Godly Jealousy

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2 Corinthians 11:2 – For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

A Jealous God

Paul wrote to a church that was a “thorn” in his side.  They had many problems and were much like the church today, yet Paul loved them and told them the truth.  Paul is concerned with their faithfulness to Christ and purity in Christ and they were being swayed by false teachers away from the truth.  He told them he loved them and he is jealous for them with a “godly jealousy.”  Is God a jealous God? Yes.  He said to Israel in Exodus 20:5 in regards to the command not to make idols, “you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…”  Wow!  Do we think of that?  Some have taken this out of context or totally misunderstood it.

When we think of jealousy, we see “green” and think of an obsessive person who is angry, insecure and is afraid they will lose what they have, are threatened or have a sense of “entitlement,” that they deserve something.  We don’t think jealousy can be a good thing but it is a characteristic of God Himself.  God’s jealousy and Paul’s, was based in holy love!  Paul wanted the Christians in Corinth to be pure in their doctrine and practice because he wanted them to be pure before their husband, Christ.  We, as the bride of Christ, should be holy and pure and that’s what Paul wanted.  That is also what God wanted for His people Israel and for us today too.

2 Kinds of Jealousy 

There are 2 kinds of jealousy: 1) Jealousy of someone or 2) Jealousy for someone.  There is a big difference.  Jealousy of someone is based on pride; a desire to control, obsession or wanting what he/she/they has and is sinful.  There’s no trust.  Jealousy for someone, based in holy love, means you want what is best and you will do what is necessary for him/her/them in order to bring it to pass.  This includes protecting, providing, encouraging and rebuking, which is what God does with His people and what Paul was speaking of.  This godly jealousy includes a deep desire to make sure the other person is pure, honest and truthful because you care for their well being.  This kind of jealousy, because it’s based in holy love, doesn’t lower itself to manipulative tactics, control or false guilt.  It realizes others have their own wills, lives and decisions to make but is deeply hurt when someone sins and hurts their own life.

All of this is because of love.  That is the key to godly jealousy.  The husband, who sees the potential for his wife being placed into a dangerous situation at work with her male boss, is wise to speak up.  The wife or girlfriend who sees her husband or boyfriend being flirted with and jumps in to let the other female know she has no place in doing that does the right thing.  While this can also be from the sinful jealousy, godly jealousy protects the one(s) loved!  This is not out of insecurity or lack of trust, but standing for the truth, purity and because of holy love and a commitment made.

What about us?  Do we want the body of Christ to be pure as Paul did?  Do we love others with godly jealousy or sinful jealousy?  Sin distorts that which is pure into something destructive!  Do we love as God loves and as Paul loved?  Think of the impact this would make in the lives of families, relationships, with friends, those in cults and others if we were not sinfully jealous, but passionately loved in holiness with a godly jealousy.