False Zeal: The Fire That Burns In The Wrong Direction

Bob Jennings | Classic Preaching GemIt’s possible to give our body to be burned, but as Paul said, if we don’t have love for God, it profits us nothing. Cain was zealous—but it was a false zeal, not in accordance with knowledge.Moses was zealous, killing the Egyptian—but it was false zeal, not in accordance with knowledge. Saul, in his zeal, killed the Gibeonites and brought a famine upon the land—it was zeal, but not in accordance with knowledge. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord—zealous, but not in accordance with knowledge.Remember Uzzah? He reached out to steady the ark, but it was false zeal, not in accordance with knowledge. The two blind men, told by the Lord not to speak, went and told everyone—zeal, but not in accordance with knowledge. Peter said, “Lord, this will never happen to You”—zealous, but not in accordance with knowledge. And again, he cut off the man’s ear. Truly zealous—but the Lord said, “No more of this.” A heap of zeal—not in accordance with knowledge.It’s a sobering warning: zeal without knowledge is not just misguided—it’s dangerous.