Focus: Spiritual Passion

Text: Rev.3:19

"Be zealous."

Holy zeal is the current and urgent need of the church in today's world. The believer's heart needs to catch fire by the Holy Spirit. We are propelled by holy passion.

*God wants us to be passionate about the truth.

Paul speaks of "the truth of God," "the truth of the gospel," "the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation," "the word of the truth of the gospel" (Gal.2:5,14; Col.1:5; Eph.1:13). He says, "I speak forth the words of truth." Again he says, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost" (Rom.9:1). He tells us that the church is "the pillar and ground of truth" (1Tim.3:15). We should believe and know the truth, teach and uphold it - wholly aflame by the zeal of God.

*God wants us to be passionate about the faith.

Jude says, "It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3). Let your faith be on fire for God. It's worth protecting and promoting.

*God wants us to be passionate about the salvation of souls.

Paul says, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we PERSUADE men…" 2Cor.5:11). Again, he says, "For the love of Christ CONSTRAINETH us… We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye RECONCILED to God" (2Cor.5:14, 20). Jude declares, "And others save with fear, PULLING [them] out of the fire" (Jude 1:23). Two things are most important in this world - the word of God and the souls of men. They are eternally durable and deserve our biggest investment. Heaven celebrates for saved souls.

*God wants us to be passionate about righteousness.

We live in a world where righteousness is a stranger. Paul writes, "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Tit.2:12). The psalmist says, "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause…" (Ps.35:27). We must long and live for righteousness. It is the Christian's place to love righteousness and hate iniquity.

*Zealous for God

It was out of zeal for God that the Lord Jesus Christ chased away those who turned the temple into a place of merchandise.

It was out of zeal that the spirit of Paul boiled with holy anger when he saw the city of Athen completely overtaken by idol worship. Luke writes, "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his SPIRIT was STIRRED in him, when he SAW the city wholly given to idolatry" (Act.17:16). Anger rose in Paul as he looked around and saw the city shackled by the forces of darkness. He made up his mind to take action and save the situation as much as he could.

The zeal of God moved Elijah to call for a religious contest between him and the prophets of Baal, and by that act of prophetic passion and spiritual activism he saved Israel from the sin of religious syncretism. Paul says, "But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing" (Gal.4:18).

We are called to be "zealous toward God," "zealous of good works," "zealous of spiritual gifts," "zealous for my name," and "zealous for his God" (Act.22:3; Num.25:11,13; 1Cor.14:12; Tit.2:14).

I pray for us to catch the fire of holy zeal and pure passion for the glory of Christ. Let the zeal of God consume us. Let us wear the zeal of God as a cloak, and let it be said of us that "your zeal hath provoked very many" (2Cor.9:7). That is contagious passion! Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter