Go for it!

LIVING ZEALOUSLY
By Joel R. Beeke & James A. La Belle
Reformation Heritage Books. 137 pages. £10.99
ISBN 978 1 601 781 796

This little book warms the heart and refreshes the soul. It is part of a series, Deepen your Christian life, taking themes from Puritan writings and re-presenting them in contemporary language for today’s reader. Study questions are included after each chapter.

What is zeal? One Puritan defines it as ‘the boiling up of the affections to the greatest heat’. It is ‘the vigour and ardency of the renewed, consecrated soul ... the effervescence of inward grace’. Laodicean lukewarmness is to be condemned. True zeal is marked by love for God, devotion to good works and submission to Scripture.

We are given biblical exhortations to be zealous. How can we attain it? The answer is to meditate on Christ’s purchase of us. Did he die so that we could be half-hearted believers? Then look to his example: was Christ negligent or wavering in his commitment to the Father’s will? We should be ashamed that many unbelievers are more zealous for worldly or sinful pursuits than we are for Christ. Do we not see that the time is short? Do we not grasp the reality of spiritual warfare in which we are engaged? We need to pray that the Holy Spirit would warm our cold hearts.

We are urged, then, to take ourselves in hand and turn our hearts away from unworthy objects, to focus our zeal on love for Christ and seeking the glory of God.

This volume is warmly commended. My only disappointment is the high price for such a slim book.

Bill James,

pastor, Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Leamington Spa