Christian Fellowship (6) What is Love? (3)

Introduction: The Foul Odor of Lovelessness

0:03 The following message was delivered on Sunday morning, October 31st, 1993, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now let us turn together to 1 Corinthians chapter 13, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, and will you follow, please, as I read in your hearing, as I have done for several Lord's Day mornings, verses 4 through 7 of this Spirit-inspired portion of the Word of God in which the actings of godly love are set before us. 1 Corinthians 13 and verse 4.

0:53 Love. Suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, takes no account of evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.

1:28 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As we sit in this auditorium this morning, whether we are aware of it or not, all of us are the benefactors of an air exchange system that was incorporated into the construction of this building, some seven years ago. On the outside wall behind us, there is a louvered vent through which fresh air is drawn into this building and is circulated through these air discharge vents to the left and right of me here on the platform and above you in the large soffit on the rear wall of the auditorium. Now, I want you to see this. I want you to see this. I want you to see this.

2:32 I want you to see this. I want you to see this. I want you to see this. I want you to see this.

2:32 Suppose with me that at this season of the year, when a certain local animal seems to come out and is found in many places, that one such animal, and I refer to that cuddly-looking furry creature with black fur and a white stripe down its back, were to back himself into the louvered air vent on this wall of the auditorium, and for once, one reason or another leave us the benefit of discharging his perfume sack.

3:12 Now, can you imagine what would happen within the next few minutes as this air-circulating system filled this auditorium with the pungent smell of the discharge of that skunk? Would you be able to give to the worshipers? Would you be able to give to the worship of God undivided, concentrated, full attention with your olfactory nerves seared by skunk oil and your eyes watery with the burning effect of that potent smell that the skunk had deposited by our louvered vent? Well, the answer's...

4:06 obvious. The most spiritual, the most personally disciplined man, woman, boy or girl in this auditorium would not be able to rise above the penetrating, captivating odor of that skunk. And just as surely, if when we as the people of God gather in this place, the spiritual atmosphere...

4:38 of this congregation should be permeated with the foul, pungent odors of lovelessness, we would not be able to give ourselves to the worship of God, we would not be able to give ourselves without distraction to the ministry of the Word of God, and we would cease to be a self-valid, but validating expression of the true people of God. And it's tragic to think how many congregations this day, though spared the indignity of air permeated with skunk oil, have an atmosphere permeated with that which is far more foul and offensive to the nostrils of God. And that is an atmosphere permeated with the fruits of lovelessness among God's people.

The Objective Standard for Love: Principles of 1 Corinthians 13

5:48 This being so, in our ongoing studies of the God-appointed means of grace, as described in Acts 2 and verse 42, one of them being corporate fellowship, we're presently addressing the issue of the contentment, of that fellowship. And we have seen from the scriptures that, though it begins with unfeigned and unreserved acceptance of one another on the basis of that which God has made us in Christ, Romans 15, 7, that that true fellowship, beginning with unfeigned, unreserved, mutual acceptance, acceptance can only grow, and flourish in a context or atmosphere where the essential graces for true fellowship are both present and abounding through the power of the Holy Spirit. And at the head of those graces is the grace of mutual love and brotherly affection. Having demonstrated from the scriptures the absolute necessity,

7:08 and primacy, of this grace of mutual love and brotherly affection, we are now concerned with examining the objective standard by which to assess the presence and to guide the expressions of this grace. And I have suggested that such a standard is comprised of three major components. First, the precepts. Second, the precepts.

7:38 Third, the precepts of the law of God, and this is the clear teaching of Romans 13, 8 through 10. The pattern of Christ himself, and this is the clear teaching of such passages as John 15, 12, and 13. And the third component by which we are to assess both the presence and guide the expressions of true brotherly love are the principles of first love. First Corinthians 13, verses 4 through 7.

8:13 And in our initial study of this third component of that objective standard by which to evaluate and to direct love of the brethren, I sought to underscore that in this passage the grace of love is set before us in an exclusively practical way. Paul does not rhapsodize with philosophic concepts or romantic notions of love. By the guidance of the Spirit he strings out 15 present tense verbs telling us what love does and what love does not. He makes no attempt at philosophical definition, romantic description. He simply says love does this. Love does not do that. The grace of love is set before us in an exclusively practical way.

9:15 We noted secondly that in this passage the grace of love is set before us in an intensely realistic way. Paul describes love acting in a setting where sin, where weakness and human frailty are both present and active. His very first description, love suffers long, assumes that true mutual love and brotherly affection is acting in a context where there will be the necessity to suffer and to suffer long one with another. And then thirdly we noted that the grace of love in this passage is set before us in a wonderfully balanced way. Of those 15 verbs 8 are negative and 7 are positive and there is balance in that division and as with the Ten Commandments everything that love is described as not doing it is assumed that she does the opposite. And everything that she is described as doing it is assumed she will not do its antithesis or its opposite. Then last Lord's Day we considered the first two actings of love.

10:39 In verse 4 we are told love suffers long and is kind. Love suffers long points to love's self-restraint under great and sustained provocation. The assumption is that within the fellowship of God of the people of God there will be circumstances and there will be events and relationships which cause us grief and pain and personal injury and it is love's capacity to bear long in such circumstances. Love's self-restraint is highlighted by the statement love suffers long but coupled with it we are told love is kind. Love not only bears injury patiently but love reaches out its hand in beneficence and kindness to the very one that is causing the suffering. And so there is highlighted not only love's self-restraint but love's self-abandonment. Love suffers long.

Defining Envy: A Working Biblical Description

12:01 Love is kind. Now this morning we focus our attention upon the first of the eight negatives that Paul by the guidance of the Holy Spirit strings together beginning with the words love envies not. Or in the most contemporary English love does not envy. Or to use the terminology of Jonathan Edwards love is inconsistent with an envious spirit.

12:39 And in attempting to open up these words and these are the only words we shall examine this morning consider with me first of all a working definition and description of envy. A working definition and description of envy. And in the first ten to fifteen minutes this is going to demand that we study the meaning of certain Greek words. And some of you frankly may find this very tedious.

13:12 Well let me assure you that I'd like to do nothing more than give you the fruit of my study and assert that according to the scriptures envy is. But I cannot carry your judgment by mere assertion. And I remind you of those classic words of Albert Barnes a commentator from another generation who wrote the Bible should be explained and expounded not under the influence of a vivid imagination but under the influence of a heart and mind imbued with a love of truth and by an understanding disciplined to investigate the meaning of words and phrases and capable of rendering a reason for the interpretation which is proposed. That's how the Bible is to be expounded. In the light of the previous hour if Mr. Camping ever attempted to do that with his numerical nonsense reasonable men would shut off their minds to his arbitrary fixing of meanings upon numbers.

14:24 But it's because they've given over their judgment to their guru that they blindly follow his pontificating. And God have mercy on Trinity Church the day you follow any pontificator who cannot give a rational clear explanation for the assertions that he makes with reference to the meaning of the text of the word of God. And therefore all that is in any preaching in any preacher of the rhetorical capacity and the delights of rhetorical patches in his preaching will always be subject to the didactic that is to the instructive. And while we must labor to make our instruction interesting and captivating and fascinating and try to illustrate it and make it clear at the end of the day either your judgment is persuaded that the meaning we've attached to the words is indeed the meaning God himself intended with those words or we have failed in our task. So then a working definition and description of envy. When the Apostle said love does not envy what is this thing that love does not do that is called envying?

The Greek Words for Envy: Zelos and Phthanos

15:53 For I remind you it is a present tense verb. Well the word used here in 1 Corinthians 13.4 describes a disposition which can be either a virtue or a vice. There is the verb zelao and the noun zelos from which we get our word zeal.

16:17 And in the good sense the verb and the noun are found in such passages as John 2.17 where of our Lord Jesus it says zeal for thy house hath eaten me up. In Colossians 4.13 it speaks of the zeal the zelos that Epaphras has for the people of God at Colossae.

16:43 Paul speaks of his godly jealousy over the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11.2 and the risen Lord commands the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3.19 to be zealous therefore and to repent. However this word is also used to describe the disposition which Joseph's brothers felt toward him.

17:12 Turn please to Acts chapter 7 and verse 9. In the sermon of Stephen before the Sanhedrin giving this overview of Hebrew history Stephen asserts and the patriarchs moved here's our word with jealousy moved with envy against Joseph sold him into Egypt and God was with him. And you children remember that story how when his brothers saw the favoritism of his father and then when Joseph perhaps unwisely with a little bit of the cheek and naughtiness of an unsanctified precocious spirit spoke his dreams openly in which the brothers could see the meaning of the dream that one day they would bow down before him and even mother and father would bow down before him. They became possessed with the influence of the green-eyed monster of envy. Here it is obviously an evil and a wickedness disposition that is described with reference to the patriarchs. It's found in Acts 17 and verse 5 in a similar usage.

18:36 Here in the account of the missionary endeavors of the servants of God we read but the Jews being moved with jealousy moved with envy there's our word took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble and gathering a crowd set the city on an uproar and assaulting the house of Jason they sought to bring them forth to the people. Here these Jews who could not stand the progress of the gospel seeing that progress being effected through Paul and his companions are moved with envy and that envy gives birth to this abusive treatment. Now the noun is used in a similar way in such passages as Romans 13.13. This is the evil sense of Zelos.

19:34 Romans 13.13 Let us walk becomingly as in the day not in reveling in drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and here's our word jealousy not in strife and envy. In 1 Corinthians 3.3 the apostle says that one of the marks of remaining carnality among the Corinthians was the presence and the activity of a spirit of envy for you are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envy and strife.

20:15 Jealousy, envy would be equally legitimate rendering of the word are you not carnal do you not walk after the manner of men. Then there is a verbal synonym in the New Testament if you were to transliterate it into English it'd be F-T-H-A-N-E with a long O F-A-N-E-O put the F together it's not easy and if you were tongue-tied it'd be harder yet but that's what it is F-A-N-E-O and the noun form F-A-N-O-S and in every usage one verbal usage alone in the New Testament Galatians 5.26 and in the several noun usages it never has a connotation of a virtuous disposition it is always an evil disposition it is the evil side of Selos fixed into a synonym word it's the word used in Matthew 27.18 where we are told that Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered up the Lord Jesus it is used in Romans 1 in verse 29

21:41 in that frightening category of sins to which men are given up when they turn away from the knowledge of God and in their willful blindness worship and serve the creature more than the Creator they then become filled with all unrighteousness wickedness covetousness maliciousness full of envy murder strife deceit malignity etc. full of envy F-A-N-O-S and then when Paul had to say as he did in Philippians chapter 1 some indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and of strife seeking seeking to add trouble to me and my affliction the word that he uses here is thanos they are preaching out of a spirit of envy and jealousy now whether by the use of the word Selos in its negative non-virtuous sense or by the word thanos what is envy? what is this thing that love does not indulge in? love does not envy what is it? Jonathan Edwards has attempted this definition to capture the biblical witness envy may be defined to be a spirit of dissatisfaction with

The Raw Materials of Envy

23:10 and opposition to the prosperity and happiness of others as compared with our own the thing that the envious person is opposed to and dislikes is the comparative spirit superiority of the state of honor or prosperity or happiness that another may enjoy that is greater than what he possesses and this spirit is especially called envy when we dislike and are opposed to another's honor or prosperity because in general it's greater than our own or because in particular they have some honor or preferment that we do not have but that we desire Vine defines envy as follows envy is the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantages or prosperity of others Manton writes envy is a sin by which we grieve at another's good whether hurtful to us or not it's just that a good has come to them that has not come to us another has sought to define it very simply in these words envy is resentful dislike of another

24:39 who has something that we desire now in looking at the biblical witness in studying the use of the biblical words we see that there are certain raw materials that are always present the vicious sin of envy rears its ugly head and in any working definition and description of envy you must keep these three elements before you if you are to accurately assess whether envy is at work in your own heart number one there are the inequalities which exist among men under the sovereign rule of God if there were no inequalities existing among men in the sovereign rule of God there would never be a sin of envy envy is only possible when one has a gift a position possessions or attainments that another does not have remember Joseph's brothers were filled with envy why? because they saw him the recipient of a place in his father's affections that they did not have they knew from his dreams that he was to be brought to a place of preeminence of influence and power that was to be denied them

26:05 in spite of their greater age there was an inequality of manifested love from the father there was an inequality in the divine purposes of God manifested in Joseph's dreams and wherever you see the bible recording envy there you will see inequality so the raw materials out of which this horrible sin of envy grows like a foul demon from hell itself is the raw materials of a world in which God does not evenly distribute the things that he has a right sovereignly to distribute among his creatures whether gifts position possessions attainments inequalities exist under the sovereign rule of God but then secondly the raw materials out of which envy grow is to be found here the discontent with one or more aspects of that inequality as it comes to specific expression in personal relationships envy is not possible apart from interpersonal relationships envy is not possible where there is not discontent with one or more aspects of that inequality

27:32 as it comes to specific expression in interpersonal relationships when did Saul begin to envy David when he hears the women upon returning from battle singing Saul hath slain his thousands Saul pulls his chest up and says that's right polishes up his brass brass and David his ten thousands it says from that day forward he began to eye him the term an evil eye has its beginning there in scripture he begins to look at him with eyes that constantly turn green long before the incredible hope was invented eyes turned green why because an aspect of inequality came to a specific expression in the interpersonal relationship between David and Saul. And you check every instance where envy is given any concrete expression in Scripture, and you'll find that raw material there. Thirdly, the third element that is always there is this, the presence of ill will toward the person who possesses the thing or the things that we wish were

29:01 ours or we feel they don't deserve to have. Always, always has an element of ill will to the person who possesses the thing or things which we wish were ours or which we believe they don't deserve. And you can illustrate this from the biblical examples again. Why did the Jews deliver up Christ for envy? Because in their judgment, he was not what he claimed to be. He was not a true Messiah. He was not the one promised in the Scriptures. As we were reminded in the previous hour, he didn't fit their job description of Messiah. And therefore, their envy of his influence terminated.

Illustration: The Coveted Coat and the Entry of Envy

29:57 Upon his person, with ill will to his person, Joseph's brothers, Saul with David. And as I tried to wrestle with how to illustrate this to deliver unusually sensitive consciences from false guilt, and at the same time fine arrows that would get through some of the reinforced concrete under which some of you have hidden yourself from the arrows of God. I thought of this illustration. A woman's out.

30:28 doing some shopping, tracking down second and third markdowns for winter coats for her kids. She's doing that in the spring, not now. She knows she's thinking ahead. She's the Proverbs 31 woman seeking to be a good steward of the money and trusted from the fruit of her husband's labors.

30:45 And so she's not going out and spending at the most expensive time, but she's thinking ahead. And so when they're clearing out winter things at the end of the winter, she's thinking of the size of the children. And so while she's out shopping and tracking down the second and third markdowns, she sees a coat that has the colors and the cut that immediately it locks into all of her aesthetics. And she just says as she looks, oh, I'd love a coat like that.

31:15 But then she stops and thinks, well, no, the coat that I bought a year ago fits me well, still not threadbare. It's got another three, four years use in it. It really wouldn't be a good steward to buy ahead for now. But if three, four years from now, if the Lord tarries, I hope a coat like that is around because I'd like a coat like that.

31:33 Now that's not sin to think that way. That's not being covetousness, covetous. That's not being envious. That's not being in any way sinful to have registered upon your mind and your consciousness and upon your psyche an affinity between you and that particular coat.

31:52 But suppose the remembrance of the sight of that coat really burrows itself down, really burrows itself down, really burrows itself down, really burrows itself down into your affections and you find yourself saying, well, I've got an hour before I have to pick the kids up at Trinity Christian School. I'm just going to run by and just see if that coat's still there. Now this time when you go back, sure enough, there it is on the mannequin. It's still there.

32:14 And as you stand before it, you envision yourself inside of it. And you go into the store and say, oh, well, maybe it wouldn't look as good on me as I think it would, so I'm just going to try it out. I'm not really setting my heart on it, but I'm just trying. I'm just trying it out.

32:28 So you put it on, you look and sure enough, you even look better to yourself than you thought you would. And that's not pride. I mean, that's just reality. You just say, this thing just does things for me that no other coat has ever done for me.

32:42 And so you take it off and it's put back on the mannequin. Now that thing is on your mind day and night. What's happened? From an innocent interest and liking of the coat, you've begun to sinfully covet.

32:56 And that coat has now become an object of your covetousness. Coveting. Inordinate, idolatrous desire. You have food and raiment.

33:07 You have an adequate winter coat. There's no need for a new one. There's no situation where you've been elevated to a social standing where you ought to have a change of winter coats. That may be true for some, but not for you.

33:20 Now it's a matter of you're breaking the tenth commandment. You're coveting that coat. You have an inordinate, affectionate desire for that coat. But you still, you're still not guilty of the sin of envy.

33:33 You don't go and pin nasty messages on the mannequin.

33:38 You don't go and stand in front of the mannequin and go, no, you don't do that. You have no ill will to the mannequin that wears the coat. But you have a heart full of covetousness for the coat. But lo and behold, next Sunday, first cold day of winter, wouldn't you believe it?

33:58 You walk into the foyer and one of your sisters has that coat on. And you can't believe your eyes. You begin to find something stirring within you. Who in the world does she think she is strutting around in that coat like a princess?

34:20 You see, where envy enters in, it's no longer now simply desiring something someone else has, but inevitably, you begin to feel ill will to the person who has it. And that sister with whom you previously had no problem, suddenly, she's uppity. Look at the look on her face. Who does she think she is?

34:44 And you'll take every chance to tell people how uppity she is. Whereas before, when you passed in the hallway and smiled and said hello, you never thought she was being distant to you. Suddenly now, you read all kinds of evil connotations into the look of her eyes, into the way she walks. Your stinking, rotten, demonic, hellish envy has gripped you hard.

35:10 The way it expresses itself now, it no longer just focuses upon the coat, but on the back and on the reputation and the person of the one who wears it. And you're discontent until either that envy is mortified by the power of the Holy Ghost,

35:31 or you have the coat on your back at the expense of your sister having it on hers. And her worthiness to have it is the price you'll pay.

35:43 That's envy. That is envy. That's envy.

Envy Among Peers

35:48 That is envy. Do you see it? Do you feel something of the horrible rottenness of it? Your own conscience tells you that this is not a far-fetched description, but it answers with shame in your own heart to your own experience.

36:09 And one further thing to say about envy, I'm not putting it as a fourth ingredient because it's not always true, but most ordinarily it is associated with the sin of peers.

36:24 Is there anyone here who has envied the president's right to walk out of his living quarters into a helicopter to be taken places?

36:35 I don't think anyone here envies the president in his helicopter because he's living at a level so far above and beyond and outside of ours that envy doesn't operate. But you see, envy operates in the realm of peers. Here are two of you in the congregation, virtually the same, started out on a similar career track and after ten years you're two notches beyond where you were ten years ago and that man sitting three pews behind you and four rows to the left, he's at notch seven.

37:14 And every time you see him, envy burns within your breast.

37:19 You kids, you kids in the third grade, you don't envy the ability of the eighth grade kids who are playing soccer and you thank God you're up with them and you let some stinking guy or gal in your class come dribble that ball and make you look all tied up with your feet and go scooting around you and put that thing into the goal and you begin to envy his dexterity or her dexterity with her feet and then you begin to find snotty little ways to say snotty little things about their snotty little feet.

37:56 Oh yes! Why? Because of the sin of envy! And it operates primarily in the circle of peers.

Summary of Envy's Definition

38:09 Now dear people, I've given you in 17 minutes the fruit of many hours to try to distill the essence of a working Bible-based definition and description of envy. Envy is that foul, wretched sin by which we grieve at another's good, whether hurtful to us or not. Envy is that resentful dislike of another who has something that we desire. Envy operates in the raw materials of the inequalities that exist in God's world.

38:51 The discontent we feel in the presence of some aspect of that inequality and it is always marked by ill will to the person who possesses the thing, or things we wish were ours, or we think they do not deserve. Now then, having sought to give you a working definition and description of envy, we must understand what it is, since our text says love does not envy, love does not indulge that foul thing we have sought to describe. But now, more quickly, consider with me, secondly, the wicked fruits and unholy consequences of envy. The wicked fruits and unholy companions of envy. When we turn to the scriptures, what do we see as some of the wicked fruits of envy in biblical history? Many of the commentators are quite assertive in saying that envy is found as early as the sin of Adam and Eve and of Cain in his slaying of Abel, but because envy is not explicitly mentioned, I am reluctant to dogmatize, though I think there is a compelling case, but surely, when we turn to Genesis 3, one and following, we see that the first

The Wicked Fruits and Unholy Companions of Envy

40:19 unholy fruit of envy, as it is explicitly set before us in the text of scripture, is that it produces a situation of polygamy. When Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, when Rachel, envied her sister and said unto Jacob, give me children or else I die, and Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, am I in God's stead who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? You see the raw materials of envy? Inequality in the sovereign dispensations of God.

40:58 There's the stuff out of which the working definition has arisen. Rachel saw she had a close closed womb. She envies her sister Leah, whose womb God has opened. She gets irritated and agitated and seeks from Joseph some kind of God-like capacity to open her womb and he says, I can't do this.

41:25 God has brought about this inequality. But she said, behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her that she may bear upon my knees and I may obtain children by her. So from being a bigamist to have Rachel and Leah, he now becomes a polygamist under the pressure of wicked, wicked envy.

41:50 What a horrible unholy fruit comes from this example of envy. Genesis 37, 11. It leads to a murderous plot and to a heartless selling of young Joseph into slavery. For the text of Scripture is clear.

42:08 In Genesis 37 and verse 11, and his brethren envied him. But his father kept the saying in his mind and then verse 12 and following gives us the sordid story of what they did under the driving power of the fiendish influence of the sin of envy. In 1 Samuel 18, 6 through 9, it leads, it leads to Saul's evil eye and to the nurturing of a foul and murderous spirit towards David. 1 Samuel 18, I alluded to it earlier, but I ask you to turn to the passage now. 1 Samuel 18, verses 6 through 9, and it came to pass as they came when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine that the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music. Isn't it interesting? It says they came out to meet King Saul.

43:18 David's not even mentioned. They went out to honor their king.

43:23 This young general isn't even mentioned.

43:27 They went out to meet their king. And the women sang one to another as they played and said, Saul hath slain his thousands. He has given preeminence of first mention. And David, it is ten thousands.

43:42 And Saul was very wroth and this saying displeased him. He said, they've ascribed unto David ten thousands and to me they have ascribed but thousands. And what can he more have but the kingdom? And Saul, I,

43:59 from that day forward and it came to pass that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul and he attempts to murder him. When did it all begin? You see, Saul had no complaint with the facts. It was the fact that David's army that when he swung his sword ten fell for each time Saul brandished his sword and only one fell.

44:33 There was an inequality in the sovereign dispensations of God in military conquests. It was recognized by the singing and dancing women who were simply celebrating to the praise of God to his king and to this king. These young warriors, they were celebrating the reality of God's working which showed inequality. Saul couldn't hack it.

45:00 The next thing you know he'll be usurping my kingdom. He attributes evil motives to David as though David's out fighting, risking his neck to promote himself. All because of the spirit of envy and then you know the sordid story how again and again he made direct attempts upon the life of David. What fueled his arm when he took his javelin that should have been slaying the enemies of God and hurled it with a view to impaling David against the wall of his inner chamber.

45:33 I'll tell you what moved the muscles and guided his aim was the vicious, venomous, hellish spirit of envy. It's interlaced with the spirit of murder. Turning to the New Testament I've already alluded to 1 Corinthians 3.3.

45:51 1 Corinthians 3.3. It was the spirit of envy that lay at the root of the shameful divisions of the church in Corinth and greatly impeded their growth. And I think in one of the most shameful passages in all of the Bible that we've already mentioned Philippians 1.15 it's described as the foul motive which moved men to be more zealous in gospel preaching hoping to rub salt in Paul's wounds. Ha ha! Paul's in jail! The hotshot king of the hill!

46:22 Missionary and preachers behind bars! We've got the field door to the storm! And when Paul hears that God is blessing our gospel preaching and we're seeing more people converted and more churches founded than he! Since he's moved by the same motives we are he'll be moved to a burning jealousy and he can't do anything about it.

46:46 Rome's got him in prison. That's what Paul says they were doing. Think of it. Gospel preachers moved by such hellish motives.

46:55 That's the unholy and wicked fruits of envy and then it finds its culminating wickedness an unholy fruit in the statement of Matthew 27 and verse 18. Matthew 27 and verse 18 in this text ought forever to fill our hearts with a holy trembling at the thought of what envy can do.

47:22 When therefore they were gathered together Matthew 27.17 Pilate said Who are you? Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ.

47:36 Barabbas a man who was an insurrectionist a man so unprincipled that he bolted the sovereignty of God in allowing Rome to conquer Israel. A man who had blood upon his hands and was a thief an unprincipled wicked criminal. And what was their response?

48:02 You know what it was. They cried out for the blood of Messiah and yet Pilate all the while knew that while he had to listen to their trumped up charges and the false witnesses verse 18 he knew he knew that for envy they had delivered him up. Envy is a Christ murdering sin. And if it would murder Christ in the flesh it will murder Christ in his people.

48:36 Don't you sit there glibly thinking ah this has nothing to say.

48:43 My dear brothers and sisters this sin and its remaining influence in the most sanctified man or woman boy or girl among us is a sin that will not scruple to murder Christ's brethren since it murdered Christ himself. Oh no you will not take the dagger and plunge it into the beating heart and watch them fall at your feet in the death twitches and expire but you cannot subtly murder their character with your words. Murder their psyche by your manipulation of alternate drawing forward with a friendly face and an outstretched hand and withdrawing for no apparent reason until by degrees you kill a person psychologically and emotionally by that kind of murderous manipulation.

49:43 Unholy fruits of envy are set out in the scripture but its unholy companions are set out in the witness of scripture as well. Let us look quickly at just several of them in Romans 1.29 I want you to get to the place before you've even eaten your noon meal if there's a morsel of envy in your spiritual gut you'd want to vomit it right there in the pillow.

50:09 May God make it stink worse than a hundred scum lifting their tails by the louvered vest. What are its companions? Look at Romans 1. According to Romans 1.29 the companions of the sin of envy are these being filled with all unrighteousness wickedness covetousness maliciousness full of envy murder and strife. The companions of envy are murder and strife. In Romans 13.13 the companions of envy are the companions of envy again flanked on the one hand with strife Romans 13.13

51:01 Let us walk becomingly as in the day not in reveling in drunkness not in chambering in wantonness that's old English for betting around and betting down at will not in strife and jealousy the companion of jealousy or envy is the one who is strife tension interpersonal sparks and fireworks among the people of God in marriages between children and parents parents and children between siblings between classmates at school here are its ugly companions look at 2 Corinthians 12.20 what are its unholy companions in the mind of the apostle and he was a realist he said he was afraid lest when he was a man he came to Corinth he would find unmortified envy in all of its unholy foolish friends around it for I fear lest by any means when I come I should find you not such as I would and should myself be found of you such as ye would not lest by any means there should be strife envy jealousy wrath actions backbiting whisperings swellings two more all says where the spirit of envy is at work

52:30 there are its ghoulish ugly Halloween-like companions wrath jealousy and envy is present you can read the other companions in text like Galatians 5.21 1st Timothy 6.9 Titus 3.3 James 3.14-16 we don't have time to look at the but in every one of those passages we find that the companions are unholy companions they are strife they are demonic so-called wisdom that brings in its trail all forms of disruption of harmony it is that which Jesus calls in Mark 7.22 an evil eye that comes from within the heart in summary do you see now what a vicious evil wretched thing envy is do you see why when the apostle begins to describe the negatives of love's presence and actings

How Love Restrains Envy: Supreme Love to God

53:46 he begins with the words love does not envy does not burn with unholy at the gifts possessions preferments or stations of another nor will love ever indulge the anger and ill which are always directed to the person who possesses the things which trigger the envy now having sought to give you a working definition and description of envy having sought to set before you the wicked fruits and unholy companions of envy in the third and final place brethren and I beg you to plead with God to grant the illuminating ministry of the spirit what is the manner in which the grace of love restrains the indulgence of the sin of envy how does love so work that it will never move us to envy how does love so work that if it fills our heart the text says it is love that does not envy and I believe it because it says it but now as I've wrestled with the question but Lord how in what way

55:15 in the outworking of seeing that coat show up on the back of my sister keep me from envy how will it do it how can a grace so tender so velvety that we saw last week suffers law and is kind a grace so pliable and gracious as love how can it tame and restrain so vicious so powerful so aggressive so long fanged and sharp clawed as envy that's the question how does love with all of her softness with all of her givingness and she this well-told long answer to the question takes us right back to the basic biblical framework of love as fixed by the law of God here I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 22 it takes us right back to the basic biblical framework framework of love as fixed by the law of God Matthew 22

56:43 verse 34 Pharisees when they heard he had put the Sadducees to silence gathered themselves together and one of them a lawyer that's not a lawyer in our sense of the word but one who was proficient and who was an expert in Jewish law asked him a question trying him teacher which is the great commandment in the law and he said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the great and first commandment and a second is like unto this I'm sorry and a second like unto it is this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself on these two commandments the whole law hangeth the whole law hangeth and the prophets now think with me Jesus says that all of the commands can be summed under these two headings supreme affection to God and to one's neighbor measured by one's native and natural law of love to oneself on these two commandments hang all the law of the prophets supreme love to God

58:12 secondarily love to one's neighbor measured by one's natural love to self and so in answer to the question dear people how does the grace of love tame, subdue and even slay this monster of envy the answer lies in that very answer of our Lord Jesus and I want you to see it God helping us as we try in the next ten minutes to bring the message to a close supreme love to God and its power to restrain the sin of envy how? how does love subdue envy love first of all in its first and primary direction supreme love to God how does that operate restrain to subdue envy well think for a minute and I think the answer is clear if we really love God we love Him as He is we don't make a God out of the stuff of our imagination and then love that God that's idolatry we love the God who is and the God who is is an absolute sovereign a God who says in the language of Matthew 20 do not I with mine own Daniel 4 35

59:40 he does according to his will among the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth and none can say unto him what doest thou he puts down one and raises up another God says who is poor who is poor who is blind who is maimed who is this who is that and I have not done it well you see if we love God for who He is then we love Him as a sovereign and we love Him as a sovereign not only in the affairs of nations but we love Him when He gives our sister the coat we cast our eyes upon when He allows our brother to purchase the car that we've drooled over when He gives our brother a promotion that we felt we were worthy when He is uneven in the distribution of the stuff of His world you cannot love God with all your heart mind, soul and strength and try to push God off His throne and say I don't like the way you distributed your gifts you didn't do it right God that coat belonged on my back I tried it on in the store God says I know you did and I saw the wretched covetousness in your heart and you know what? I did

61:07 I moved your sister to go buy who really needed a coat and she got it on the second mark down and I did that in order to kill your covetousness which would have damned your soul and instead you let covetousness give birth to envy and what you're saying is you don't like me as a sovereign you really don't believe that I sovereignly dispose of coats that are lying on the backs of mannequins you think my sovereignty stops at the front of Mandy's you think my sovereignty stops at the women's department in J.C. Penney's no it doesn't my sovereignty extends to the twitching of the smallest leg of an ant now stop complaining with my sovereignty love me as an enthroned God and love and is not it's really quite simple isn't it? we believe except when a sister gets the coat I want and a brother gets a promotion I want and God blesses someone else's business in a way I feel like I'm not you mind ought to be blessed your complaint you see directed to that brother or sister is really misdirected you really have it directed to God and if you love God with all your heart mind soul and strength once you discover that that's the root of envy

62:34 you fall down and say oh God have mercy upon me that I the creature who ought to have been cast into hell long before now should dare to question your rights I'm not the old Puritan writing on practical atheism had this to say about the relationship of these things practical atheism is evidenced by envying the gifts and prosperities of others envy hath a deep tincture of practical atheism we're unwilling to leave God to be the proprietor and do what he will with his own and as a creator to do what he pleases with his creatures we assume a liberty to direct God what portions when and how he should bestow upon his creatures we would not let him choose his own favorites and pitch upon his own instruments for his glory as if God should have to ask counsel of us as to how he should bestow his benefits this sin is an imitation of the devil whose first sin upon the earth was envy and his first sin in heaven was pride it is a wishing that to ourselves which the devil asserted as his right to give the kingdoms of the world to whom he pleased it's anger with God because he has not given us a patent to govern the world

64:01 old Charnock knew the human heart didn't he put me together this way so and so can gain fifty and you begin to envy your sister whose body build is one that can tolerate putting on an extra ten or losing ten it makes no difference you put on three pounds and the whole world knows it you envy him this is God disposed of the genes that predisposed your body metabolism stop complaining with God accept reality and live with it and rejoice in those who don't have to struggle where you don't and know that a wise God has marked out their areas of struggle that are just as really deep to them though unknown to you and stop playing God love envies not why because love set upon God is content to let God be God and love set upon God is content to let God be God and love set upon God is content to let God be God and love set upon God is content to let God be God in the disposition of the things of his world in another sermon dealing with God's dominion Charnock writes when we embrace the dominion of God as a proprietor of his world envy cannot exist

65:29 when we are not as flush and well-heeled as well-spread and sparkling as others this passion of envy gnaws our soul and we become the executioners to rapes our souls to rack ourselves, because God is the executor of his own pleasure. The foundation of this passion is a quarrel with God. To envy others the enjoyment of their propriety is to envy God his right of disposal, and consequently the propriety of his own goods. Listen to this statement.

66:02 It is a mental theft committed against God. Against God! In this demonic spirit of envy in my breath, Lord, come with the flood tide of unrivaled love to yourself, where envy cannot exist. Love, envy.

66:38 Child of God, when tempted to envy, fix your mind on the God who could have cut you off and cast you into hell. When you're tempted to envy, remember this is the God who chose you in Christ. Before the foundation of the world, sent his only begotten Son to die for you, called you by his grace, and his promise no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. How dare you question the rights of a God like that.

67:16 Love God more, and envy will be less of a plague to your heart. There's a beautiful example of that in John the Baptist. I can only allude to the passage quickly in John 3. Some disciples came and said, John, do you hear what's happening?

67:33 Everybody's running to Jesus, and they're getting baptized of him. They thought they'd provoke John to envy. You know what John said? A man can receive nothing except to be given him from heaven.

67:47 The sovereignty of God! And then he went on to say, I'm only the friend of the bridegroom. I've been saying, the bridegroom's coming, the bridegroom's coming! And now when everyone's flocking to the bridegroom, what?

68:00 What makes the heart of the friend of the bridegroom more filled with joy than to see everyone's attention taken up with the bridegroom? He must increase, and I must decrease. You see, John's supreme love would not allow the sin of envy to take root in his breast. I'm amazed, I'm amazed, I'm amazed at what a crowning sin envy is among ministers.

68:32 Watch their faces turn pale and their faces turn pale. Someone is enthusiastically talking about God's hand upon a young man or upon a man who's labored in relative obscurity for years and suddenly the spirit of God is poured out upon him and there is blessing and souls are saved and the word of God is going forth. I've watched the look on ministers' faces.

69:00 You wonder why they're in the monastery.

69:04 If our prayer is, O mighty men of God, whose walk with you, whose gifts will so upstairs, that in a few years people will forget he ever lived. How can you pray that way and then be filled with jealousy if God begins to answer your prayer? You say, whatever usefulness I've had has been given and the whole end of it is that men might be attached to Jesus and that God's going to bring somebody else along to attach more people to Jesus and attach them more firmly to Jesus? How in God's name can I have any confidence I'm even a Christian if that turns me to envy?

69:51 But then secondarily, you've been patient, but dear people, I've been a long while since I've had something so rake me over as this issue. I've sinned by not preaching on it. I thank God one of the reasons I've not preached on it. If I know anything of my own heart, it's not one of my besetting sins.

How Love Restrains Envy: Love to Neighbor

70:10 I know what my besetting sins are. But that's no excuse that I've not given it due weight because it's obviously a central issue in the word of God. How does love to your neighbor expel the sin of envy? Well, if we love, if our neighbor is ourself, let's ask the question.

70:27 How do I feel when God showers good gifts upon me? Do I rejoice? Suppose God gave me that coat. Unknown to me!

70:35 My husband heard about my interest in that coat. I wasn't nagging him. I mean, it wasn't like I was leaving notes under the pillow and stuck on a mirror. He just somehow wheedled it out of me and without me even knowing it, and lo and behold, next winter comes around and there's a box on the bed.

70:51 I open it up. There's that coat. How do I feel? I just, I'm overwhelmed.

70:58 The goodness of God, the graciousness of my husband, I rejoice. If I love my neighbor as myself, then when I see her in the hallway with that coat, I say, do you know that's a lovely coat? That coat is one that looks tremendous on you. I'm so happy for it.

71:14 And you can say it without any reservation of heart. If you love that sister as you love yourself. And if you can't, you love yourself more than her. You're breaking the law of God.

71:25 And now, I need to say, Lord, suffuse my heart with a love for my sister because in the presence of love, envy cannot exist. Love envies not.

71:40 You see, that's what happened with Moses. I have a beautiful example in Numbers 11. The 70 had been marked out and the Spirit of God came upon them and they prophesied. And then people came and said, hey, there's a couple of jokers out there.

71:53 They weren't with the other group and they're prophesying Moses. They tried to provoke Moses' envy. He said, would that all of God's servants were prophets.

72:02 Do I rejoice that the Spirit of God has made me a prophet? That He's come upon the 70 and enabled them to prophesy? Loving my neighbor as myself, would that all would be prophets. That's the Spirit, brethren.

72:16 That's the Spirit of the love that does not envy.

The Seriousness of Envy and Call to Repentance

72:23 Therefore, dear children of God, if we truly love one another,

72:28 then this sin will not be able to take root and flourish with all of its ugly fruits and its vicious companions in our midst. If it reigns in any one of you, you're lost. Because Galatians 5, 19-21 in describing the works of the flesh, this is among them and says, those who practice such things, those who are under the dominion of such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Titus 3, 3, Paul describes it as one of the sins that characterized him and all men.

73:02 Before the kindness and love of God is applied by the Holy Spirit in the gospel. If this sin reigns in you, my friend, you're lost and undone. You're possessed of a fiendish, devilish spirit that will take you to a devil's hell unless you repent and get a new heart and are cleansed in the blood of Christ. The dear people of God, more than we're prepared to admit, I believe it's easy for us to admit to the sins of lust, to the sins of covetousness, to the sins of pride, the sins of gossip, than to admit to the sin of envy.

73:46 Because you can't deal with envy in the closet without almost invariably having to go and face a brother or sister and ask their forgiveness for the manner in which that envy has ruptured through koinonia, through fellowship. Go to them and say, my brother, I've been guilty of a wretched emotional manipulation. You've never known how sinless it would be to you like a soul. One day I smile and the other day I have the javelin if not in my hand in my heart.

74:23 My brother, the wretched sin of envy has cut the living nerves of true shared life in the name of Christ. We allow this sin to take root among us. God have mercy, upon us. Calvin said with his unusual pastoral perception, unusual success commonly draws its companion envy along with it.

74:54 If God honors any man with any degree of success in any area, you can count on it. Envy will come alongside. People can't stand the king on the hill.

75:08 But if he's a man of God, he'll have the love that what? Suffers long and is kind even to those that envy him. Remember Joseph. When he finally had his brothers before him who sold him into slavery.

75:21 What did he do? He showed them kindness.

75:28 Oh, that God would fill us afresh this day with the spirit of God whose fruit is love for love does not envy.

Illustration: The Envious Wrestler and the Statue

75:40 You've been patient in helping me to get rid of the burden upon my heart for you children. And I leave you with just a little story that'll take me just one minute to tell you. It's supposed to be true. I couldn't validate it.

75:52 But it came from a man who knows Greek history. He said there was an incident in Greek history, not mythology, of a wrestler who was so envious of Theogenes, the prince of wrestlers, that he couldn't be consoled in any way. Theogenes was the prince of wrestlers. When anyone said, Who's king of the hill among wrestlers?

76:12 Everyone would say, Theogenes. Just the same way up until a few months ago if anyone said, Who's king of the hill among basketball players? Michael Jordan. No debate.

76:22 A few years ago, a few years before, who was it? Magic Johnson. A few years before that, debatable. But certainly, Magic Johnson,

76:33 Michael Jordan. In these days, if you said, Who's king of the hill among wrestlers? Everyone would say, Theogenes. There was a younger wrestler who was quite competent, but he could never come up to the standard of Theogenes, and he couldn't be consoled in any way.

76:49 And after Theogenes died, a statue was erected to Theogenes in a public place. You know what this envious young man used to do? He would go out every night and wrestle with the statue.

77:03 And one night, he threw the statue over and fell upon it and killed him.

77:13 You see the moral of the story?

77:16 His envy.

77:19 He couldn't stand for that statue to remain in a public place for generations to come bearing witness that Theogenes was a greater wrestler.

77:31 My friend, the spirit of envy will kill you in everlasting darkness. Unless it is brought to one who is mightier than that foul spirit. That's the Lord Jesus. Go to him.

Conclusion: Flee to Christ for Deliverance

77:48 Ask him to slay this monstrous evil within your breast and then to suffuse your heart with that love which envies not. Let us pray.

78:10 Our Father,

78:13 the searchlight of your word has been turned upon us this morning. And we beg of you that you would not allow us to run into the moleholes of evasion and self-justification, blame-shifting, speaking lies to our own hearts. That where the light of your truth has found us and exposed this ugly sin, may we follow that light even until it falls upon a cross where one died that we might be part of this horrible sin. May there be many who will flee to that cross and find in the Savior who died upon it cleansing and release and deliverance from this wretched, foul sin of envy. We pray, Lord, that you would grant us then to be filled with the Spirit whose fruit is love, that our hearts, so suffused and overflowing with love for you and for one another, we will prove in our experience that love does not end. Seal this word to our hearts and to the prophet of this people for your glory, for our good. Through Christ our Lord,

79:41 we pray. Amen.