Is Jealousy a Sin?

So many people ask, "Is jealousy a sin?" One teacher says that depends on how you react to jealousy" another says, "The Lord gets jealous-so jealousy is not a sin because God cannot sin" Yet another says, "Justified jealousy is not a sin" and another says, "The rules are different for God than us." When in doubt we get the big book out. What does the Holy Bible say about Jealousy?
What happens when God gets jealous?
The Lord states that He is a jealous God and He will punish those who hate him up to third and fourth generations, two times, in the Old testament. If you are unfaithful to the Lord it means you hate Him. The Lord's jealousy is justified when people are unfaithful. Based on the fact that God Himself feels the pain and anger of jealousy, it is safe to say that if God gets jealousy it stands to reason that jealousy, in and of itself could not possibly be a sin. See what the Bible says about Jealousy:
Warnings and a curse from God about serving false gods
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"
Exodus 20:5, KJV
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,"
Deuteronomy 5:9, KJV
The Lord says we are not to worship any god but Him because His name is jealous and He is a jealous God
"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:"
Exodus 34:14, KJV Read in context
God wants and requires our loyalty as He is a jealous God by His own admission.
"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."
Deuteronomy 4:24, KJV
The Lord gets so angry when He becomes jealous that He will destroy you by removing you off the face of earth if you are not faithful to Him
"For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you, lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."
Deuteronomy 6:15, KJV 
Jealousy is a spirit
In Neh. 5:12-14, the Lord spoke to Moses about jealousy while telling Moses how to instruct the people. The Lord refers to jealousy as a spirit while speaking of a woman whose husband thought she cheated on him.
What happens to people who get jealous?
Jealousy has been known to kill people who are not strong minded. Romeo and Juliet-a perfect example. "
Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple."
Job 5:2 (NLT)
Jealousy makes people furious and vengeful
"For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare
when he takes revenge."Proverbs 6:34 (ESV) 
Jealousy is a very powerful emotion which can take over your thoughts if you are not strong minded
"Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?"
Proverbs 27:4 (ESV) 
Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brother’s because they were jealous of him. 
  “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph,
and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him."
Acts 7:9 (NLT)
Jealousy can cause bitterness and cause you to be held captive by sin.
"For I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin."
Acts 8:17 (NLT)
Paul exhorts people and includes jealousy in his list of sinful behaviors
"Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy."
Romans 13:13 (ESV)
Jealousy causes problems and is called behaving in a human way
"For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?"
1 Corinthians 3:3 (ESV)
Jealous people will not inherit the kingdom of God
"…idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these,  of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Galatians 5:20-21 (NASB) 

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Jealousy Part 3

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Memory Verse

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exodus 20:5 Read in context

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