Bible League: Living His Word Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.What does it mean to have zeal? It means to have a fervent and eager desire for something. It is to be intense, enthusiastic, and passionate about something. Zeal is something that the Apostle Paul said we should never be lacking in. As Christians, we should always be zealous. We should never be apathetic and indifferent. Zeal, however, is not always a good thing. It can come from wrong motives and it can be misdirected. Before Paul was converted he was full of zeal, but it was fleshly, sinful zeal. It was the kind of zeal that caused him to persecute the church (Philippians 3:6). He thought he was being zealous for God, but his zeal was not based on a proper knowledge of God (Romans 10:2). In our verse for today, Paul equates zeal with spiritual fervor. The zeal he has in mind, therefore, is not the fleshly zeal of his earlier days, but the zeal born of the Holy Spirit. This kind of zeal is fervent and eager desire for the things of the Lord, not for the things of the flesh. Christians have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and they can expect to be filled with zeal and passion for the things God has called them to accomplish in life. However, just as the Holy Spirit can be quenched (I Thessalonians 5:19), our zeal can be quenched. The cares and concerns of life and the opposition of the enemy can get to us and undermine our zeal. That's why Paul feels the need to encourage the Roman church to never lack in zeal. Although our zeal is born of the Spirit, we have some control over it. We can decide to let the zeal we have been given by the Spirit flow freely in our lives, despite the zeal-quenchers. The zeal we have been given is meant to help us serve the Lord. Since the Lord is Lord over every area of life, we can expect the zeal of the Spirit to help us in every area of life. We can expect to be zealous friends, mothers and fathers, educators, business people, etc. Above all, we can expect to be zealous in our roles in the church and in the spread of the gospel. Today, let us fire up our zeal for the Lord and the things of the Lord in every area of our lives. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Kings 21, 22 1 Kings 21 -- Ahab Takes Naboth's Vineyard Due to Jezebel's Plot NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Kings 22 -- Ahab Warned by Micaiah, Slain at Ramoth Gilead; Jehoshaphat King of Judah; Ahaziah King of Israel NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading John 3:1-21 John 3 -- Jesus Teaches Nicodemus: You Must be Born Again; John's Testimony about Jesus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “But there is no peace for the wicked,”says the LORD. Insight Many people cry out for comfort, security, and relief, but they haven't taken the first steps to turn away from sin and open the channels to God. They have not repented and trusted in him. Challenge If you want true peace, seek God first. Then he will give you his peace. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead.The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that "Christ is risen from the dead;" for, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: ye are yet in your sins." The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in his resurrection, since he was "Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." It would not be unreasonable to doubt his deity if he had not risen. Moreover, Christ's sovereignty depends upon his resurrection, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the covenant, is linked with Christ's triumphant victory over death and the grave; for "He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Nay, more, our very regeneration is connected with his resurrection, for we are "Begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here, for, "If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." If Christ be not risen, then shall we not rise; but if he be risen then they who are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their flesh shall surely behold their God. Thus, the silver thread of resurrection runs through all the believer's blessings, from his regeneration onwards to his eternal glory, and binds them together. How important then will this glorious fact be in his estimation, and how will he rejoice that beyond a doubt it is established, that "now is Christ risen from the dead"! "The promise is fulfill'd, Redemption's work is done, Justice with mercy's reconciled, For God has raised his Son." Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, Colossians 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Revelation 12:10,11 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. • "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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