I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      Zeal is a quality that God desires in His people.

                                                             1.      Zeal is a persistent, fervent devotion to a cause.  It is the inner quality of a person that motivates him to take action for the cause he serves.

                                                             2.      In the original language of the New Testament, the word translated as “zealous” (zelos) is also translated as “jealous” in certain contexts (2Cor. 11:2, for example).  Notice the similarity of passion and motivation between zeal and jealousy.

                                                             3.      Paul told Titus that Christ redeemed for Himself a people who would be zealous for good deeds (Tit. 2:14).  Also, Christ told the lukewarm church of Laodicea to be zealous and repent (Rev. 3:19).  Therefore, Christ desires His followers to have zeal for His cause.

B.      Knowledge is another quality that God desires in His people.

                                                             1.      Specifically, God wants us to be knowledgeable of His will.

                                                             2.      Notice Ephesians 5:17 – “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

                                                             3.      See also John 20:30-31; 1Corinthians 2:6-16; Ephesians 3:1-5; 2Timothy 3:16-17.

C.      The combination of both zeal and knowledge is necessary to truly please God.

                                                             1.      If either of these qualities is lacking in a person, then he will fall short of the expectations that God has for him.

                                                             2.      Presently, let us consider the shortcomings of zeal that is not according to knowledge and knowledge that is without zeal.

II.      ZEAL NOT ACCORING TO KNOWLEDGE

A.      In Romans 10:1-3, Paul described the failure of zealous Jews who acted contrary to the knowledge of Christ.

                                                             1.      Paul confessed that the Jews had a zeal for God, but it was not according to knowledge.

a.       The religion of the Jews affected every facet of their lives, but it had become obsolete.  Their zeal for the Law of Moses should have been directed toward Christ.

b.       They were like so many today who are zealous for a religion that is not according to the word of God.  Their zeal and sincerity are commendable, but they are misguided.

                                                             2.      The Jews’ problem was ignorance, for they did not know of the righteousness of God, which is through the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16-17).  Instead, they sought to become righteous through the Law without Christ, and this left them in a lost condition.

                                                             3.      Certainly, Paul sympathized with the Jews, for he had once zealously persecuted the church of Christ, thinking that he was right to do so (Acts 22:3-5; 26:9-11; Phil. 3:6).  However, his zeal had been misguided, for he was ignorant and unbelieving (1Tim. 1:13).

B.      Zeal is profitable only if it is guided by the true knowledge of Christ’s gospel.

                                                             1.      Much effort has been wasted by those who have attempted to serve God in their own ways, contrary to the knowledge of His will.  Consider Matthew 7:21-23.

                                                             2.      Those who are zealous for God must seek to apply their zeal to the right efforts according to knowledge so that they may become profitable to themselves and others.

a.       For example, Paul’s zeal for God did not change after His conversion to Christ.  He maintained the same zeal, but he channeled it into the right efforts according the will of Christ.  See Acts 9:20-22.

b.       Also, consider how Paul directed the misapplied zeal of the Athenians away from their idols and toward Christ (Acts 17:22-31).

C.      Those who have zeal without knowledge should be instructed in the truth.

                                                             1.      Many zealous, ignorant people have been converted from error to become fruitful servants of Christ because they were taught by knowledgeable Christians.  Paul is one example.

                                                             2.      Therefore, those who are zealous for their false religion are prime candidates for conversion to the truth.  Once converted, their zeal will serve them well in doing great things through Christ.

III.   KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT ZEAL

A.      Just as there are many people who have a zeal for God that is not according to knowledge, there are also many who have knowledge of God without the zeal to act on that knowledge.

                                                             1.      One may know that a cause is true while lacking the devotion to act on that knowledge.  In temporal things, we may consider this as laziness, but in spiritual things, it is sin.

a.       James wrote, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17).

b.       We often call this a sin of omission, which is the sin of doing nothing.  Even if one does nothing wrong, he is still incomplete until he does what is right.

                                                             2.      Knowledge without zeal is similar to faith without works (Jas. 2:14-17) or love without good deeds (1John 3:17-18).  Such knowledge, faith, and love are useless, dead, and empty.

B.      A lack of zeal affects those who are outside of Christ as well as those who are Christians.

                                                             1.      Those who lack the zeal to obey the truth will regret their lost opportunity to serve Christ.

a.       For example, the Jews who rejected the knowledge of the gospel have rejected the outstretched, merciful hand of God (Rom. 10:16-21).

b.       Likewise, Gentiles who refuse to act on the knowledge of the truth have spurned their only opportunity to have fellowship with God (Rom. 1:18-32).

c.        Whether Jew or Gentile, those who “go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth” will regret their unused knowledge at Judgment (Heb. 10:26-27).

                                                             2.      Christians who lack the zeal to do the will of Christ fail to serve their Lord.

a.       Christians know that they are to care for one another (John 13:34-35).  Therefore, one who fails to help his brother in need does not lack knowledge, but zeal.  He fails his Lord because he is not devoted to Him.

b.       Christians know that they are to teach the gospel to others (Matt. 28:18-20; 2Tim. 2:2).  Therefore, one who fails to teach the truth to those who need it does not lack knowledge, but he lacks the zeal to say what he knows to be true.

                                                             3.      Christians who fall away from the Lord will fall short of salvation because they lack the zeal to finish what they started.

a.       Such apostate Christians are described in Hebrews 6:4-8 as having been “enlightened” and having “tasted the good word of God.”  They know what is right, but they have lost their devotion to Christ.

b.       Peter wrote that Christians who return to the defilements of the world after having escaped through the knowledge of the Lord are in a worse state than when they were ignorant (2Pet. 2:20-22).

C.      Let us consider how a person may become zealous for that which he knows is right.

                                                             1.      First, let us realize that zeal is not an emotion.  Any attempt to provoke zeal through emotional appeals will yield temporary results, if any at all.

                                                             2.      Zeal is the product of a sincere faith.  If one truly believes in the Lord and His gospel, then he will be devoted to the Lord and His cause.  Therefore, one must increase his faith in order to develop zeal.

a.       To increase faith, one must study the word of God (Rom. 10:17).

b.       One must also pray for faith, just as the apostles requested of Jesus, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5).

c.        One must also increase his faith through practice, trials, and tests (Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 5:14; Jas. 1:2-4).

d.       In these ways, we may increase our faith and our zeal, for God will work in us through faith “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13).

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      In the past, we have tended to label those who have zeal not according to knowledge as “liberals” and those who have knowledge without zeal as “conservatives.”

                                                             1.      Liberality is good only if it is governed by the truth of God’s word.

                                                             2.      Conservatism is good only if it accompanied by the zeal to take action on what is right.

B.      Perhaps instead we should recognize ourselves for what we truly are – either faithful or unfaithful.

                                                             1.      If we are zealous according to the knowledge we have through Christ’s gospel, then we are faithful.

                                                             2.      If we are lacking either the zeal to do what is right or the knowledge of the truth, then we are unfaithful.

C.      Therefore, let us have the knowledge of the truth and the zeal to put our knowledge to work so that we may serve our Lord.