Zealous Toward God

“I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Acts 22:3

Paul had travelled to Jerusalem because he wanted to try to reach as many Jewish people with the Gospel as he possibly could. A group of Jews who had also journeyed from the areas where Paul had been preaching and starting churches began to accuse Paul of defiling the temple and breaking the Mosaic Law. They dragged Paul out of the temple and were about to kill him when the Roman soldiers came rescued Paul from their midst. He was about to be taken inside the castle when he asked to be permitted to speak to the people. As he addressed them, he began to give his testimony. He described himself as a person who had been very zealous toward God, and he ascribed that same attribute to the people who were listening to him speak. Their motivation was that they wanted to do what was pleasing to God. Could that be said of us today? Are we zealous toward God? It seems that there is an attitude that is prevalent among Christians that takes advantage of the grace of God while fully expecting Him to be zealous toward us. Few Christians today are really concerned about what God thinks of them. We seem to be most interested in ourselves. If the Apostle Paul were here today, how would he describe you? Are you zealous toward God or focused on self?