On Zeal
Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature — which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted — but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others, that they alone deserve to be called "zealous" Christians.
This desire is so strong, when it really reigns in a man, that it impels him to make any sacrifice — to go through any trouble — to deny himself to any amount — to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil — to spend himself and be spent, and even to die — if only he can please God and honor Christ.
A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed-up in one thing — and that one thing is to please God.
From Practical Religion by J.C. Ryle, 1878
If you are like me, it's probably been a long while since you heard anyone speak of zeal. Nowadays, nearly a century and a half after Ryle wrote these words, we would probably describe his zealous man as fanatical. And we might recoil from him.
What do you think? Is zealous a good description of a person who loves the Lord with the whole heart and soul and mind? Do you know anyone that you would describe in terms like Ryle uses? Would Ryle say that you deserve to be called a zealous Christian? Should this be our goal?
Hi Dad, love the look of the new blog! I think that zeal, as Ryle describes it, is an excellent description of whole-hearted love for God. It is not merely fervency for a cause or abstract list of duties, but personal fervency in service to God. I don’t think I fit Ryle’s description very well at all—I struggle to love God as I should for a number of reasons, and all of these rob me of the joy that motivates passionate service.
ReplyDeleteI think this zeal should definitely be our goal: Romans 12:11 says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” But it seems to me that sloth and cowardice are major enemies of zeal. A deadening boredom and lack of purpose are the opposite of fervent service, and cowardice prevents us from following through with our desire to serve God when circumstances are particularly difficult.
Thanks for commenting, Jeremy. And I am glad you like the look of the blog! Feel free to share it with anyone you think would profit from the discussion or who would be a help to the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you brought up Romans 12:11, what a great exhortation. And I appreciate how you highlight that it's zeal for a person, not just zeal for a cause or an activity. I fear that on the slothful/fervent scale, I would score way too close to the slothful end. God help us!