Romans 12:11, Fervent In Spirit

Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

William Plumer said well, “The word rendered “fervent”, applied to natural things, is used to express the boiling water. The Scripture never repress holy ardour. Some think spirit here means the Holy Spirit; but we obtain a good sense by understanding the phrase as warm-hearted, full of life”, as in Apollos cited in Acts 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 

Jonathan Goforth was a missionary to China who was an eye-witness to the execution of forty-five missionaries by the Governor Yu Hsien at Taiyuan on July 9, 1900, who managed to escape. It was so hard, against severe persecution, that he served.¹

There is a chorus that he used to encourage his heart found in John Sung’s Revival Chorus.

Lord Crucified

Lord crucified,

Give me a heart like Thine:

Teach me to love the dying souls around.

Lord, keep me heart in closest touch with Thee;

And give me love – pure Calvary love –

To bring the lost to Thee.

 Amen.

¹Timothy Tow, Asian Awakening, Christian Life Publishers, 1988, 212-213.