Zeal for God
Devotions:
“By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17 NASB
When we look at Jesus we see ourselves. What the scriptures say about Jesus it says about us.
“His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."” John 2:17 NASB
When we were born again we were born into Jesus' likeness and His image. We meditate on this until it is unwrapped within us. The zeal for God's house consumes us. Our zeal comes out of our love intimacy with the Father and Jesus. It is not a product of our duty or our will but out of our understanding of His love for us and the love that it produces in us. The more we understand His love for us the greater our zeal will be for God and the things of God. It is a natural by product of our relationship with our Father.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 NASB
The second characteristic that should temper the zeal is the love for God and the love of God for people. We were created in the image of love and when we walk in the love of God then people will know that God is real. Love comes out of our spirit. There is a soulish love but if the origin of love is in our souls then it is temporal and subject to change with the moment. The God kind of love is eternal and will never change. The true test of our love for God is our love for people.
In His zeal, Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple because they were making the salvation of God a mercenary project. They were charging money for what God meant to be free. His love and zeal then chased the money changers out and then He taught the people and healed them.
Take time to meditate on these verse and put your name in the verse becasue this is who you are.