All Things

Many of us in the church are recovering “older brother.” At least I am. For these types, the subtle sins of envy and jealous are often more pervasive than out-and-out raw rebellion. Many of us have never “blown up” at someone, and sometimes I wonder what it would be like it I did. But I have certainly coolly nurse grudges and judgments against others; which, if I put myself in others shoes, is much worse of an offense.

Envy is in this category. It rejoices in the deserved loss of others, and it threatened by their undeserving success. The good news is that in the gospel we have one of the most amazing strategies for fighting envy: sinners that we are, God has promised more good to us than we could possible envy from others. This is how Paul attacks the problem in Corinth. They church is bickering over preachers; some like Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas. Strife is stirred up; divisions bring to sprout. How does Paul respond?

He shows them that they are giving too much credit to their preachers, and too little credit to the vast stores of God’s grace. He ends this way:

So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. 1 Corinthians 3:21-22

His point: don’t envy, because everything belongs to you. And he is not veering off into a version of the prosperity-gospel in which “all things” means that you will have a Mercedes, a Lake Forest home, and a perfect family. He means you belong to Christ, the true king of this world. You are his, and to be his is far better than aligning yourself with a particular church group. This is not less than a Mercedes, it is more, and it is ours. Everything! The world, life, death, all things to come…

So let’s kill subtle mold of envy by opening your heart up to this good news. Let the sunshine in, let the spring breeze blow, and live under the bright future of belonging to Christ.