In any relationship indifference is painful and damaging. For instance, a husband who is indifferent to the needs of his wife hurts her and the marriage. In a relationship we need to be attentive, caring, and even pas­sionate about the other person. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says about our relationship with Jesus Christ: "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

As clear as Paul's words may seem, it is possible that we struggle with an expression like "never be lacking in zeal." What is Paul real­ly saying? In the original Greek the language is far richer than anything English can capture. Literally, it goes something like this: "Regarding com­mitment don't shrink back." In other words, don't be lazy or idle in your commitment to the Lord. Don't hold back. It is not enough simply to be in a relationship. It is not enough to say: "I attend the worship services; I give my first-fruits to the Lord; I support Christian education." These are won­derful things. Attending the worship services is critically important to hear the proclamation of God's Word. But what are you doing with that? Where is your passion? Are you complacent about this relationship with the Lord, or are you using your time and gifts to serve him with all your heart, soul and mind?

Paul reinforces this when he adds: "But keep your spiritual fervor." The word Paul uses here literally means "to boil." Boil for Christ! It is a figura­tive way of saying: Be excited about and on fire for Jesus Christ. You can­not tell from the Greek whether Paul is speaking about "spiritual" as in our spirituality, or "the Spirit" as in the Holy Spirit. Ultimately it doesn't mat­ter. There is only way we can get this spiritual fervour, this boiling, and that is through the work of the Holy Spirit. Only he can get us to boil, be­cause only he can work faith in our hearts to take hold of Jesus Christ as Saviour, and so to be born again to live for him.

We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire." Therefore to burn or boil for Jesus Christ is to live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. And where do we meet the Holy Spirit? In the Bible. During the preaching the Holy Spirit reveals to us our Father who loves us so much, the Son Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross, and the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell and work in our hearts. Meet­ing God in his Word and embracing the gospel as our own is to feel the temperature rising, 'till it boils over with love, adoration, and passion for Jesus Christ.

When we are on fire with the Spirit, the result is always that we are "serving the Lord." True religion is not just about being emotional and bubbling over in enthusiasm for Christ.

We read in Romans 12:1,

I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of wor­ship.

We're in a relationship with our God, and we're boiling over in joy and thanksgiving. That should lead to real service for the Lord in thought, word, and deed. Instead of living in sin, we need to be trans­formed through the power of Christ's Spirit: building up relationships such as marriage and family, being active within the communion of saints with a special eye for the lonely and mar­ginalized, using our education and work to glorify God and edify our neighbour, and sharing the hope we have with the world around us.

The big question is this: How are we going to do it? Find the resources deep in ourselves? Dig deep? Are we kidding? There is nothing there. Our foundation, our strength, our every­thing is Jesus Christ. Only when we know him and rest on him as the rock of our salvation, finding in his blood and Spirit our salvation, are we em­powered to live a life of holiness. We serve Jesus Christ because he first served us and fulfilled everything in our place. He has brought us liberty. He has brought us joy. He has given us passion. He and he alone, through his Spirit, sets us on fire and brings us to the boiling point so that every thought, word, and deed serves him with joy and zeal. Paul writes in Philippians 4:13,

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.