I read a clever definition of a fanatic, “One who is highly enthusiastic about something in which you are not even remotely interested.” It's one of those words, like fundamentalist, legalist, or Pharisee that is usually defined as people who disagree with me. A legalist is anyone who tells me to do something I don’t want to do. A Pharisee is anyone who tells me not to do something I enjoy. A fundamentalist is anyone who restricts my liberty, in any way. Here's the real definition of both zeal and fanatic, to show what I mean. Zeal; passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything. In general, zeal is an eagerness of desire to accomplish or obtain some object. Fanatic; wild and extravagant in opinions, particularly in religious opinions; excessively enthusiastic; possessed by a kind of frenzy. What’s the difference between someone who is excessively enthusiastic and someone who is eager? Who makes that judgment?
Others will say being balanced and moderate is the best way. Not too extreme, but a centrist who keep the main thing the main thing. But, you can fiddle with that idea as well. Balance can be another way of avoiding conflict or keeping coalitions. I have been called extremist, a fanatic, a fundamentalist and I’ve also been called a moderate and a squish – over the same issue. It just depends on who you talk to. Either I’m not very good at explaining myself, or there is something else at play. Those who think I’m harsh and extreme disagree with my position and how much importance I put on it, while those who think I'm wishy-washy, may agree with me, but don’t think I judge the issue important enough. And, there are those in the middle who like their position because they can tell everyone they are wrong. The truth is, in some things, we need to be moderate. And, we also need to be zealous. We don’t want to be fanatical, but the Bible must be our judge, not other men.
Second Corinthians was written to the church at Corinth after Paul had rebuked them and corrected them in the 1 Corinthians. Some repented and Paul commented on the characteristics that proved their sorrow over sin was a godly sorrow – vehement desire and zeal (2 Corinthians 7:11). Desire, passion, zealousness is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It's not a curse or an evil to avoid. Zealousness doesn’t make you and extremist and vehement desire doesn’t make you a fanatic. These are the characteristics of one who has repented of their sin and turned to Christ for salvation, who has been born again and revived in spirit.
Emotions are not sinful, but how we use emotions can be sinful. Letting emotions rule us and not seeking guidance from Scripture to rule our emotions can be sinful. Desiring the wrong things is sinful. However, emotions, of themselves, are natural to human beings. God has not made us robots, but human beings and God's Word must direct us.
“Yea, what vehement desire…” 2 Corinthians 7:11.. Desire isn’t wrong, as long it’s the right kind. It's simple a great longing for something you want but don't yet have. The problem in Corinth was they cared about the wrong things and were apathetic about things they should have cared about. Desire is a God given human emotion. Like a great many things, it can be good or bad, depending on the object of your desire. Deuteronomy 5:21 says, “Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife…or any thing that is thy neighbour's.” Craving something you have no lawful right to is wicked. Desiring your neighbor's wife is sinful, but, desiring your own wife is godly, “I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me,” Song of Solomon 7:10. Or, desiring a wife when you don't have one is godly, but, if you desire the wrong kind of woman, that's going to lead you to trouble (see Proverbs and the life of Solomon). Young Christian man, it’s good to desire to marry a godly woman, one who will love you, love the Lord, and not lead your heart away from Christ. It’s a sign of the last times that false teacher tell young men not to desire a wife (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
Desiring a spiritual gift or office you don’t have is not sinful, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work,” 1 Timothy 3:1. The desire to serve the Lord is good, but desiring something that you have no right or authority for is bad. Just because you want to be a pastor doesn't mean you ought to be one. But, if you don't want to be one, you certainly shouldn't -- there needs to be desire so you can serve, not out of constraint, but willingly (1 Peter 5:2).
Deuteronomy 7:25, “The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.” Desiring false worship, idols, and the money from wickedness is a sinful longing. Beware the snare of the desire of fame, fortune, and worldliness, even if it is just “internet famous”. Many abandon the faith for the love of money, prestige, and a nice building. However, desiring God is good. Psalms 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” Having desire for lawful things is a godly desire (Psalms 10:17, Isaiah 26:8, Psalm 38:9, Proverbs 11:23, Mark 11:24). When God gives repentance, he brings a right order of our desires. Being controlled by your emotions is wrong but not having any emotions is wrong. Falling apart at the drop of a hat is wrong and not caring that everything is falling apart is wrong. We must rule our desires for God's glory.
What do you desire and why? Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, if what you long for is good? Have you ever read the Bible and seen that men and women in the Bible loved things that you don't love, or loved them more than you? We are all in different seasons of our lives, and things change, I know that, but desire for God shouldn't change. Our ministry to the Lord will change but our love for God and his glory should grow, not diminish. So when a church acts, when a church deals with issues, when a church proclaims the gospel, what is our motivation? Do we do, for God's glory or ours? For a desire for God or our own desires? Does your godly longing include the desire to see the lost saved (Romans 10:1)? The desire for spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1)? Or the desire for courage and perseverance (Ephesians 3:13)? Desire for knowledge and understanding (Colossians 1:9)? Desire the Bible (1 Peter 2:2)? Once our desires are ordered, that transitions to action. And a vehement desire yields a burning zeal. Zeal will get you in trouble.
Zeal is a passionate enthusiasm in the pursuit of something (1 Corinthians 7:11). Zeal can be either good or bad, it just depends on what you are passionate about and how you pursue it. Maybe the best example of how that works is Saul of Tarsus. He was a zealous man. He was passionate in what he believed and pursued his goal with full force. Early in life, he was zealous in his Judaism to the point he persecuted anyone who disagreed (Philippians 3:6). Then, he met the Lord Jesus and was born again. After he was saved, Paul mellowed out and realized being balanced and moderate was the best way to win the culture for Christ. Just kidding. Paul was more zealous as a preacher of the gospel than he was as a hit man for the Pharisees. Christ didn’t take away his zeal, he sanctified it and used it in the right way for the right reasons. Paul's zeal was guided by Christ, and for Christ. And it got him in trouble, just with a different group of people. The apostles could have quietly worshiped Jesus in their homes, as long as they didn't mention the name of Jesus publically. But how could they not tell about what they saw and heard? Their zeal for something good got them in trouble (Acts 4:17-20).
Zeal can be thought of as a fire, it can be good or bad. Fire can keep you warm and cook your food, but out of control and undirected, it can also burn down a forest. Wild, out of control passion without guidance and direction is dangerous. Passionate enthusiasm isn't always a good thing. Years back, I was down south on a trip and enthusiastically making my way back home on the interstate. I made a quick pit stop and got back on the road. An hour later, I realized I was driving the wrong direction. My zeal for getting home didn't change the fact I was going the wrong way.
In John 2:13-17, Jesus was righteously angry at the wicked men dishonoring his Father’s House. They turned a house of prayer into a den of thieves. His love and desire for the glory of His father and his indignation at this wanton sinfulness is displayed in his zeal by crafting a whip and running out the money changers. Jesus didn’t lose his cool. He wasn’t controlled by his emotions, but a true human man could not stand by idly and watch this wickedness without being zealous for the cause of God. Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will.” The opposite of fanaticism isn't stoicism. Christian, you need to be zealous for the glory of God.
Zeal is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The answer to bad zeal is not to be a moderate and season our speech with anodyne musings. Sometimes "balance" in the Christian life is a euphemism for luke-warm. Other times, having balance means everyone around you is wrong in every direction. When God blesses with repentance, he blesses with zeal, a gift of the Spirit, a characteristic of repentance, and an attribute of revival. If we rightly order our desires by the Bible, and then are passionate to see those desires carried out, then we are righteously zealous. Galatians 4:17-18, “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” Make sure those you listen to affect you well. I’ve been fired up by the wrong people for the wrong reasons and it never ends well for me. A zealous man is powerful and will stir people up. But a zealous man isn't always a right man. Just because a person can get you roused, doesn't make them good or right. What I need is zeal in serving the Lord, in all my life. Romans 12:11, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” Christians are not Jedi Warriors or Buddhist monks. We are called to be fervent and passionate people in all we do, and not put on a show of stoic indifference. If I'm fervent at work, for the glory of myself then I'm wrong, but, if I am fervent in serving the Lord, I'll do my job for the right reason. I won't put work above Christ. I won't value reputation above my Lord. I won't put work before my family. I won’t serve men, but I’ll do my job as a servant of Christ.
God saves us to be zealous. Anything we do, we ought to do for God’s glory, and I believe that should be done will all our heart. Christians must have zeal in good works. Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” God didn’t save you because of your good works, but he certainly saved you to do good works. God’s people shouldn’t have to be whipped and driven to do good, but we should be zealous of good works because the Lord of glory died for us and saved us, and made us his own.
What are we zealous about? Do you care about the things of God? Do you support the church with your tithes? Do you attend the services? Do you spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you pray for the membership? Do you pray for the preaching service? Do you labor to help others? Do you meditate on your spiritual gifts and seek to improve them?
Scripture is the best test to see if your desires are in the right place and if you are righteously zealous about the right things. Maybe another test, though fallible, would be, are the right people calling you an extremist and a fanatic? Having zeal is going to get you in trouble. If you have the wrong kind of zeal, you are going to sin against the Lord, and that won't bode well for you. If you have the right kind of zeal, that’s going to get you in trouble with the world. A good zeal is going to make the right people angry. I’m not a contrarian and I don’t like to fight with people. But sometimes, that’s to my detriment. The Lord didn’t call me to a life of tranquility in this world. Peace I have because peace He gave me. But I don’t have peace in this world and I won’t have peace with the enemies of the truth and the enemies of my king. A zealous Christian is going to make the right people nervous and the right people angry. And that’s what we want, for the glory of Christ.
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
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