"Charity [Love] envieth not… " — I Cor. 13:4b
If you have ever looked at another and entertained the thought, "I wish I had his… (position; possessions; popularity, etc.,)" then you have known the pull of envy. Envy is an underlying element in every crime of man, springing from the essence of sin, which is selfishness. It is the desire to be or to have that which is not ours, that which belongs to another.
Envy is synonymous with covetousness, a sin God addressed early on in the ten commandments: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's [Ex. 20:17]." It was that which in Adam made him susceptible to Satan's solicitation to evil: discontented with his position, Adam envied God and fell for the temptation to be "like the most High!"
The power and perversity of envy is illustrated in many instances in scripture. The most telling in the Old Testament is the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers, as explained in the book of Acts: "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt… [Acts 7:9]." Envy moved the Jews to resist the successful ministry of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch (cf Acts 13:45), of Paul and Silas at Thessalonica (Acts17:5), and even prompted some to preach the gospel in a competitive way while Paul was imprisoned at Rome (Phil. 1:15).
The most devastating indictment of all, however, is the disclosure that envy accounted for the crucifixion of the Savior. "And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him [Mark 15:9-14]."
The counterpoint to this is illustrated in the account of the relationship between Jonathan and David. Jonathan was legitimate heir to the throne of Israel when his heart cleaved to David. David was in the ascendancy, "accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants [I Sam. 18:5]," and might well have invited Jonathan's envy as he had Saul's hostility. But to the contrary, "Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle [ v.4]." It was his joy to confer favor upon David "because he loved him as his own soul [v.3]."
Envy knows nothing of love; love knows nothing of envy. Hence we are admonished, "Be ye followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be named among you, as becometh saints… For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience [Eph. 5:1-6]." Here covetousness, or envy, is classified with the vilest of sins.
"The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy," James says. And Paul remarks that the "works of the flesh" include "envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before… that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God [see Gal. 5:19-21]." The paramount need is for us to be converted and imbued with another Spirit, reflective of the Love of God and of Christ. Short of this the world will not see Christ in us; and if they see not Christ in us, they may not see Him at all.
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
If you have ever looked at another and entertained the thought, "I wish I had his… (position; possessions; popularity, etc.,)" then you have known the pull of envy. Envy is an underlying element in every crime of man, springing from the essence of sin, which is selfishness. It is the desire to be or to have that which is not ours, that which belongs to another.
Envy is synonymous with covetousness, a sin God addressed early on in the ten commandments: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's [Ex. 20:17]." It was that which in Adam made him susceptible to Satan's solicitation to evil: discontented with his position, Adam envied God and fell for the temptation to be "like the most High!"
The power and perversity of envy is illustrated in many instances in scripture. The most telling in the Old Testament is the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers, as explained in the book of Acts: "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt… [Acts 7:9]." Envy moved the Jews to resist the successful ministry of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch (cf Acts 13:45), of Paul and Silas at Thessalonica (Acts17:5), and even prompted some to preach the gospel in a competitive way while Paul was imprisoned at Rome (Phil. 1:15).
The most devastating indictment of all, however, is the disclosure that envy accounted for the crucifixion of the Savior. "And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him [Mark 15:9-14]."
The counterpoint to this is illustrated in the account of the relationship between Jonathan and David. Jonathan was legitimate heir to the throne of Israel when his heart cleaved to David. David was in the ascendancy, "accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants [I Sam. 18:5]," and might well have invited Jonathan's envy as he had Saul's hostility. But to the contrary, "Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle [ v.4]." It was his joy to confer favor upon David "because he loved him as his own soul [v.3]."
Envy knows nothing of love; love knows nothing of envy. Hence we are admonished, "Be ye followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be named among you, as becometh saints… For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience [Eph. 5:1-6]." Here covetousness, or envy, is classified with the vilest of sins.
"The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy," James says. And Paul remarks that the "works of the flesh" include "envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before… that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God [see Gal. 5:19-21]." The paramount need is for us to be converted and imbued with another Spirit, reflective of the Love of God and of Christ. Short of this the world will not see Christ in us; and if they see not Christ in us, they may not see Him at all.
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
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