Zealous of Good Works

Zealous of good works
by Pete Berardi

Passion has been a buzzword ever since I can remember. When I first entered the work force almost two decades ago one book in particular stood out as “gospel”. The title of the book was “Do what You Love, and the Money will Follow”. It was recommended to me by our corporate sales trainer. It was put on the shelves near the entrance of the bookstores. Quotes from the book were plastered in magazine and newspaper articles. The point of the book was that if a person does something where money is the sole motivation he will not be as successful as someone that works at something that he is passionate about. The word passion does occur in the Bible, however it has a completely different meaning. The Bible quotes the word passion in Acts 1:3

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

This particular reference is pointing to Christ’s death on the cross. Zeal on the other hand, is very similar to passion. Webster’s defines zeal as an eagerness or ardent interest in pursuit of something or fervor. Passion is listed as a synonym for zeal as well.

Consider this verse from 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.

Jesus died on the cross so that we would be free from sin. His death purifies us as we are cleansed in and by his blood. He was the perfect sacrifice. God’s chosen people are not like regular people. God’s chosen are born of God, and are separate from all others unto God. God’s chosen should be zealous of good works.

This means that Christians should be seeking first the kingdom God, seeking his will, following his commandments. Christians should be doing these things because it is our passion. It is our love for God that causes us to obey him. It is our zeal for the word of God and our passion for Jesus that drives us to do good works. Dear Lord, I pray for the zeal from the Holy Spirit to be given to me and to all Christians. It is this zeal that will protect us from evil, deliver us from sin, and help us to grow your kingdom. Amen.

Forgiveness: A Two Way Street

Forgiveness: A Two Way Street
by Pete Berardi

Forgiveness is a big part of life. People wrong us in many ways; big and small. It is not easy to forgive someone that has wronged us. After such an incident, human nature is to have feelings of revenge and hate. The Bible teaches that we should sow to our spiritual nature rather than our fleshly nature. Consider the verse

Romans 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Being and becoming a Christian has a lot to do with forgiveness. As sinful people, we are unable to face God because we are unholy. It is only through his forgiveness of sin that we are able to be blameless and holy in his sight. Consider this verse

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How does this make you feel? If you are a sinful person and you committed an awful sin against God, you need his forgiveness. You want his forgiveness so that you do not have to face everlasting punishment. You want to be forgiven. God has mercy on us and forgets all of our sin. When we are forgiven, a great burden has been lifted from our shoulders. We should remember this feeling then next time we are on the other side of the coin. Everyone has been wronged and everyone has been asked for forgiveness. The Bible states in

Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

When someone wants your forgiveness do not look at it as an opportunity to get back at that person for what they have done to you. It is easy to do. By not forgiving them, you cause them to feel pain. Instead we should have mercy on them. This is our opportunity to be obedient to God. By forgiving them, you not only obey God but are showing mercy on someone. Remember how you felt when you asked God for forgiveness? That is how they feel. Don’t they deserve it? God thinks that you do.

For God's Glory

For God’s Glory
by Pete Berardi

There are many things in life that are simply not fair. When people become ill, contract a disease or when babies are born deformed, people wonder why. When these types of occurrences happen it truly is an awful thing. However it is safe to say that we could make the situation worse or better depending on our attitude toward the situation. Consider this verse in John 9: 2, 3

And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

This man was born blind. Jesus’ disciples inquired as to if this man sinned or his parents sinned in order to deserve such a terrible fate. The answer Jesus gave him was that he was born blind that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Jesus went on to heal that man so that he could see again. His life was changed forever. He went into town after he was healed and proclaimed to the Pharisees that he was healed. The Pharisees cast him out of the synagogue for proclaiming his belief. Jesus then spoke to the man and told him that he was the Son of God. This man fell down to his knees and worshipped him. Jesus then went on to say in John 9:39

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

This man was born blind for a reason. The reason is to give glory to God. Jesus did not come for the well but for the sick. He is the great physician. Some people say, “I am not ready to go to church. I will clean up my act, then I will go.” This is lunacy. It’s exactly like saying, “I am too sick to go to a hospital, when I get better, then I will go.”

David wrote in Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

It is more important that we know God than are comfortable. It is more important to have a relationship with Jesus than to be well. It is better to be saved and on crutches or in a coma than to be not saved and in top physical shape. This world means nothing. What good is it that a man gain the whole world but loses his very soul.