In The Master's Service

ZEAL OF GOD - ZEAL TOWARD GOD

Elder Mark Green

"For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2). "I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day" (Acts 22:3).

The two verses quoted above both speak of zeal, and of the relationship of that zeal with regard to God, but the context of both verses needs to be examined carefully to ascertain the nature and origin of the zeal in each case. Zeal is "fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor." Paul bore record to the Romans that his brethren among the Jews had a zeal "of God." The word of denotes origin. These Jews (not all Jews, but the ones Paul is talking about) had a zeal that originated with God. It came from God. It was a heavenly fervor and eager desire to please God. Paul bore them record that they were endeavoring to do what was right, but that they were ignorant about certain points of doctrine that was causing their zealous efforts to be in the wrong directrion and for the wrong reason. This type of zeal - a godly zeal - gives evidence of a heart that is turned toward God. It evidences a work of grace that originates with God.

All zeal, however, is not godly zeal. Evil men are passionate about their causes just as much as are godly men, even their religious causes. That an act is done under the ourtward form of religion is no guarantee that it is a righteous act. Some of the most vicious and cruel acts ever done were carried out in the name of the Christian religion, so-called. There is a zeal that originates in the flesh. Paul was speaking to the Jews from the castle steps in Acts chapter 22. He was recounting his past life, when he persecuted the church, and told them that he did this because he was "zealous toward God." Now, a zeal that is from God and one that is toward God are obviously going in different directions. Religious zeal that originates in the flesh has God as its apparent object, but it does not come from God. It is not "of God," but of the flesh. Paul's bloody persecutions against the church were the result of zeal, but they were not the result of grace. All zeal is not gracious zeal. The Jews of Romans chapter 10 had gracious zeal; Saul of Tarsus before the Damascus road did not.