“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11
Jesus told the church in Laodicea, “Be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) Paul wrote to
Titus and said that Jesus gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for
Himself a people that are His very own, eager [zealous] to do what is good (Titus 2:14).
Some people look at zealous Christians and think they are crazy (as Festus told Paul in Acts
26:24). But being a zealous or totally committed Christian is a wonderful blessing. Lazy
Christians are disobeying the Lord’s command.
What does it mean to be zealous?
Being full of zeal means that we have a burning desire to please God and to do His will. God
puts this desire in our hearts when we are saved. A zealous Christian is ready to make any
sacrifice, to go through any trouble, to suffer, to work, to do anything in order to please God and
honor Him.
A zealous Christian is a person who concerned about one thing, who lives for one thing—and
that one thing is to please God. He doesn’t care what others think. Nothing else is important
except pleasing God.
The apostles served the Lord with zeal (Acts 20:24; Philippians 3:13-14). Paul faced
persecution and opposition and prison. But he endured everything in order to tell others the
Good News about Jesus. The early church was full of zeal. Some lost everything because they
followed Christ (Hebrews 10:33-34). They were ridiculed and beaten, but they did not give up
their faith. When told to deny his faith, Polycarp (AD 70-160) told the Roman governor, “86
years I have served Christ and He has never denied me. How can I deny my King?” That is a
zealous Christian.
Zeal marked the Lord Jesus. He told His disciples that His food was doing the will of God and
finishing His work (John 4:34). When Jesus cleared the Temple the disciples remembered the
prophecy from Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for God’s house burns within me.” (John 2:17) When we read
the Gospels, we see that Jesus was full of zeal. He is our great example.
What is true zeal?
Jehovah Witnesses are often full of zeal, but their zeal is ignorant. What is good zeal, zeal
from God?
True zeal is zeal based on knowledge. Paul said the Jews had zeal, but it was misdirected
(Romans 10:2). When Paul spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem, he said that he had been zealous for
God, but it was not a zeal based on knowledge and so he persecuted the church (Acts 22:3-4).
True zeal is zeal from the right motives. Sometimes we do the right thing but from wrong
motives. Rather than from a desire to please God, we have impure motives. God looks at our
motives. We think of how much work we do, but God looks at our hearts. Some are concerned
only to advance their ideas and thinking, but have no real love for God. Jesus said the Pharisees
travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and then turn the person into something worse
than before (Matthew 23:15). They were zealous but it was not good zeal. Zeal can come from
selfishness. People think they may get some advantage from being zealous. Rather than God’s
glory, they are zealous because of a wrong motive.
True zeal is zeal based on God’s Word. It is zeal for the things that the Bible emphasizes—
zeal for our growth in holiness. This kind of zeal will make us understand how awful sin is, and
spur us on to becoming more like Christ. We will do anything to walk more closely with God.
Paul was zealous to see others come to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22). We will live for God’s glory.
True zeal will be tempered with love. It will not be a bitter zeal. True zeal will hate sin, but
love the sinner. Paul warned the Galatian Christians, but they were his dear children whom he
was concerned for (Galatians 4:19-20). Jesus had hard words for the Pharisees and teachers of
the law, but He wept over the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 19:41-42). True zeal
will be gentle. It will speak the truth boldly, but it will always speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).
True zeal will be joined with deep humility. Zealous people will know that they are unworthy
servants who have only done their duty (Luke 17:10). They will be amazed that God should use
them. They will never stop bringing people to Christ. True zeal is not proud and does not boast.
We can never have too much true zeal. The Bible teaches us what truth is. We should seek to
be zealous, but the Bible must be the foundation for our zeal.
Why should we be zealous?
God’s commands are always for our good. If He commands us to be zealous, it is because He
wants what is best for us.
Zeal is good for us. Just as exercise is good for our bodies, so zeal is good for our souls. A
zealous Christian will be full of joy and peace, knowing that they are obeying God. Those who
enjoy Christ the most are those who serve Him with zeal. These kind of Christians refresh
others. God loves all His people, but He takes special pleasure in those who are zealous for Him.
Zeal is good for the church. Nothing keeps a church alive like zealous Christians. These are
the kind of people that God uses. Zealous Christians make God and His glory their primary
concern. Zeal is contagious. There is nothing better than for other Christians to see a zealous
Christian. They may not understand them, they make criticize them, but a zealous Christian will
show others what it means to truly follow and serve Christ. One sinner can destroy much good.
But it is also true that one zealous Christian can do much good. One zealous Christian in a
church can be a wonderful blessing. Paul tells the Corinthian Christians, “Your zeal has stirred
many to action” (2 Corinthians 9:2).
Zeal is also good for the world. How can we reach the world with the Gospel if we are not
zealous? A zealous Christian knows that they must do something. Just because there are
difficulties and problems do not mean that we do nothing.
We need to cultivate zeal. Zeal may make mistakes. It will need direction. It may offend
narrow minded Christians. But we can never be too zealous for God. It is much easier to be lazy
than to be zealous.
What is the condition of our hearts? Some people are zealous, but only for the things of this
world (sports, pachinko, pleasure, success etc.). But they have no zeal for God. If we need zeal,
the best thing we can do is to look at the cross and see what Jesus did for us, how He suffered
and died in our place. Be zealous and repent, Jesus says to lukewarm people. Wake up!
Too many Christians have little zeal. We are to use diligently the gifts God has given us.
Every Christian can do something. We can work, we can pray, we can give so that others will
hear about Jesus. When we remember all that Jesus has done for us, what will we do for Him?
Love so amazing demands all we are and have.
You who are serving the Lord with fervor, keep on serving and never lose your zeal. Never
lose your first love. Never let it be said that your Christian life was better at first than it was at
the end. Don’t cool down! It is easy to become lazy and stop serving. There are not many
Christians who do too much. Jesus said the night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4).
Let us work and pray and give and serve as if we were doing it for the last time. There is only
one thing that is worth living for, and that is to please God. How will our actions look on the day
of judgment? Will we hear our Master say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”?