Is Jealousy a sin? Let’s answer this question.
Are Jealousy and Envy Different?
To understand jealousy, it’s essential to understand the difference between it and envy. We’re jealous when we have something we don’t want to lose. We’re envious when we want something we don’t have.
Righteous and Sinful
There’s also a difference between righteous and sinful jealousy. Most often, jealousy is a sin. The Bible lists it as a ‘work of the flesh’:
“Now the works of the flesh are revealed, which are these: adultery, sexual immorality, impurity, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, rage, selfishness, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, carousing, and the like” (Galatians 5:19-21).
But it isn’t always a sin. God tells us He’s a jealous God:
“You shall not make for yourself any graven idol…. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5).
God is a Jealous God
God’s Jealousy
God’s jealousy is different because He alone is God; there is no other. He alone created us, and He alone provides for us. In return, only God deserves worship.
After an angel gave the Apostle John a message from God, he attempted to worship the angel:
“I (the Apostle John) fell at his (the angel’s) feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you not do that. I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!” (Revelation 19:10).
God doesn’t share His glory with any other being:
“I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).
God is Jealous of Our Worship
So, God is jealous of our worship, and He won’t let us share that worship with anyone or anything else. If we worship anything else, WE sin. But God doesn’t sin by so limiting our worship.
Paul’s Jealousy
The Apostle Paul had a similar jealousy towards the believers in Corinth. God made Paul an apostle to that church, and he wanted them pure in their relationship with Jesus Christ:
“For I (Paul) am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).
With or Without Cause
Jealousy is like anger and losing patience. Becoming angry or losing patience with someone is usually a sin. Jesus tells us:
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:22).
But the Bible tells us that when some Jewish leaders accused Jesus of sinning when He healed a man on the Sabbath, Jesus became angry (with cause):
“When He (Jesus) had looked around at them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts…” (Mark 3:5).
Two Examples: Anger and Patience
So, anger is often a sin, but not always. The Bible tells us we can be angry without sinning:
“Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26).
Losing patience falls in the same category. It’s usually a sin. But after teaching His disciples the same lesson over and over, Jesus lost patience with them. He expects them and us to learn our lessons (to have ears to hear and not have hard hearts). So, when they couldn’t cast the demon out of the possessed child, He chastised them, saying,
“O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me (and He cast the demon out)” (Mark 9:19).
Is Jealousy a Sin?
Summary
Jealousy is about losing something we have while envy is about wanting what someone else has.
Jealousy is often a ‘work of the flesh.’
God is jealous (without sin), limiting our worship to Him.
Like anger and losing patience, jealousy is a sin when present without due cause.
