Living Zealously - Deepen Your Christian Life Series (Beeke & La Belle)

In Living Zealously, Joel R. Beeke and James A. La Belle address the much overlooked topic of Christian zeal.

Having mined the depths of Puritan wisdom on what it means to live earnestly for Christ, they explain it in a way that is familiar to our modern ears and applicable to our souls. Beeke and La Belle do us a valuable service by helping us see the importance of Christian zeal and encouraging us to obtain it.

Read this book and ask God to deepen your Christian life with a burning and holy zeal.

Table of Contents:

Setting the Stage: An Appeal for Zeal

1. The Nature and Marks of Christian Zeal
2. The Necessity and Motives of Christian Zeal
3. The Regulation of Christian Zeal
4. The Objects of Christian Zeal
5. The Outworking of Christian Zeal
6. The Means to Christian Zeal

Selected Readings on Christian Zeal

Series Description 

From the late 1500s to the early 1700s, Puritan ministers wrote thousands of Christian books that contain massive amounts of biblical, doctrinal, experiential, and practical instruction to energize your Christian life. In the early seventeenth century, nearly 20 percent of the material coming off English presses consisted of Puritan sermon material popularized in book form. Unfortunately, many believers today find it difficult to read the antiquarian Puritan language and, when they attempt to do so, find themselves more frustrated than energized.

This new series, Deepen Your Christian Life, presents in contemporary language the major teachings that several Puritans wrote on subjects that are seldom addressed adequately, if at all, today. Finally, you too will be able to enjoy the Puritans and see, by the Spirit’s grace, that they really do energize your Christian life.

Authors

James A. La Belle is the pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Cape Cod, OPC. He lives on Cape Cod with his wife, Chantry, and their seven children.

Joel R. Beeke (PhD, Westminster Seminary) is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; a pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan; editor of Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth; editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books; and a prolific author.

Endorsements 

“The reason for the resurgence of interest in the Puritans today is found in their extraordinary devotion to the things of God and the depth of their understanding and exposition of sacred Scripture. I welcome this series of books that make the Puritans even more accessible in our day on a variety of important but often neglected subjects.” — R. C. Sproul, Founder and President of Ligonier Ministries

“We are indebted to the authors for bringing together and expounding this valuable selection on the subject of zeal from Puritan writings. It is zeal in the church that brings life to the world. The need is indisputable.” — Iain H. Murray, Co-Founder of The Banner of Truth Trust

“ Jesus’ first public miracle at Cana was followed by cleansing the temple, and Christ’s own disciples remarked that our Lord was ‘consumed’ with zeal for His Father’s house. In light of this significant event, surely it is time to reconsider the virtue of godly, consuming zeal as biblically understood. In an age where holiness is often eschewed, or some form of mantra-chanting quietism endorsed in lieu of sanctification, this well-presented treatise by Beeke and La Belle arrives just in time. It is a great follow-up to the earlier volume, and we are happy to commend it to all audiences! Learn again from the distilled wisdom sifted for us from some of the thousands of works by the Puritan avatars of Christian living, as they point us to the marrow of practical spirituality.” — David W. Hall, Midway Presbyterian Church, Powder Springs, Georgia

“A preacher can be forgiven if he lacks great intellectual ability or if he has to live with some physical weakness, but no preacher can be excused if he lacks zeal. If his heart is not aflame with a consuming passion for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ he stands as a condemned man. By extension, that is true of every believer as well, as Beeke and La Belle show so poignantly from the Puritans.” — Geoff Thomas, Alfred Place Baptist Church, Aberystwyth, Wales

“Jesus redeems, purifying a people who are to be ‘zealous for good works’ (Titus 2:14). With crystal clarity and perceptive practicality, Beeke and La Belle make quite a team. This book lays before us the solid, biblical, personal, pastoral, and urgent need for zeal in the Christian life. When Christianity still shows signs of flabbiness and inertia, these pages ignite with passion and persuasion.” — Derek W. H. Thomas, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina