LOVE VS. JEALOUSY by H. F. Phelps

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 27, 1876

LOVE VS. JEALOUSY.

By H. F. Phelps

Love is the foundation of God’s government. It was love that led him to give his only and beloved Son to die for a race of sinners. Whoever has any of the Spirit of God will love his brother.

The spirit of jealousy led Satan to envy the position of Christ as commander of the heavenly host, and finally led him on to rebellion and all the train of evils that has resulted. “Love,” says the wise man, “is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”

In order to understand just what the word jealous means, I take down Webster’s Dictionary, and read: “Jealous—suspicious; apprehensive of rivalry; fear that we do not enjoy the affection or respect of others; emulous; full of competition. In short, jealousy is awakened by whatever may exalt others, and give them advantages or pleasures which we desire ourselves. Jealousy is nearly allied to envy.” I have abbreviated considerably, but can any one find in jealousy anything that is desirable? I have felt it, and I do not find that it makes any one very comfortable. It is the most miserable of all feelings.

Since jealousy is one of the works of the flesh, we may be sure that Satan will be prompt in trying to insinuate jealous feelings into the minds of some who are connected with the work of God. But whoever has it may rest assured that he is doing Satan’s work. He is harboring a spirit which will lead him to certain death. It has never done any good; but, on the other hand, it has broken up families, set neighbors at variance, and eaten the vitals out of many a church. It has overturned kingdoms; and it was this spirit that led Satan and his angels to rebel, and which has set our world all in an uproar.

It is astonishing that any one who professes to believe the third angel’s message should harbor such a spirit for a single moment; and it is even more astonishing that those very individuals, for the time being, think that they themselves are possessed of the Spirit of God, and others devoid of it, or nearly so at least.

It is all right that God should be jealous for his holy name, his just laws, and his righteous government. It is all right that we should be jealous for the cause and name of God, as was one of old, who said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts.” And I am glad that there are a few of the same spirit at the present time, as is evinced by their self-denying, godly lives in connection with this cause.

An old saying worthy of remembrance, I will here quote: “Whoever had qualities to alarm our jealousy, had excellency to deserve our fondness.” It is all right for us to be jealous for one another’s interests, as was Paul for his brethren. We may no doubt be justified in provoking one another to jealousy by our good works; that is, by our good works we may provoke others to equal or exceed us in sacrifices for Christ’s sake. Let us have more of this. But when brethren harbor a spirit of distrust one of another, or are envious of another’s position, they are certainly going in the wrong

direction, and the sooner they retrace their steps the better.

May we be enabled to escape every temptation to harbor this spirit, and get more of that grace which stands opposed, which is love.

H. F. Phelps.