The Destructiveness of Envy – The Path to Destruction (Leading to Death)
Pastor Tan Thai · Jul 17, 2022
This sermon analyzes the destructiveness of envy as a universal disease affecting all people, including believers. Through Psalm 73, the pastor identifies two deadly poisons of envy and three steps toward healing, culminating in the gospel truth that Jesus Christ was forsaken by the Father on the cross so that we would never be forsaken.
The sermon opens with a clear distinction between jealousy and envy. Jealousy carries a positive meaning — a wholehearted love that protects what belongs to oneself — as seen in God describing Himself as a jealous God in Exodus 20:3-6. Envy, by contrast, is the craving for what others have, which leads to bitterness, resentment, hatred, and even taking pleasure in another person's misfortune or failure.
The pastor establishes that envy is a universal disease that crosses all boundaries of age, status, and faith. Scripture records many tragic consequences: Cain killing Abel, Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery, King Saul pursuing David, and the Pharisees conspiring to kill Jesus. Galatians 5:19-21 lists envy among the works of the flesh, and 1 Corinthians 3:3 identifies it as a sign of spiritual immaturity. Even preachers and church leaders are not immune.
The sermon diagnoses two deadly poisons of envy through Asaph's experience in Psalm 73. The first poison is that envy drains all vitality and joy from life, because the envious heart is always comparing and never satisfied. The second poison is that envy destroys contentment with what one already has, making every blessing seem insufficient and unworthy of gratitude. Together, these two poisons strip a person of both joy and thankfulness.
Three steps toward healing are prescribed. The first step is to stop deceiving oneself and honestly confess to God the presence of envy in one's heart. The second step is to enter the sanctuary of God — to view life through the lens of eternity, recognizing the brevity of this life and the ultimate end of the wicked. The third step is to make God the sole foundation of life, since every other support — wealth, reputation, beauty — will eventually fade away.
The sermon closes with a profound gospel message: Asaph, though envious and as senseless as a beast before God, was never abandoned — God held his right hand. Yet Jesus Christ, entirely without sin, was forsaken by the Father on the cross because of our sins, including the sin of envy. He was forsaken so that all who trust in Him will never be forsaken by God, but will instead be led by His hand and ultimately received into eternal glory.