…If zeal is true, it will be joined to a deep humility.

A truly zealous man will be the last to discover the greatness of his own attainments. All that he is and does will fall immensely short of his own desires, that he will be filled with a sense of his own weakness and be amazed to think that God should work through him at all.

Like Moses, when he came down from the Mountain, he will not be aware that his face shines. Like the righteous in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, he will not be aware of his own good works.

Dr. Buchanan is one who is praised by all the churches. He was one of the first to take up the cause of the perishing heathen. He literally spent himself, body and mind, in laboring to arouse sleeping Christians to see the importance of missions. Yet he says in one of his letters, “I do not know that I ever had what Christians call zeal.”

Whitefield was one of the most zealous preachers of the Gospel the world has ever seen. Fervent in spirit, instant in season and out of season, he was a burning and shining light, and turned thousands to God. Yet he says after preaching for thirty years, “Lord help me to begin to begin.”

M’Cheyne was one of the greatest blessings that God ever gave to the Church of Scotland. He was a minister insatiably desirous of the salvation of souls. Few men ever did so much good as he did, though he died at the age of twenty-nine. Yet he says in one of his letters, “No one but God knows what an abyss of corruption is in my heart. It is perfectly wonderful that God could ever bless such a ministry.” We can be very sure where there is self-conceit there is little true zeal.

I ask all of you to especially remember the description of true zeal which I have just given. Zeal according to knowledge—zeal from true motives—zeal warranted by Scriptural examples—zeal tempered with love—zeal accompanied by deep humility—this is true genuine zeal—this is the kind of zeal which God approves. You and I need never fear of having too much of such zeal.

I ask you to remember the description because of the times in which we live.

Beware of supposing that sincerity alone can ever make up true zeal—that earnestness, however ignorant, makes a man a really zealous Christian in the sight of God.

There is a generation in these days which makes an idol of what it calls “seriousness” in Christianity.

These men will allow no fault to be found in a man who is serious.

Whatever his theological opinions may be—if he is a serious man, that is enough for these people, and we are to ask no more.

They tell you we should just ignore the minute points of doctrine and any questions about words and names, about which Christians are not agreed.

Is the man a serious man? If he is, we ought to be satisfied.

Seriousness in their eyes covers over a multitude of sins.

I solemnly warn you to beware of this dubious doctrine. In the name of the Gospel, and in the name of the Bible, I enter my protest against the theory that mere seriousness can make a man a truly zealous and holy man in the sight of God.

These idolaters of seriousness would make us believe that God has not given us a standard of truth and error, or that the true standard, the Bible, is so obscure, that no man can find out what truth is by simply reading it. They pour contempt upon the Word, the written Word, and therefore they must be wrong.

These idolaters of seriousness would make us condemn every witness for the truth, and every opponent of false teaching from the time of the Lord Jesus down to this very day.

The Scribes and Pharisees were serious, and yet our Lord opposed them. And shall we dare even to hint the thought that they ought to have been left alone? Queen Mary was serious in restoring the Roman Catholic religion and trying to put down Protestantism, and yet godly brothers who believed in Christ in truth and seriousness opposed her to the death.

And shall we dare to say that since both parties were “serious both were in the right

The Devil-worshippers and idolaters of today are serious and yet our missionaries labor to expose their errors. And shall we dare to say that seriousness would take them to heaven, and that missionaries to heathens and Roman Catholics should stay at home?

Are we really going to admit that the Bible does not show us what is truth?

Are we really going to put a vague thing called seriousness, in the place of Christ and to maintain that no serious man can be wrong? God forbid that we should give place to such doctrine! I shrink with horror from such theology. I warn men solemnly to beware of being carried away by it for it is common and most seductive in this day. Beware of it, for it is only a new form of an old error-that old error which says that a man can’t be wrong whose lives a serious and righteous life.

Admire zeal. Seek after zeal. Encourage zeal. But see that your own zeal is true. See that the zeal which you admire in others is a zeal based on knowledge—a zeal from right motives—a zeal that can bring chapter and verse out of the Bible for its foundation. Any zeal but this is nothing but a deceiving fire. It is not ignited by the Holy Spirit.

—Christian Zeal, by J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good.” (Galatians 4:18)

Read the rest of this Christ exalting work on the Biblical nature of Christian Zeal here, it’s proper place in the Christian life and how downplayed and omitted it is in Moralistic-Therapeutic Religion today. This work has done a great kindling in my heart. It is my sincere hope and prayer that, by His grace, I would be that man that dear J.C. Ryle describes here. O, that we may all be single-minded in our occupation of living for Christ, and Christ alone!