“On Fire” For the Lord

by Bryan Gibson
June 25, 2008

Phinehas was an Old Testament character, of whom the Lord had this to say: “…he was zealous with My zeal” (Numbers 25:11); “he was zealous for his God” (Numbers 25:13). Passages like these call for some self-examination. Could the Lord say the same about us?

Dictionary.com gives the following definitions for zeal: “enthusiastic devotion to a cause, an ideal, or a goal; and tireless diligence in its furtherance...to be excited; intense enthusiasm, as in working for a cause; ardent endeavor or devotion; ardor; fervor.”

Did you notice the last word in that definition—fervor? Other forms of that word would be fervent and fervently, words which are found in the New Testament. They are translated from a Greek word that means to boil with heat, to make hot. The Greeks even used this word to describe boiling water. That this is the basic idea in these words can be seen in passages like 2 Peter 3:10-12 (“elements will melt with fervent heat”) and Revelation 3:14-19 (to those who were “lukewarm,” the Lord said, “be zealous and repent”).

To be zealous, then, is to be “on fire”—to show great interest and concern for the Lord’s cause; to show eagerness and enthusiasm in our work for Him. You don’t have to have a dynamic personality, just a willingness to put Him and His cause before everything else, a willingness to work.

Here are two major areas in which we should show zeal for the Lord.

Doing the will of God.

The New Testament teaches us to love one another fervently (1 Peter 1:22; 4:8); to pray fervently (Colossians 4:2, 12-13; James 5:16); to do really everything fervently (Colossians 3:23). The inspiration for this zeal? The fact that Christ gave Himself for us (Titus 2:11-14), that we are living for someone who died for us (Galatians 2:20). What effect will this zeal have on others? It will often stir them up to do more. Zeal tends to rub off on other people (2 Corinthians 9:2).

Teaching the will of God.

The following is said about Apollos: “being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord…” (Acts 18:25). Apollos was on fire; he was eager to teach others the word of God. A similar attitude is expressed by Peter and John: “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). That’s the kind of zeal we need today, the kind of zeal that will cause the church to grow.

A word of caution, though, is in order. Zeal, by itself, is a dangerous thing. Paul had this to say about his fellow-Israelites: “they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). No amount of zeal can save us, unless we abide in the teaching of our Lord (2 John 1:9).