Daily Devotion
With Pastor Ancel Presnell
“ZEALOUS FOR LOST SOULS”
How do we measure our zeal for the lost souls of man? Apostle Paul professed a level of zeal that I cannot personally understand and certainly cannot attain. In his passionate writing of Romans 9, Paul described an extreme hypothetical when considering his care and concern for the lost souls of his fellow kinsmen. Here is the hypothetical, Paul says that if him being cut off from Christ would result in his fellow kinsmen being saved, he would willingly be cut off! I can say with no hesitation, I do not comprehend this type of zeal, not can I say that I would have utter such a thing.
Paul’s hypothetical is so intense, it is beyond human reasoning. He is saying that he would trade his salvation with Christ, which would result in eternity in Hell, if it meant that his fellow kinsmen would be saved. I do not believe that Paul’s statement was merely a play on words, otherwise, why would the preceding verses direct the authenticity of this passage on the three undeniable witnesses which of Christ, Paul’s conscience, and The Holy Ghost?
The Apostle had a deep love and conviction for the truth of the Gospel. He knew that his fellow Israelites were not believers of the gospel and he so desired that they would believe upon Christ alone for their salvation. He held such a deep conviction for the gospel that he wrote in Galatians that anyone who would ever preach another gospel other than the gospel that he had preached, let them be damned! Galatians 1:8, 9—” 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Paul’s fellow kinsmen had a distorted view of what it meant to have a relationship with God, and he knew they were separated from God, just as he was before Christ saved him. How is your zeal for the lost souls of your fellow Americans? Do you have enough zeal that. it brings. You to witness to them? Do you have enough zeal that you pray for them? Does your zeal cause you to invite them to Christ? Do you share the gospel with your fellow man? Although, none of us can identify with Paul’s zeal, to the point of being willing to be cut-off from Christ from eternity, but surely our zeal can increase to the point of sharing the gospel and praying for their souls.
Romans 9:3—” 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh”
