…If zeal is true, it will be a zeal tempered with love.
It will not be a bitter zeal. It will not be a fierce hatred of people. It will not be a zeal that is ready to take up the sword and to lash out with the weapons of the world. The weapons of true zeal are not worldly, but spiritual. True zeal will hate sin, and yet love the sinner.iTrue zeal will hate heresy, and yet love the heretic. True zeal will long to smash the idol, but deeply pity the idolater. True zeal will detest every kind of wickedness, but labor to do good even to the vilest of sinners.
True zeal will warn as Paul warned the Galatians and yet feel tenderly, as a nurse or a mother over erring children. It will expose false teachers, as Jesus did the Scribes and Pharisees, and yet weep tenderly as Jesus did over Jerusalem when He came near to it for the last time. True zeal will be decided, as a surgeon dealing with diseased limb; but true zeal will be gentle, as one that is dressing the wounds of a brother. True zeal will speak truth boldly, like Athanasius against the world, and not care who is offended; but true zeal will endeavor in its speaking, to “speak the truth in love.”
—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!
Footnotes
- Speaking from our position towards our fellow man in contrast to the blasphemous statement “God hates the sin but loves the sinner”, since God hates all those who do iniquity.—Psalm 5:5 [↩]
