Alex Adegboye

Alex Adegboye

Senior Pastor: Word Alive Ministries International

Envy, Evil Speaking and Pride (1)

Pastor Alex Adegboye

The things, forces or problems that destroy the human lives are nothing but little things; things we pay little or no attention to. They are things we regard as inconsequential or in our own estimation we consider as normal and acceptable. This is what Solomon the wisest king who ever lived on earth adduced as foxes – unfriendly and inimical residents who inhabit and cohabit with us to the loss and detriment of our good characters and moral values.

Songs of Solomon 2:15 “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.”

The understanding of this trio: envy, evil speaking and pride is crucial to the survival of the soul. If you don’t have control in these areas it’s going to affect your spiritual maturity. I want you to understand that what is operative in the flesh is destructive to the soul. Some people have being Christians for many years without significant growth. Many believe their being blessed is God’s approval of their life style. When God says something He means it and when He gives an instruction He expects you to obey it. What we are about to study is a character issue.

Billy Graham says “when you lose a property you lose a lot; when you lose a loved one you lose a whole lot, but when you lose character you’ve lost everything.”

Character is who you really are. The bible says be mindful of good works:

2 Cor 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

There’s a common saying that the hood makes the monk. Your disposition, your character is a true reflection of what you put one. The holy bible enjoins you put off the old carnal traits and put on the fashion of the new man –

Eph 4:24 “And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Envy leads to evil speaking and thereafter to pride. Pride and evil speaking are often borne out of envy. It is not enough to be a Christian but to live the life of a worthy Christian. Envy, evil speaking and pride are common in virtually every family so also in the house of God. These three things are a bad company and a symptom of problems now and a disaster ahead.

NINE THOUGHTS ON THESE THREE

  1. A little bit of each of these can be found in each and every one of us.
  2. These three are the works of the flesh and the nature of the fallen man, 1 John 2:15-16.
  3. It is never easily identified and never easily accepted.
  4. It produces strives and it’s very destructive, James 3:16, 1 Cor 3:3.
  5. They limit God and hinder prayers, Ps 78:40.
  6. Each of this trio brings us into the condemnation of Satan, 1 Tim 3:6-7.
  7. It deceives you, Obadiah 1:3.
  8. Each of these three defiles a man.
  9. It’s a sign that you lack contentment, 1 Tim 6:6, Heb 13:5.

Let’s talk envy –

To be envious is to wish you had a quality of life or possession that someone else has. It is a carnal response to what you don’t have that others have, 1 Sam 8:19, Matt 27:18, Acts 7:9, 13:45, Rom 1:29-32.

Rom 1:29-32 “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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.”

Mat 27:18 “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.”

Act 7:9 “And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,”

THOUGHTS ON ENVY

  1. It is a sign that you cannot attain the height and possession of the envied.
  2. It’s the result of not been contented with your life.
  3. If you are envied at all it is a product that God is lifting you up, Eccl 4:4, Gen 26:14.

SOLUTIONS TO ENVY

  1. Acknowledge that you are envious and that it is a sin, envy produces other sins, Matt 27:25, Pro 14:30, Job 5:2.
  2. Know for a fact that no man can receive anything except it is given him by God and cannot be taken away by envy, John 3:25-35.
  3. Ask God for contentment, 1 Tim 6:6, Col 2:10, Eccl 5:10.
  4. Stop comparing yourself with another, 2 Cor 10:12.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Life is a race and you have only yourself to beat. You only run this race alone; you either run it for yourself or against yourself.

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