Why Zeal and Reformation Must Go Together

Posted at Reformation Scotland:

Zeal is not cool in our culture. Most people picture a wild-eyed fanatic when they think about religious zeal. In a world that pursues the shallow and values self-satisfied composure, zeal is odd. The world is at best cool towards it. When being pragmatic and popular are of greatest value, the Church too is less comfortable with zeal. Of course, there is a false religious zeal: being zealous in the wrong way or about the wrong things. The Bible speaks about that, yet most often it emphasises that zeal is vital.

Zeal is essential in spiritual things. It is being single-minded towards the glory of God – to see God glorified in every possible way. It is a burning desire to please God and that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. Had Luther and the other Reformers lacked zeal, they would not have pursued Reformation. Christ Himself had an all-consuming zeal (John 2:17) and we often read of the zeal of the Lord in Scripture. Do we have the spirit of the Reformers today?

Image from Reformation Scotland

There is an especially helpful treatment of reforming zeal in a sermon by Oliver Bowles (d.1674) preached during the time of the Second Reformation. Bowles was a member of the Westminster Assembly and preached the sermon before both Houses of Parliaments on a day of fasting. It is called “Zeal for God’s House Quickened” and particularly focuses on the eminent zeal required in Church reformers. It is also useful for understanding the nature of zeal more generally in spiritual things. He expounds the example of the Lord Jesus Christ’s consuming and reforming zeal in John 2:17. There are updated extracts in what follows.

Bowles explains why he has focused on zeal: (a) it is the direct opposite of lukewarmness “the most dangerous and yet the epidemic disease of our time”; (b) no one grace promotes the work of reformation more than zeal; and (c) nothing commends a reformer more in the eyes of God and man.

This is both the most excellent and the most difficult work, therefore Church-reformation calls for the utmost zeal. Our love to promote that work must be such as many waters cannot quench. Our desires must be enlarged, as those which break through all impediments and accept no denial. Our hope must be more longing, our endeavours full of activity, our hatred of the opposite more perfect and our anger in removing the hindrances more violent. A reformer without zeal is like a body without a soul, a bee without a sting, or salt without flavour.

Bowles was a scholar before becoming a minister in Bedfordshire. He was the author of an important volume of pastoral theology. He died around the age of ninety. His last words to Timothy Cruso were: “Only remember to keep a good conscience, and walk closely with God.” He repeated them twice with considerable emphasis in order to make a deeper impression.

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