Spiritual Fervor

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."  (Rom. 12:11)

As I've been studying in Romans lately, I've been reading Romans 12:9-13 over and over.  There are so many truths you can gather from just those four verses.  I was reading it yesterday, and this verse pretty much hit me in the face like a nine-pound sledgehammer.

Jesus once rebuked a church for its lukewarmness.  The Laodiceans were neither hot nor cold, and the language Jesus used to describe His reaction was graphic and blunt.  It nauseated Him (Revelation 3:15-16).  Spiritual apathy is far from the heart of God.

Several times in the Old Testament - Isaiah, in particular - it is said that God will accomplish His will with zeal.  He is a zealous God, and there is nothing lukewarm about Him.  He is violently opposed to sin.  He is passionately loving toward those who trust Him.  His holiness, His compassion, His mercy, His provision, His protection - all of His attributes are portrayed in the Bible as complete.  He is not somewhat loving, partially holy, mostly omniscient, or sort of wise.  Everything He is, He is in the extreme.

We are His children.  It would not make sense for God to give His children a spirit different from His own.  We cannot envision Him as passionate and zealous and remain apathetic ourselves.  If He is fervent, we must be fervent.  If He serves zealously, we must serve zealously.  Jesus' love led Him to wash dirty feet and it took Him to the Cross.  Will ours?  The Holy Spirit sent Paul all around the Roman Empire against all  kinds of opposition.  Would He not give us that same drive?  The early believers died in fires and coliseums for their faith.  Would we?

How would you characterize your level of zeal?  Does it drive you to pursue God's Kingdom and His righteousness with a passion?  If He dwells within you and your fellowship with Him is deep, it will.  It is not possible to be powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit and yet to be lukewarm in our love or our service.  His Spirit and our apathy cannot coexist in the same place; there is no fellowship between them.  As we're fond of saying, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  The extreme God will have extreme children.