Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. Philippians 3:15 HNV
How can a sinner like me be perfect? Of course, I cannot. Our perfection is only in Christ Jesus.
Once we are changed into a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ we are perfectly forgiven by His Perfect Sacrifice and love for us.
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Paul says in his letter to the church at Philippi, “3:22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
He also tells us through his letter to the church in Galatia what he considers to be “fruitful.”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” – excerpt Gal. 5:22-24.
What does the Spirit have to do with us?
In Genesis 6, before the flood which destroyed all but Noah and his family: Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
Genesis 6:5 goes on to state: The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Quite a contrast: the Spirit of the LORD and the wickedness of man. (We would do well to learn more of the full meaning of the Spirit of the LORD and to follow His leading.)
The King James Version reads: My Spirit shall not strive with man forever… Gen. 6:4a An apt description of the chasm between a Holy God and evil mankind. Why would God strive with an evil man or woman like you or me?
Answer: The Lord’s Perfect Love has redeemed the price of our sin by the Blood of His Son Jesus on the Cross.
Once we are saved by His grace, we become acceptable to the LORD once more. Now that we are saved by Christ’s love and Sacrifice, we become Perfect in the eyes of God our heavenly Father.
This chasm of strife between God and mere mortal souls like yours or mine, clothed merely in flesh and blood, is bridged by grace and covered in Christ’s holiness.
Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How do we become perfect?
Only by justification through Christ Jesus.
Once we have bowed down to Christ Jesus, it is the Lord who gives us the Holy Spirit to guide our own spirit reborn into eternity, that we may be found perfect before an eternal, holy and almighty God.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
The perfection of grace is a joyous thing.
Let us praise our Lord, Jesus Christ, now and for ever.
Amen.
This is the seventh message in my Lenten series in preparation for Easter, 2016.
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