The battle that rages inside all of us is that even when our intentions are good, we still have a sin nature and often yield to sin. One of those sins is jealousy, which is closely related to one of the “seven deadly sins” called envy or covetous. There are a number of verses that deal with this topic because when we fall into jealousy or envy, we will often spiral down very quickly in our spiritual life. It is easy to fall into jealousy in our materialistic society. The mantra of culture seems to be to keep up with the Jones’. Grab all that you can. Put yourself first in all things. Consider what Scripture says about jealousy and envy…
Bible Verses Where Jealousy is Contrasted with Good Characteristics
Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.
1Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it his not arrogant
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
James 3:14-15 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Scriptures Where Jealousy Leads to Destruction
Genesis 4:8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Psalm 37:1-3 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James 4:1-2 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Proverbs 14:30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
Bible Quotes that Show That God is a Jealous God
Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me
Exodus 34:14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Psalm 79:5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?
Verses About Jealousy and Sin
Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
1Corinthians 3:3-5 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it his not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful
Ephesians 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
There are many more examples that I could point to in Scripture. If we are honest with ourselves, we all get envious or jealous at times. Sometimes it may be subtle in our own minds as we wish things were different. Maybe we question God about some of the circumstances in our life. God can handle any question that we may have but we need to ask if we are honestly seeking an answer to a struggle in our life or questioning the ways and will of God. That is a fine line. Thankfully, we serve and love a great God. He is the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He loves us so much in spite of our sins. My prayer today is that we all would evaluate our own life and if convicted by the Holy Spirit about the sin of jealousy, that we would ask forgiveness and repent of our sin. God wants to give us freedom over our sin that comes through the shed blood of Jesus. Praise Him!
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“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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