" HOW CAN WE BE PERFECT "

Good Day To You,

As always it's my pleasure as well as my honor to share with you each week. This time we will be talking about Perfection. What I believe is the Lord's take on it, so strap yourself in and let's get started.

The life that we've carved out for ourselves, I mean those of us who call ourselves Christians takes much work. The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ. This process will not be complete until we see Christ face-to face, but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to purify ourselves.

TO PURIFY means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. God also purifies us, but there is action we must take to remain MORALLY FIT. " THEREFORE YOU ARE TO BE PERFECT, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT "(Matt 5:48).

How often have you pronounced, or have you been told that you were not perfect. Listen, we must be mindful of what we speak, as we can speak it into existence. Perfection is being without fault or defect. Now regarding the title of this weeks message, " How Can We Be Perfect "? (1) BY MORAL EXCELLENCE. Yes in this life we cannot be faultless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. (2) IN HUMILITY. Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world's sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be dutiful to God's desires rather than our own, and carry His Love and Mercy throughout the globe. (3) IN MATURATION. We can't achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult; so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development.

LAST POINT: (A) We are perfect because of our eternal union with the infinitely perfect Christ. When we become Hhis children, we are declared " Not guilty", and thus righteous. Because of what Christ, God's beloved Son, has for us. The perfection is absolute and unchangeable, and it is this perfect relationship that guarantees that we will one day be " Completely Perfect ". (B) Fact, we can grow spiritually and mature as we continue to trust Christ, learn more about Him, draw closer to Him, and obey Him. This is how we can be perfect.

Until Next Time...
Jim