We live in a day where so many have decided that all that matters in being right with God is to fervently serve Him. They feel that the way you serve Him is different for every person and it matters little how that devotion is shown. This widespread belief is the underlying basis as to why there are thousands and thousands of denominations in our land. What does God reveal about this spiritual concept?
Think about how religious the Jews were when Jesus came to the earth. The apostle Paul said, “I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God” (Rom. 10:2). They were by far the one nation that worshiped God. The first century world was divided into pagan “denominations,” and in the midst of paganism, the Jews assembled every Sabbath day to read and study the Bible and pray fervently to God.
The New Testament describes the devotion of the Jews. They prayed long prayers and were not ashamed to do it publicly (Matt. 6:5; 23:14). They gave great attention to making sure that God received ten percent (a tithe) of everything they had. In fact, they even counted the number of leaves on their mint bushes and gave Him a tenth of them (Matt. 23:23). Many of them fasted twice each week (Matt. 6:16; Luke 18:12).
Jesus described how zealously evangelistic they were when he told how they would travel across both land and sea (perhaps indicating the Mediterranean Sea) just to convert one Gentile to God (Matt. 23:15). Were they right with God because of what they were doing? Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost, and He came to this nation who fervently served God in their own way. They were lost!
Many of the Jews’ religious leaders in that day were hypocritical in their devotion, but look at one example that shows even those who were honestly serving God still had not found Him. The apostle Paul always followed his conscience (Acts 23:1). He said, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and man” (Acts 24:16). The Hebrews were the most devout nation, and Paul was the most devout Hebrew (Phil. 3:5). What was his relation with God? He was chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15)!
They were lost because zeal without knowledge does not save. Paul says, “They being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). Consider these words carefully from Jesus, especially if you think that it makes little difference. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). No one is saved without zeal, but zeal without obedience cannot bring salvation.