Deut 32:15 "But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation."

Many good works are destroyed by jealousy. Many people, instead of doing good and being constructive, are destroyed by jealousy. In the Bible one finds that many are in hell because of jealousy.

Example:
In ancient history a bishop Clement spoke of jealousy. As I read it, I said, "Is jealousy so depraved and terrible?" He said that there are many dangers of jealousy in churches. The Gospel doesn't go forward because of jealousy.

Let us take a careful look at the subject of jealousy and see if there is anything of that in our midst.
Jealousy causes many different things because of its fundamental weakness. Where there is jealousy there is friction, factions, fighting with your brothers and sisters, one hurting the other, and the desires of the flesh are obeyed

There is so much in the Bible regarding this. A person who has jealousy in their heart, fails to listen to the Lord and be obedient to Him. Such a person will be enthusiastic at times and have a spurt of energy in attending services etc, but then it dies down. One needs to examine why that happens. Another person might want their progress to be seen by people, but after a time they are lukewarm.
One has to ask in such a case what is happening there. Why is the Gospel not taking things forward?

In the Old Testament it is written:
"You are made fat. That what you used to do, you no longer do."
That refers to being fat spiritually.

EXAMPLES:
1. Cain and Abel:
We know that the first blood that was shed, wasn't shed in the mountains among the heathens, but in a church service. Cain fought with Abel and killed him because God accepted Abel's offering but rejected his own.
Cain killed his brother because of jealousy - he saw that his brother's prayer was better than his own.

2. Moses' opponents:
God called Moses and said, "Moses, I want you to set My people free", but before he could do it, he was almost killed because of jealousy. Someone from his own nation, his own church, went against him and said to him, "Moses, do you want to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?" Moses fled, knowing that he was in danger.
So too the one Christian opposes his brother because he sees that God is using him and he is jealous of that. That is evil.

3. King Saul and David:
God chose David and wanted to work through him. So the king of Israel wanted to kill him because of jealousy. When Saul heard the people singing, "King Saul killed his thousands but David his ten  thousands," that was terrible for him because there was jealousy in his heart.

If the heart of a Christian hasn't been sanctified, it is full of satan. So each one of us must examine himself and say, "Lord, what is my heart like?"

4. Paul's opponents:
Paul was terribly persecuted, even by other preachers who "sought to add affliction to his bonds by their preaching" (Philippians 1:15). He was put in jail because people resisted and fought against him. They came from the East and the West - their task was just to fight against the Gospel which Paul was preaching.

One wonders why there is friction between people, one asks what is the cause. It is jealousy.
Some marriages are destroyed because of jealousy. There is much friction between them because of jealousy. So too between parents and children.
It is not a small thing. Take the Bible and read what it says about jealousy, and ask God, "O God, bring an utter end to jealousy in me".

5. Peter's opponents:
When Peter was preaching the Gospel, some people fought against him because of jealousy. They threw him into jail, chased him away.

6. Noah's opponents:
Noah preached and people went against him because of jealousy.

Brethren, pray that God will set you free from envy. God wants all people on earth to be helped, that not one sinner goes lost. But because of jealousy satan succeeds in his work.

THE OPPOSITE:
Many people in the Bible were upright in the Lord.
1. Abraham: Think of Abraham, how he stuck to the Lord in faithfulness, as a friend of God. In Sodom and Gomorrah there were a few who could be saved because of Abraham. Through his faith and hospitality they were saved.
2. Moses: Moses spoke to God and God spoke to him like a friend speaks to a friend.
3. Rahab: Rahab had been a prostitute, but she put her faith in God and was saved. Some wanted to kill her, but instead God made her a tool whom He could use in His Kingdom. Rahab and her family were also saved through her faith and hospitality.

There are many examples - those who were jealous and repented not ended in hell while those who were humble, trusting in God could be used by God.

4. Jesus: Jesus is our ultimate example: humble, meek, didn't seek His own upliftment above others. instead His aim was to bring people to salvation. Whether the person is big of small, you should be seeking the salvation of others, bringing them to Jesus. But that is only possible if there is no jealousy in your heart. Jesus said, "I am lowly and meek of heart". Can you say the same? Have you been saved from jealousy?
If we want God to work through us, there may not be a trace of jealousy in our lives.

If you want things to come right in your life and to make progress spiritually, then make sure that you don't get fat spiritually.

When Moses came back down from Mount Sinai with the law of God, he saw his people were singing and dancing. What had happened? They got fattened spiritually. They brought a curse upon themselves. They were fattened in the wrong way, with wickedness.

You might be enthusiastic and think that you are progressing because there are some areas of progress in your life, but you need to be fattened in the right way, filled with the things of God. If you want to advance spiritually, you are to be disciplined and fit. If you are uncontrolled you cannot advance spiritually.

We need to be humble and lowly. That is true spirituality - then you will make progress and win others.

If you are fat spiritually, you will dance because you feel that you are more blessed than others. They worshipped the calf, got up to drink and dance, thinking they were worshipping God.

A fat person spiritually can't bow and go down. He can't obey and doesn't want to be told. If he is told, that troubles him. If you rebuke him, he is hurt and miserable. If he was well spiritually, he would be humble enough to ask the next person whether he is going in the right way or not. A truly spiritual person is willing to be rebuked.

Take note of those through whom the Lord is working. When God speaks to them, they are not proud and puffed up, but instead it humbles them and they stand amazed at the Lord's grace to use them.

One who uplifts himself and says, "The Lord can't work through that person - I must be used instead", will become dull and blunt spiritually and can't be used anymore.

Let each one examines himself, "Is there any trace of jealousy in me?" The greatest among us must be the smallest. If it is not like that, things will get messed up in your family. The young people will become sexually promiscuous.

CONCLUSION:
Has jealousy been finished off in your heart? As you see others being blessed and enriched, can you be glad about it and thank God for it? Let that sin come to an end. Remember that God sees everything, even that which you hide. You see that others are loved more than you are - examine whether there is jealousy in your heart.

Repent and part from jealousy. Turn away from that and rather be a friend of God. Be like the saints, that the Lord will make you like them and work through you.