Things New and Old: It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing

Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing

March 21, 2016

But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.

Gal 4
17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

"They" refers to the teachers of falsehood who zealously DISaffected the Galatians away from the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ, excluding them from their affection to Christ, and bringing them into bondage and slavery to the ceremonial laws of old covenant. Those teachers of falsehood were zealously affected by a BAD thing - "the weak and beggarly elements" that are already obsolete and geriatric.

So, it is not well to zealously disaffect anyone from the simplicity of the gospel; it is positively evil! Apostle Paul puts it mildly, "Let all such be accursed."

But for the Galatians believers... foolish, and bewitched.

They were zealously affected in a good thing, even the gospel of Jesus Christ. But now they have become disaffected; they did not remain affected in the same good thing. They were not zealously affected ALWAYS. So, it is BAD; it is NOT good. It was foolish of them.

Apostle Paul gives us a useful rule to guide us concerning our affection in the gospel of Christ.

## But it is GOOD to be zealously affected always in a good thing:
- God has declared it good, stand fast in it.

## But it is good to be ZEALOUSLY affected always in a good thing:
- anything less than zealously does it grievous injustice! Lukewarmness is sickening.

## But it is good to be zealously AFFECTED always in a good thing.
- Make sure it isn't just in your mind only or outwardly only; let your whole being, mind, heart and spirit be affected in the good thing.

## But it is good to be zealously affected ALWAYS in a good thing.
- Always, not just on and off, now and then; but grounded and steadfast. There are enough fair-weather folks around.

## But it is good to be zealously affected always in a GOOD thing.
- There are many good things. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a supremely good thing. It is good to be zealously affected always in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so with the Apostle Paul.

Let this be our rule: It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.