Introductory Thoughts
The Bible often speaks of sin as a thing of the past pertaining to the believer’s life prior to salvation. This is not because believers are without sin, but the goal of every believer should be to depart from and avoid the sins which once controlled his life prior to salvation. These past actions which helped us to see our lost condition should be viewed as the friend of our past and the enemy of our present and future. This is exactly how Paul spoke of envy in his epistle to Titus. According to Paul, “we . . . were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” Concerning the sins of the past, Paul further admonishes: “let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints” (Ephesians 5:3).
Devotional Thoughts
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(For children): God wants us to learn and obey His word. By learning and obeying Gods word, we grow up on the inside (1 Peter 2:2). We all have a desire to envy (James 4:5), and letting God help us put away envy is an important aspect of our spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 13:4, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
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(For everyone): Have you trusted Christ as your Saviour? What is different about you now? Do you still view and partake in the sins that first caused you to recognize your wretchedness?
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Are you envious of other believers? Are you envious of the world? Are you willing to repent of this sin and ask God to help you get victory over it?
Prayer Thoughts
- Thank God for the change He wrought in you at salvation.
- Ask God to continue to help you grow in His grace.
Song
ONLY A SINNER
