Mike Focht 4/10/2026
Do not let your heart envy sinners but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day. For surely there is a hereafter and your hope will not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:17-18
Here we find a quick and simple correction for unstable thoughts. The wise correction concerns the thoughts of our hearts, not simply the actions of our bodies. We are called to refuse to allow our hearts to envy sinners.
While we may be living with a steady reality of self-control in our outward Christian life, there may still be longing in our hearts to enjoy sin. But, instead of diving into an active, sinful lifestyle, we look at others who are sinning and envy their apparent lack of guilt, conviction, or restraint. Maybe our hearts have begun a habit of thinking back to Egypt, our life before Christ, and forgetting the slavery of those days, we remember the sweet taste of sin like the Israelites only remembered garlic and leeks? It is easy to imagine ourselves as a favorite sports figure, actor, or musician who seems to have the world at their fingertips.
We restrain ourselves from diving into the world, but we envy those who are not. We restrain ourselves from sexuality or violence, but we envy the coworker or movie character who does not. We restrain ourselves from greed and shallow living, but think about how good life must be for those who spend all their material gain to please themselves. We try to deny self and take up our cross daily, but we look longingly at those who live for self and savor the things of men. As we follow Christ, rest assured that Satan will begin to tempt our hearts to envy sinners.
What happens if we leave this envy unchecked? We will begin to lose our zeal for the Lord! The lusts of the world will begin to crowd out the presence of God in our lives. As we watch and envy sinners, our hearts will soon grow bitter at the burden of self-control that the Holy Spirit has produced as true spiritual fruit in our lives. An envious heart will begin to chafe at the purifying work of the Holy Spirit. Soon, the envious heart will look for any reason to cast off all conviction and give in to the lusts it has been secretly envying all along.
We must be willing to put to death any thought of envying sinners! We cannot entertain any fond thought of enjoying their sin. We must take captive every thought that would dare to delight in something that Jesus Christ had to die for. Stir up your zeal for the Lord by recognizing the envy in your heart and confessing it to Jesus Christ as sin. God will reestablish the cleansing fear of the Lord in your life and will faithfully remind you that there is also a hereafter.
God’s promise is sure. No one will envy sinners in the hereafter. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.