February 17, 2017 KEEPING YOUR SPIRITUAL FERVOR
Romans 12:9-11 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12 gives us a ‘nuts and bolts’ description of the life that Christians are called to live. We must keep in mind that the motivation to carry out the instructions of this chapter is not that of trying to earn His approval. The good news is that we can now live the life depicted in Romans 12 because Christ lives in us and He has made us new. We have been taken out of the kingdom of darkness and now live in the kingdom of God; living with our new identity. Today, let us focus on two particular instructions in this portion of scripture; that of “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor.” It’s likely that we have been guilty of finding ourselves lacking in zeal and spiritual fervor, and I think that this primarily happens because we lose sight of the fact that we are to be “serving the Lord.” If and when our focus shifts from serving the Lord to focusing on our life, we lose our zeal and spiritual fervor. Understanding that we are created by God and for His purposes, and that we are ‘not our own’ keeps us focused on Him. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we read: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own: you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” The idea of ‘not being our own’ runs counter-culture to the culture in which we live, where we are told to do whatever makes us happy. Yet, when we live as unto the Lord, we discover lasting joy, peace and happiness. There are several practices that will aid us in keeping our zeal and spiritual fervor, including: regular reading and study of the scriptures, being involved in a gospel centered church, seeking to learn our true identity as believers, and then finding ways to give expression to what God is doing in us. Having fervor and a zeal for the Lord does not mean that we will not encounter trials and difficulties, but it does mean that we will experience His power and strength in the time of need. There is no better life style and no more fulfilling life than that of living life in the way that our creator designed. It is critical that we understand, and know that our God is a God of love, who has blessed us and given us the power to live life in a way that pleases Him, and blesses us. God designed us to live the Romans 12 life; by living any other life, we will miss the opportunity to be expressions of His kingdom here on earth, and we will be unfulfilled. Let us today put into practice what we read in Romans 12-we will be glad we did!
Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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