Zeal Without Knowledge | Ep53

Transcript

The greatest soul winner ever to preach the Christian truth was the Apostle Paul.

He was an outstanding Jewish young man in the Jewish religion in his day. He persecuted Christians because he thought they were wrong in violating the law of Moses. He thought the Christians were blasphemies.

But after Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he became just as zealous for bringing people to Jesus Christ as he was zealous in persecuting Christians because he thought they were wrong. His primary work was to bring the Gentile people to Christ. That’s found in Ephesians 3, 6 and 7. But he also had a great desire for his Jewish brethren that they might also be saved.

We find his concern expressed in Romans 10, 1 through 3. Brethren, my heart, desire, and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear record of them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves under the righteousness of God.

Let’s look at that passage. That’s Romans 10, 1 through 3. He begins by stating that his heart, desire, and prayer to God was for them to be saved. He had accepted Jesus as his Savior, as the Messiah.

Many Jews did not, and they were going their own separate way and were living under the old law. Paul had a desire for his people to be saved. He said, brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is that they might be saved.

Then he says, for I testify about them, they have a zeal for God. Zeal, it really comes in the Word and carries with it the idea of eat, fervency. He said, here are these people.

They have a fervency for God. They had been God’s chosen people. God had worked through them to bring in the Messiah.

He gave them a special law on Mount Sinai. They followed that law for 1500 years before Christ brought in his law. There were many of those zealous people, zealous for the law, just like Paul had been zealous for the law.

He says, for I testify about them, that they have a zeal for God. But notice, but not in accordance with knowledge. This tells us people can have zeal for religious purposes.

But if it’s not based on true knowledge, it’s not a zeal, it’s accomplishing God’s will. You see, they were zealous. They were still zealous following the old law, a law that God had given, but had also taken away.

And then he says, for I testify about them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, not according to what Jesus had done, according to what the law had been removed. And then notice verse 3, which is a very interesting verse. We’re not knowing about God’s righteousness.

What does it mean, not knowing about God’s righteousness? Didn’t they know about God’s good character? Didn’t they know about his righteousness in that sense? Yes, the Jews knew all of that, but that’s not what Paul is talking about. In the book of Romans, he uses the word righteousness to stand for God’s plan for man. So notice again now, for I testify about them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, for not knowing about God’s righteousness.

They knew about how goodness of God, they knew the character of God, but they did not know the plan of God. And because of that, he says, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit themselves under the righteousness of God. As I’ve said before, in the book of Romans, righteousness is speaking of God’s plan for man.

The Jews knew God’s righteousness. They knew his character, but they did not accept the new plan that God had for them. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

You know, that is such a practical lesson for us today. There are many people who are so zealous for God. They sing joyously to him.

They pray fervently to him. They gather in various groups to honor God and worship, but they’re doing according to their knowledge. You see, God doesn’t just accept anything that people offer.

God only accepts what he authorizes people to do. Paul stated that truth in Colossians 3 in verse 17, that whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of or by the authority of Christ. There are a lot of religious zealots today who do a lot of good work, who try to offer God a lot of praise.

But just as those Jews, they were zealous. When Paul says they’re zealous, their zeal was not according to knowledge. It was not according to what God was revealing.

It was not according to the revelation that God had revealed. It was not according to God’s righteousness, his plan for them. It is sad when we see religious people, people who want to serve God, but at the same time, they’re not willing to say, what does the Bible say? What am I supposed to do? How does God want me to do this? Is there a right or wrong way? Too often, our people simply say, if I offer God something, he will accept it.

That’s simply not true. It’s sad because a lot of these people are so honest and sincere and that they want to devote themselves to God. But again, the same problem the Israelites had, people have today.

Their zeal was not according to knowledge. It was not according to the Word of God. It was not according to God’s righteousness.

They had not submitted to God’s righteousness, God’s plan for man. They were still pursuing their own way. Today, people are pursuing their various ways.

We appreciate the zeal they have. We appreciate their honesty and sincerity. We appreciate the fact that they want to serve God.

But that doesn’t make it right unless God has authorized it. If you are one of those zealous people, I appreciate your zeal. If you’re one of those people who enjoy getting together to worship and serve God, I appreciate that.

If you are one of those people who are zealous in striving to win others, I appreciate that. But you know, it has to be according to God’s will. And that’s what these Jewish people were not doing.

They had gone about to establish their own way to approach God. It’s unfortunate and sad that the same thing is so true today. There are many religious people who think they’re giving God honor, but they’re really not.

Unless we do something God’s way, he is not honored by what we do. We must do it his way. Jesus laid down that principle in the Sermon on the Mount.

And he said, Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, for the entering of the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father. For many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have not prophesied in thy name, and thy name cast out demons, and thy name done many wonderful works. And I’ll say to them, Depart from me you that work iniquity.

You see, here were some people who were honest and sincere. Here were some people who were religious. Here were some people who did a lot of religious good works.

But what does Jesus’ evaluation of the situation? Depart from me you that work iniquity. That’s strange in our mind and our thinking. But that’s what God says.

God says you can only serve me the way I want you to serve me. The Israelite people about whom Paul was writing had gone about to establish their own way to serve God. And he said it was without knowledge.

It was not based on revelation. It was based on their own inspiration, their own desire, their own manifestation. Unfortunately, he still has the same attitude toward people today.

It’s going to be a sad day in judgment when so many people come before the throne of God, the throne of Christ, expecting to be ushered into that eternal reward. And they’re going to find out when he says, Depart from me I never knew you. You see, just because we feel like we are God’s child doesn’t make it so.

Just because we think God will accept what we offer doesn’t make it true. Just because we believe that all these things will get us into heaven is not true. We must do it God’s way.

Again, let me stress the passage in Colossians 3.17. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. They, the Jews of Paul’s day, were not doing it God’s way. They were going about to establish their own methods.

Actually, they were trying to come to God by a method that God had given, but it also removed the law of Moses. Many of you out there are good, honest people. You’re involved in some religions.

You’re one to serve God. But if it’s not according to God’s plan, if it’s not according to what God has revealed, then God does not accept it and does not recognize it. And so in that last day, on that Judgment Day, it’ll be sad to be here when Jesus said, not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who’s in heaven.

For many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, they were not prophesied in thy name, and thy name cast out demons, and thy name done many wonderful works. You see, they were zealous. That was the situation about the people.

Paul was writing in his day. They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Zeal by itself is not sufficient.

Zeal for God must be based on God’s word. Let me encourage you to examine your religious zeal. We appreciate those who are zealous for God, but God does not accept man’s zeal for his will.

Let me urge you, in whatever you’re doing, whatever religion you’re a part of, is what you’re doing manifested or demanded or authorized by God in the New Testament. One of these simple things that’s amazing to most folks, worship is not something God just accepts from anybody in every way. God only accepts worship that he authorizes.

Did you realize, instrumental music in worship is not authorized by God? It’s not according to knowledge. The Jewish system, they used instruments to worship God. But when it came to the New Testament, the only kind of music that was authorized by God was singing, Ephesians 5.19, Colossians 3.16. Instrumental music was removed from the Christian system.

Today, we think, because it sounds good to us, because we enjoy singing with the instrument, because we enjoy having the bands there, that God enjoys all of that. Know all of that is zeal without knowledge. Let me urge you to examine what you do in offer to God.

Check it out with the Bible. Does the Bible authorize you to do that? And when we think about the Bible, remember there are two parts to the Bible. The Old Testament, where God authorized instrumental music, New Testament, where God does not authorize instrumental music.

Examine yourself just because you’re zealous doesn’t mean that God accepts it. May we all come closer to God by following God’s inspired word that instructs us how to approach Him. Examine your zeal.

Is it according to knowledge? Thanks for joining us this week and spending time in God’s Word. Special thanks to Matt Graham, John Kuckelman, and Lightway Media for recording, producing, and making this podcast possible. If you’re ever in the Littleton, New Hampshire area, we’d love to have you join us for worship and Bible study on Sunday afternoons at 4 at the Senior Center.

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Until next week, keep meditating on the Word.

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