The Bible has a lot to say about passion, which can refer to zeal, enthusiasm, or intense emotion. Here are some key Bible verses about passion:
Romans 12:11 – Be fervent in spirit
“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” This verse encourages passion and zeal in serving God.
1 Corinthians 14:1 – Earnestly desire spiritual gifts
“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This verse tells us to passionately seek after spiritual gifts.
Titus 2:14 – Zealous for good works
“[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Jesus redeemed us to be passionate about doing good.
Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint
“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” Passion comes from vision and purpose.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” We should be passionate and work with all our might.
2 Timothy 1:7 – A spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” With the Holy Spirit we can have passion balanced with self-control.
Galatians 6:9 – Let us not grow weary of doing good
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Keep passionate and don’t lose heart in serving God.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 – Without love, gifts are useless
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” Our passion must be rooted in love.
Psalm 63:1, 8 – Thirst and longing for God
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water…My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” This psalm expresses deep longing and passion for God.
John 2:17 – Zeal for God’s house
“His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” When Jesus cleansed the temple, He was passionate for God’s house.
Romans 12:9-21 – Guidelines for Christian living
This passage gives guidelines for living out our faith with sincerity, zeal, hope, patience, prayerfulness, generosity, and peaceful disagreement. Our passion should be guided by love.
Revelation 3:15-16 – Be hot or cold, not lukewarm
“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.’” God wants our enthusiastic passion, not complacency.
In summary, the Bible encourages having passion, zeal, and enthusiasm for God and doing good works. But this passion must be guided by wisdom, love, patience, and self-control. Lukewarmness displeases God. As we walk with the Holy Spirit, He can give us passion balanced with godly restraint.
Here are some more verses on passion and zeal:
Psalm 69:9 – “Zeal for your house has consumed me”
Isaiah 59:17 – “[The Lord] put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”
John 2:17 – “His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.””
Acts 18:25 – “[Apollos] had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 12:31 – “But earnestly desire the higher gifts.”
2 Corinthians 7:11-12 – “For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.”
Galatians 4:18 – “It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you.”
Ephesians 4:3 – “Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Philippians 3:6 – “[Paul wrote] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church.” This was misdirected zeal before Paul’s conversion.
Colossians 4:13 – “[Epaphras] has much struggle for you and for those at Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.”
1 Thessalonians 5:19 – “Do not quench the Spirit.”
2 Timothy 2:15 – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
Titus 2:14 – “[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Hebrews 6:11-12 – “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
Jude 3 – “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Revelation 3:19 – “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
In conclusion, the Bible gives many exhortations about having passion, zeal, earnestness, and enthusiasm for God, spiritual gifts, doing good works, and preserving sound doctrine. But this passion must be guided by wisdom, love, patience, self-control, and staying true to Scripture. Lukewarmness toward God is dangerous. We are called not just to external works but to inward devotion. As we walk in step with the Holy Spirit, He can give us godly passion and direction for our lives.
The Bible uses various words translated as “passion” or “zeal” such as:
- Zeal (Greek zelos)
- Fervent/fervor (Greek zestos)
- Earnest/earnestly/ earnestness (Greek spoude)
- Enthusiasm (Greek enthousiasmos)
- Jealousy/jealous (in the sense of zeal for someone’s exclusive devotion)
- Longing
- Thirst
- Heat, hot
These concepts convey ardor, fire, and wholehearted commitment, in contrast to being half-hearted, complacent, or self-satisfied. The Bible authors use these words both positively (for God) and negatively (for sin).
In the life of faith, passion is ignited by a vision of who God is, devotion to Christ, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. It is fueled by God’s Word, prayer, worship, fellowship, and seeing God at work. Passion is saying “Yes!” to God’s calling with joyful abandonment. It manifests in wholehearted service, perseverance despite trials, loving others unconditionally, and giving generously out of love for God.
Some dangers of unchecked passion include:
- Becoming imbalanced, obsessive, or extreme
- Neglecting other priorities and responsibilities
- Burnout, exhaustion, health problems
- Reacting harshly toward others
- Impatience, pride, arrogance
- Losing self-control or clear perspective
That is why passion must be guided by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Some ways to keep passion for God healthy include:
- Make time for rest and renewal
- Seek accountability and wise counsel
- Foster humility and servant-heartedness
- Major on spiritual disciplines like prayer, Scripture, worship
- Maintain boundaries and balance
- Pursue unity with other believers
- Keep your intimacy with Christ first priority
Healthy passion for Christ manifests in a balanced life of inward devotion and outward action. The goal is not just doing more, but loving God and others from the heart. Our passion is sustained not by guilt or pressure, but by grace, vision, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We can joyfully give all for Christ when our passion flows from being captured by the beauty and worth of who He is.
Our passion is a response to the lavish love and mercy that God has shown us in Christ (1 John 4:19). We love because He first loved us. And His love compels us to live wholeheartedly for Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)