Title: Live zealously (Romans 12:11)
Contents
Live zealously (Romans 12:11)
Let me tell you about Mr. Gibson, an American orphan who became the forest king and was rejected. One day, Mr. Gibson had a visitor. Gibson and I were friends in an orphanage when we were young. He had come to learn from Mr. Gibson the secret to getting rich.
Mr. Gibson told his friend that if he lived up to his word for 10 years, he could live well. He promised to share half of his fortune if he couldn't live well after 10 years. Mr. Gibson offered his friend three conditions.
First, believe in God and have a holy week.
Second, don't drink alcohol.
Third, I was told to do anything without rest and without interruption.
On the way home, Mr. Gibson's friend joined a steel company when he saw an advertisement for a job in an ironworks. In the old days, I would have quarreled and complained about the remuneration and left the company within a few days, but because of my promise with Mr. Gibson, I endured everything and continued to work hard.
As a result, he became the most conscientious employee in the company, and his promotions continued. Five years later, he was promoted to branch manager at the company, and when he met Mr. Gibson ten years later, that friend also became the company's president. When a person works hard and lives, the result is naturally wealth and success. Amen.
The text of the text (Romans 12:11) says, “Do not be lazy in diligence, but serve the Lord with zeal.”
The Bible (Proverbs 27:23) says, “Examine the condition of your flock diligently, and set your heart upon your herd” (Proverbs 12:27), “...the riches and the riches of a man are diligence.”
There is a saying. “There is no one who gets up early in the morning, no one gets sick, and no one goes hungry with the one who works diligently.”
An English proverb says: “The lazy man eventually eats his own flesh.”
Therefore, believers in Jesus must be many times more diligent than anyone else. The Prophet Moses said, “Strive to do all your work for six days” (Exodus 20:8-11). If you are as diligent as Ruth, you will have ears of grain in the harvest season (Ruth 2:7). God blesses the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 28:12; Proverbs 12:14). You can do farming (Deuteronomy 28:3; 2 Tim 2:6), livestock (Job 1:1-), or do business (Deuteronomy 25:13-16). It doesn't matter if you do anything other than sin against God. If you know what you are doing and work hard, God will give you more blessings.
According to Matthew 25:26-28, a lazy person is rebuked when he stands before God.
Characteristics of lazy people
First, I like to sleep (Proverbs 6:9; Proverbs 19:15; Proverbs 26:15).
Second, the lazy person, no matter how much his heart desires or begs, does not have it (Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4).
The reward for the lazy
1) To become poor (Prov. 10:4; Prov. 21:17).
2) Being hated by others (Proverbs 10:26).
3) Become a servant of others (Proverbs 12:24).
4) You become one who is rebuked (Matthew 25:26).
Pascal said, "There are two great sins of man. It is pride and laziness.” Man's most essential desire is "separation" (安逸慾). In order to follow God, we must deny ourselves, give up our complacency, resist laziness, and serve God with zeal.
Then, what is zeal in the text?
The word “zealous” here is the Greek word “zeontes,” which means “to boil, to ignite.” This means to be zealous in the spirit, and it means to be heated by “strength in the Holy Spirit” (Acts 18:25).
The Bible (Jeremiah 20:9) says, “When I say that I will no longer declare the Lord, nor speak by his name, my heart is on fire, and my marrow burns, and I am exhausted and cannot bear it.
The artificial is temporary, but by the Holy Spirit it is infinite. So nothing is impossible. A person's zeal is easily quenched. But the zeal that arises from sincere love for God is unquenchable.
The famous Bishop Lyle defined zeal this way:
“In the life of faith, zeal is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to promote His glory throughout the world in every possible way.”
Enthusiasm can be defined in three ways:
First, a burning desire to please God.
The Bible (Hebrews 11:6) says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
1) What happens when you get closer to God? God is pleased.
(Psalm 145:18) The LORD is near to all who ask him, to all who ask him in truth (James 4:8).
2) What if you purify your soul? God is pleased.
(1 Peter 1:22) Purify your souls by your obedience to the truth.
3) What if we clean our conduct? God is pleased.
(Psalm 119:9) With what can a young man purify his conduct? Take heed from the word of the Lord.
4) Who loves God? God is pleased.
(Judges 5:31) In the same way, O LORD, let all your enemies perish, and let those who love you like the rising of the sun.” And the land was at peace forty years. (John 14:15) My commandment, if you love me. (John 14:21) He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.
5) What if we just return to God? God is pleased.
(Isaiah 55:7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous from his thoughts, and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy. Come to our God, and he will forgive widely.
Second, it is a burning desire to obey God's will.
The Bible (Psalm 40:8) says, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is in my heart.”
Then, how to live according to God's will???
1) Believe in Jesus.
(John 6:40) My Father's will is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
2) Living with gratitude in everything.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18) Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
3) Suffering for God's sake.
(1 Peter 4:19) Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God also entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.
4) To live holy.
(1 Thessalonians 4:3) This is the will of God, for your sanctification (Leviticus 11:45) Be holy, because I am holy (1 Timothy 4:5) For you are sanctified by the word of God and prayer (1 Peter 1: 15-16) But, as the Holy One who called you, be holy in all your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Third, a burning desire to advance the glory of God throughout the world by every possible means.
The Bible (1 Corinthians 10:31) says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Our whole life goal is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” To rush forward for this work, regardless of any wealth or sacrifice, this is the definition of true zeal.
Zeal itself is good for our souls. A soul without zeal melts. The hotter the furnace, the more pure gold. When our souls are armed with true zeal, sin, the world, and the devil go away.
There is an old saying, "Shipari can sit anywhere, but it cannot sit on flames." When my soul burns like a flame, what sinful shafari can rest upon my soul???
God praised Phinehas for removing evil from Israel with his burning zeal (Numbers 25:6-13). How thoroughly did King Hezekiah and King Josiah remove idols?
God praised King Josiah with the highest praise (2 Kings 23:25).
Our burning zeal can move the wheel of the Church of God and rejuvenate it. And nothing is so contagious as zeal. When we appear zealous in the church, obviously many people ridicule and ridicule us.
However, they unwittingly ignite the fire of our zeal and become useful beings for the church of God (I am afraid of flies, I cannot light a fire, but a dog barks but the train goes). Be passionate about it Amen.
We live and work hard together. - Shalom -.