions or envious of his position in life, but instead be loving and caring, as good Christians should be, walking in the light and living as much like our Lord as we can.

(Lev 19:18)  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD. (Mat 22:39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Gal 5:14)  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Have no envy my friends. Love each other, and do not let the darkness poison your heart. Honestly, envy is just a big waste of time, so use that time to do something more constructive. Go make a kite or something instead, do anything at all, but do not waste your life being envious of another. Serve the Lord, He would greatly appreciate your time being spent for His glory.

Until next time my friends, God bless.

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