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Zeal According to Knowledge

by Shane Rosenthal
© 1991 Modern Reformation

Shane Rosenthal, M.A., Historical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary in CA, is a freelance audio/video editor and producer. He is currently one of the creative producers for the national radio program The White Horse Inn, and webmaster for Reformation Ink. Shane, along with his wife and three children reside in southern California.

Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. (1Cor 14:20)

Watch you life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1Tm 4:16)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowlege of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowlege of him... (2Pt 1:2-3)

...the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness (Tts 1:1)

(See also Rom 1:28, 12:2, 16:18-19, 1Cor 1:10, 2Cor 10:5, Eph 4:13, Col 1:28, 2Th 2:13, 1Tm 4:1-2 & 6, and 2Pet 3:18)

Let's face it, the Bible is concerned about what Christians do with their minds. Unfortunately, today it seems that Christians aren't concerned about what Christians do with their minds. That seems odd, but it certainly is in accordance with what I experienced early in my Christian life. For example, I learned that I wasn't supposed to read the Bible for "head knowledge," or concern myself with doctrines, but should find God's personal dynamic will for my life, as the verses of the Bible would often times speak directly to me. This view created a kind of superstition, for I would flip open my Bible and put my finger on any verse at random, and this would be God's special will for me that day. If it didn't really apply, I would just do it over. Also, through my association with an outfit known as YWAM, I was given a book (written by the organization's director, Loren Cunningham) titled, Is That Really You God? , which teaches individuals how to hear God speak to them audibly. When I read this book, I actually tried the steps it listed. I never did "hear" God though. I would wait, and wait..., and wait..., and each time I would fall asleep. I figured that I wasn't yielded enough, or that there was too much sin in my life. I didn't bother checking what the Bible had to say about it. I thought I would let God tell me himself what he required of me. A few years later, when I understood the theology behind what I was doing, I realized why I didn't hear God speak to me. The key to the whole issue was in understanding the beginning of the book of Hebrews: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe."

The author to the book of Hebrews is showing us that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the prophet's labors. Remember when Jesus told the Pharisees, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life, yet these are the Scriptures that testify about me!" (Jn 5:39). Jesus was showing that the Bible isn't a handbook for holy living, it is a book that testifies about himself, and at the time, he was only refering to the Old Testament. Prophets of old prepared for the coming of Christ. All that the prophets fortold had been fulfilled in Christ. Now that Christ had come, the office of prophet had been abolished; therefore we should seek no other revelations, we should seek no other prophets, we should seek no new "words from the Lord" except what the Lord has given us in his word. Anyone who says, "The Lord told me...." is in contradiction to "The Word." If anyone does tell you that they hear God speak to them audibly, a good thing to ask them is, "How can I be sure that you are telling the truth; how can I distinguish you from Muhammed, Oral Roberts, Joseph Smith, Kenneth Copland, or Shirley MacLain? It can't be proved whether these people actually heard God's voice or not because it is subjective and unverifiable, unlike the objective historical truth of Christ's ressurection from the dead (which confirmed his message as authoritative). In any case, if God is still speaking to his people, shouldn't we write down all that is said and paste it to the back of our Bibles? Though many of these people are zealous for the Lord, I must take Paul's side and argue that their zeal is not in accordance with knowlege. It's too bad I wasn't taught to think like this early on; it would have saved me a lot of sleep.

In regards to immersing myself in a Christian subculture, I look back in complete amazement. I remember trying to witness to my friends at work, and having absolutely nothing in common with them at all. I only listened to Christian music, I wouldn't see R rated movies, and I used all the Christian buzzwords. They all thought I was nuts. Now as I look back, the only non-Christian friends I had were the one's I had to work with at my secular job. There I was, concerned about sharing my faith, with hardly any contact with the real world to share it in. And the one's I wanted to share it with didn't want me around them. It doesn't make any sense does it. Not only does it not make sense, but once again, it's not Biblical. We are called to be salt and light in the world, not large clumps of salt hidden from the world. In her book Out of the Salt Shaker, Rebecca Pippert had the following to say,

"There is also confusion about what it means to be spiritual. We feel it is more spiritual to take our non-Christian roomate to a Bible study or to church than to a play or out for pizza. Just as we do not understand our natural points of contact with the world: we don't understand our natural points of contact with God himself. He made us human. He is therefore interested in our humanness. We dare not limit him to Bible studies and discussions with Christians. He created life and he desires to be glorified in the totality of all that adds up to life." (pg 34)

In my old mindset, I thought participation with the world was "worldly." I couldn't be with non-Christians unless I planned on witnessing to them. I wouldn't get excited about going to the movies unless Billy Graham's latest evangelistic film was out. I threw away all my records except the one's which seemed to have Christian lyrics. But the Biblical categories for worldliness are completely different. We are "still in the world" (Jn 17:11); it is just that we are not to think like the world thinks, as Paul taught, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rm 12:2). My problem is that I wanted very little to do with the world in order to be not of this world. In other words, I thought being spiritual had to do with my Christian activities (i.e., volunteer work, Christian skating, Christian music, etc.), but what I came to realize was that the key to true spirituality was found in the renewing of my mind as I learned more about Christ and what he accomplished for me. It seems Jesus had the same view in mind when he prayed for us,

"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." (Jn 17:15-19)

Sanctification, as Jesus showed, is primarily a correct understanding of the "truth." What's more, Jesus is the truth. In him we should find all our righteousness and sanctification. I was under the impression that I had to sanctify myself by doing the right things, but Jesus shows here that the key to being "truly sanctified," is being found in union with him who sanctified himself for our benefit . Paul says nearly the same thing in his letter to the Corinthians, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption" (1Cor 1:30).

Because I learned that Christ fully paid for my debt, and not only that, he kept the law perfectly in my place so that God looks at me as though I fully obeyed all of his righteous demands, I no longer feel like I have to earn God's favor by cluttering my schedule with affairs on the Christian events calender. Because I have learned that Jesus is our final prophet, I have not sought others. Because I am still a sinner, I have learned not to be judgemental toward my non-Christian friends. Because Jesus said, "I have sent them into the world..." I have tried to understand this world by reading its philosophy, seeing its movies, and talking to its people. In this way, I have more contact with the world, and more in common with those who are in it. This is helpful when sharing my faith, and even when I'm not. The thing is, I don't have to justify having non-Christian friendships because of the fact that "I might get to witness to them," for that is not true friendship. Humanness is important to God, therefore I take it to be important in my relationships, whether Christian or non. And lastly, my zeal for God has actually been increased because of my knowlege. Now, he is a much bigger God, and much more worthy to be worshiped. Now, he desires that I be sent "into the world," not just a small Christian subculture. Now he desires that I seek him in all that I do, not just in Bible studies or church services, but in theaters, parks, places of employment, and pubs. Just as the apostle Paul taught: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, wahtever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Php 4:8).