Zeal - an intense passion or eagerness toward something; a passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything, whether good or bad.
Zeal is powerful. We all have it, and it drives us to sacrifice our time, spend our money, endure hardship, defend what we believe, and devote ourselves to a cause.
But zeal by itself is not necessarily good. A person can be intensely passionate about something that is completely wrong. Someone can be sincere, devoted, disciplined, religious, and even speak often about God while still being ignorant of the truth.
That is exactly what we find in Romans 10:
"[1] Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. [2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. [3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." - Romans 10:1-4
Israel had zeal. What they lacked was knowledge of the truth. That should cause every one of us to check our own. Here are a few questions to help you consider the nature of your zeal and, hopefully, point it in the right direction.
What are you zealous about?
The things you spend your time and money on, and the things that consistently occupy your heart and mind, are the things you are zealous about. In our flesh, it's easy to be fervent about temporal pursuits: politics, vacations, hobbies, money, power, control, beauty, security, food, fitness, or success. Zeal without God is ultimately zeal for pleasure, pride, and personal achievement. These passions are fleeting, and none of them can offer lasting fulfillment.
Do you have a zeal for God, and subsequently, a zeal for others?
If you take stock of what you seek diligently, and God's will to save souls and edify believers is not on the list, it is time to grow up. As Christians, our zeal should be anchored in Christ and not in earthly desires. By His grace He saved us from sin and death and gave us eternal life, and it is therefore our reasonable service to present our bodies a living sacrifice to Him in return (Titus 3:3-7, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 12:1-2).
A zeal for God naturally becomes a zeal for people. Romans 10 opens with exactly that: "my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Israel in unbelief had rejected Christ, yet Paul carried great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart for them (Rom 9:1-3). A heart set on God wants what God wants, and God wants souls saved and saints edified.
We see the same heart for the saints in Epaphras:
"[12] Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. [13] For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis." - Colossians 4:12-13
Epaphras' zeal showed up as fervent labor in prayer and a desire to see the brethren stand perfect and complete in the will of God. The Colossians had learned the grace of God from him, and he continued to seek their growth in Christ (Col 1:6-8). Zeal for the lost and zeal for the saints both flow from a zeal for God.
If you have a zeal for God, is it consistent?
"But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you."- Galatians 4:18
Are you zealous for God and others only inside where the church meets, or only in the company of fellow believers? If your zeal rises and falls with your audience, it is worth asking why. Are you following God for His glory, or is it a show to gain the approval of men and look good in front of others (Gal 1:10, Eph 6:6, Col 3:22)?
If you have a consistent zeal for God, is it according to the truth?
This brings us back to Romans 10. Israel was zealous about their religion, their law, and their works, yet their zeal was "not according to knowledge."
What were they ignorant of? God's righteousness. The law could never make them righteous. It was given so that every mouth would be stopped and all the world become guilty before God (Rom 3:19-20). Instead of submitting to the righteousness God provides, they went about to establish their own, seeking it by works and not by faith (Rom 9:31-32).
The Apostle Paul knew this concept of ignorant zeal intimately. He had been "more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers" (Gal 1:14), and where did that zeal take him? "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church" (Php 3:6). He did it "ignorantly in unbelief" (1Ti 1:13). He had tremendous passion, and every bit of it was aimed against the very God he thought he was serving.
Caring a lot and doing a lot are not the same as doing the right thing. Modern churchianity is riddled vain, busy “ministry” that amounts to nothing more than a social club. Works done in the name of Christ are still vain when they are not done in faith in Christ and what God has instructed under grace today. Zeal for God without knowledge is self-righteous religion: it makes us feel good about ourselves while leaving us ignorant of God's righteousness. Being ignorant of the truth is not a free pass, regardless of intention. The most devout churchgoer is still headed for hell if they have not trusted Christ by grace through faith without works for their salvation (Rom 4:4-5, Eph 2:8-9).
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” You can either receive God's righteousness as a gift or try to produce your own through works and fall desperately short. The good news, or gospel, of God’s grace is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, and God counts righteous everyone who trusts in Him and His finished work alone (1Co 15:1-4, Rom 3:21-26, Php 3:8-9).
Knowledge matters after salvation, too. Faith is believing what God has said, so we need His truth to be saved and we need it to serve Him rightly (Col 2:2-3, 3:10). The Galatians were pursued by teachers who "zealously affect you, but not well" (Gal 4:17), men passionate about putting saved people back under the law. Misguided zeal leads us away from the gospel and hurts others in the process. We must therefore make sure our passion for God lines up with the doctrine of grace, the work of Christ on the cross, and His sacrificial love for us, not the bondage of the law or legalism (Eph 3:17-21, Col 2:6-10).
So, how do you kindle this godly zeal?
Since the problem in Romans 10 is zeal without knowledge, the answer begins with knowledge. Get into God's word, understand who you are in Christ, and set your affections on things above: Christ and His will (Col 3:1-3). "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17). When you spend time in the Scriptures learning (and believing) the truth about God and His love through Christ, your heart and mind are changed, and your faith grows. Prayer stokes this fire, keeping our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus so that we do not merely collect an assortment of Bible facts, but care about doing what the Bible says (Php 4:4-7).
As you come to see the depth of God's love, shown in the death of Christ for us while we were yet sinners, you will want to share it and live by it. The love of Christ constrains us, and the Spirit transforms the inner man, turning a zeal for God into a zeal for serving people (Rom 5:6-8, 2Co 5:14-15). This is the order grace always follows: Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). The good works come after the redemption and are a product of that same grace working in our hearts. None of this is instantaneous. It is a lifelong walk of faith, growth, and renewal in Christ (Rom 12:1-2).
Let us check our zeal. Let it not be a fervor driven by worldly desires or self-righteousness, but a burning passion for God and His grace: grounded in His word, consistent whether or not anyone is watching, and overflowing in love for others. The pursuit of Jesus Christ is the one pursuit that never leaves you wanting. Let us zealously seek Him, serving His people, seeing souls saved, and glorifying His grace.
"[14] For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [15] Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, [16] That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; [17] That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [19] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. [20] Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, [21] Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." - Ephesians 3:14-21
