Misdirected Zeal....

Even though this passage is about how the Jews’ enthusiasm is “misdirected zeal”, isn’t all people who refuse to believe have “misdirected zeal”? The Jews here use the Law to govern their ways. They don’t know the Law’s true purpose (to show us our sin and point us to Our Savior, Jesus 1Tim1:8-11). Unbelievers do the same by making up things about God, then defending them throughout their lifetime. This “misdirected zeal” is disguised as religion, or any other type of organized practices that put self first and impose “do as I say not as I do” mentality. It has infiltrated many people’s belief system as acceptable. “There are many ways to Heaven”, or “My belief system says...”, or even “My interpretation of scripture is...”, these are all “misdirected zeal”. Just because you’re enthusiastic about it doesn’t make it true or how God designed it. There will be many enthusiastic goats standing before God on judgement day. Don’t be one of them. Jesus said, (my paraphrase) “God wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth”. You can’t just practice one without the other. Knowing truth but not being excited about it is just as bad as being excited about a lie. We have to be excited about the Gospel, and make sure it’s true. How do we know if it’s true or not? If it comes from God, the source of Truth, then it’s true. And when we have peace, knowing it’s true, who wouldn’t get excited about that? “Misdirected Zeal”, study it. Learn to spot a counterfeit, and encourage in others the real excitement only God can infuse in you by putting it into practice.

1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in Him are made right with God. Romans 10:1-4