“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!” (Galatians 4:8–20)

People are zealous about things they believe in and to which they are deeply committed. With the leaked documents about the apparent impending overturn of Roe v. Wade we have seen people passionate on both sides of the issue. Zealous pro-life groups are cautiously celebrating, zealous pro-abortion groups are protesting. I find it interesting that when someone vandalizes an abortion facility, which is totally wrong and should be condemned, there is widespread news coverage. However, when zealous pro-abortion protesters use Molotov cocktails and deface pro-life facilities and churches as part of their protests, the news coverage is brief and limited.

Being zealous is not bad. Being zealous for the wrong thing is. That is what the apostle is speaking to in this part of Galatians. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good. There will be disagreements about which purpose is good, because we live in a world where sin is working against us doing what God would have us do.

When Paul speaks here of those trying to alienate the Galatians from him and his teaching, he is most likely referring to the Judaizers. Those were Jewish people who wanted to follow Jesus but insisted that anyone who did so had to become Jewish and remain faithful to Jewish laws and traditions. They were zealous about that. The problem was that they were trying to add requirements to salvation that Jesus never put there. They maintained you had to believe in Jesus AND be a good Jew if you wanted to be saved.

This is why Paul was perplexed. He shared the message entrusted to him, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus did everything necessary to pay for sin and accomplish our redemption. It is all His doing. We simply receive the benefit of what Jesus did when we put our faith in Him. Our response is to try and live according to His will, but that “new life” we live is not the cause of our salvation. Jesus is.

We should be zealous about sharing that Good News with our neighbors and loving others as God has loved us.