.png)
Blog
“Zeal & Knowledge”
Zeal and knowledge are two qualities that some pit in opposition to each other, but in reality, Christians are to have both. On the one hand, the church in Laodicea was lukewarm, neither cold nor hot (Rev. 3:14-16). They thought they had everything they needed in life but were wrong (v. 17), so Jesus told them to "be zealous and repent" (vv. 18-19, NKJV). Without zeal to do God's will, anything else about them was meaningless.
On the other hand, the apostle Paul shows the need for knowledge. Because of his misdirected zeal, he said, "I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 26:9). He wrote to the Romans in chapter 10 how Israel suffered a similar problem. "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (v. 2). This was insufficient. "For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God" (v. 3).
Where do you find yourself in relation to God? May we all be zealous FOR the knowledge of the truth, "for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).
--Nick Wallace
