May 10, 2020
Originally Presented: July 20th, 2008
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:11-12
Continuing his series of practical exhortations concerning the way a Christian should live his life, Paul mentions zeal … "not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit" (Rom 12:11). The life of a Christian is not a life of ease and laziness. To be a follower of Christ requires passion and vigilance. Christ cannot be served by lethargic inactivity or apathy. The verb that is translated 'fervent' here is the word 'to boil'. We get the picture of water in a pot with a raging fire beneath heating it until it bubbles, overflowing the sides of the pot.
We must have an unflagging zeal for the work of Christ and His kingdom. Bible study, prayer, worship, harmony in the church, vital marriages … all these take zealous diligence for the sake of Christ. We generally have only 70 or 80 years. There is no time to waste.
"Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation." There is a logical connection between rejoicing in hope and the capacity to persevere in trouble. To possess a deep joy in one's soul, issuing from the fountain of the hope that Christ promises, enables a person to endure, with strength, the troubles of life. "Although believers are now pilgrims on earth, yet by their confidence they surmount the heavens, so that they cherish their future inheritance in their bosoms with tranquility" (Calvin, NT Commentary, 8:105).