Pursuing Godliness
Proverbs 23.17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
There is a battle that we all face from time to time. It is a temptation. It is envying sinners.
1. Why is envying sinners so enticing? Psalm 73
Their prosperity. (v.3)
Riches have a way of enticing us- especially other people’s riches Then when we think (and this is a dangerous thing) “I have been faithful. I have given 10% of my income and more to the LORD. I obey Him... I-I-I...aye aye aye .. look at me I don’t have anywhere near what this person has, wicked as they are ”
We realize that some has come to them from ripping people off, being dishonest and lying. Put all this in the hopper and you have the recipe for some very very bad thinking We begin to think- they really didn’t have to work hard- not as hard I do- and look all they got. Life is not fair.Then someone comes along with a get rich scheme and you become their next victim
They have no struggles. (v.4a)
This is deceptive because it is not true They definitely do not have the same struggles as you because their battle is against flesh and blood- yours is against principalities and powers in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Those living in sin are not bothered by them- they live in darkness but you are children of the light We are in a daily battle
Their health. (v.4b)
They have healthy and strong bodies. Remember (some of us can) the commercial for Wonder Bread- Wonder helps build strong bodies 12 ways. I wanted a strong body so I would beg my mom to buy Wonder Bread- she would say that the store brand was just as good but the guy on the TV convinced me and others we needed Wonder Bread and only Wonder Bread would do.
We pray for someone to be healed but it seems like wicked people never get sick. We just don’t understand. Then we begin to envy them. We take care of our bodies and try to treat them as temples of the Holy Spirit but the sinners don’t - they abuse their bodies and don’t have the LORD protecting them as we do but they seem to be doing fine.
Their freedom from burdens and worry. (v.5)
Ever ask yourself, “Why do these people who do not know God or care about His Kingdom have less stress and concern than me?” or “Why is my situation so unique in the area of my burdens?” Stop These are not good questions. First there are no answers given to us. Second if you ask them out loud you are going to find someone who is going to attempt to answer an unanswerable question which is not going help but rather exacerbate the situation. It will multiply your troubled thoughts.
Carefree and increasing in wealth they seem to have it all- even some of the things I have prayed about (v.12) Here I am under stress and those who are wicked are doing fine.
I know you have heard this recently but the day I worked on this message I read in II Timothy 2. 14 Keep reminding them of these things.
2. How Do We Avoid Envying Sinners?
Don’t look at their situations - hard because we are to pray for them.
It is as the Proverb tells us a heart decision. More about that in a moment. First as we said before this is a spiritual battle- not to envy sinners in our hearts. Every spiritual battle is won through prayer. There may come times when we hear that the battle belongs to the LORD. We trust and He comes through. There are other times as I commented to a friend recently that we need to keep on praying. Hudson Taylor spoke of province in China he and the China Inland Mission were going into and he said, “We’ll enter this province on our knees.” So even as we pray for the lost we must watch ourselves that we do not become envious of the very situation we are praying and hoping the will come out of
Guard your heart.
Here is where this battle takes place. We have got to rid our hearts of any envy of sinners. This a HUGE battle among young people today. In this celebrity intoxicated culture, personalities, sinful ones, are worshiped. Set your heart on heaven and let godly people be your heroes. They are around. Many have gone to heaven but their lives still speak and we need to let their lives speak to ours Don’t let affection for anything on this earth come close to your love for Jesus!
Colossians 3.1-2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Watch your eyes. They are the window to your soul - both in and out. They show things to your heart that you can easily become envious of. Some have sought to live on a mountain or in bubble. That goes against what Jesus taught us about going into all the world and what He prayed to the Father in John 17 about us not being taken out of the world but being kept from the world.
So we live in the real world. Therefore we must watch what our eyes see. The best solution is to keep our eyes on Jesus. That is what we exhorted to do!
When we are tempted remember the promise: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. I Corinthians 10.13
Discipline your thoughts and dreams. II Corinthians 10.5 we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. We must put this into practice in this world in which we live today. We are bombarded by thoughts, suggestions, and beliefs that are unchristlike.
Even our goals can become ungodly if we aren’t careful. We want everything we do in thought, word and deed to bring glory to the Father. Be careful to seek the LORD in all you do, to seek His Kingdom first and never to lean on our own understanding.
3. How do we keep the zeal for fear of the LORD burning within?
Keep Eternity In View- Full View
Our problem is not that we are so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good, rather it is we are so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good Keep that view of standing before Jesus one day before you. Think about it often (Colossians 3.1-2)
How do we keep the fear of the LORD burning within?
Examine our motives regularly
Why are we doing what we are doing? I Corinthians 11.28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. Wrong motives- guy on LI’s most wanted in the church here for a short time. I could not help feeling deep within that this guy did not have pure motives. He was extremely talented. Many gifts far beyond my abilities. But as it turned out he did not have the fear of the LORD.
Read the Word of God daily- it tells us to do this- we need to be reminded
Look up how many times it speaks of reverencing the LORD and fearing and worshiping Him.
Let it consume you.
Being consumed with this godly fear, this deep deep understanding of Who God is will help you. I am troubled today by the way people are so flippant with the LORD and his Name.
Pray Continually
Don’t miss the obvious. People who lose the fear of the LORD are people who have stopped praying. Oh they may still mouth the words but their hearts are far from God. Some have even stopped altogether. How is your prayer life?
Note the state of those who did not keep it. So many today have fallen away. A faithful man, who can find... a virtuous woman- her worth is far above rubies... Let those who did not obey God serve as examples for us. God did this with ancient Israel. I Corinthians 10.6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
Keep watching for Jesus to come
This has a purifying effect on us. I John 3.3 Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Let’s get to the place where we believe Jesus could come today and there would be little change in our behavior.
Proverbs 23.17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
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