SCRIPTURE GEMS - 9

SCRIPTURE GEMS – 9

Does the phrase, “Be perfect”, scare you?  Yet we are told to be perfect.  Matt.5:48    Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  So what is the meaning of “perfect?”  We think of perfect as being absolutely without fault of any kind.  This very accurately describes our heavenly Father.  Perfect in the Greek extends the meaning to mature, complete, highest standard, fully developed, full grown.  A child does not mature or become fully grown over night.  Neither do we as we are newly born in Christ.  It is true that we come up out of the baptismal waters clean with our sins forgiven.  We start with a clean slate and then grow.  If this were not true, many of the exhortations and commands in the epistles would have no meaning.

Growth doesn’t just happen.  Where do we find the means for perfection?  1 Pet.5:10   In this passage we find four ways in which God helps us.  God will perfect us which is our present need.  Heb.13:21   God knows our need and will equip us that we may grow in that respect. 

The second help is to confirm us.  God will testify and settle the truth of our growth to become perfect.  This is our confirmation.  Oh, how we need strength to continue to grow toward perfection.  God is a god of all strength.  We don’t need physical strength as much as we need spiritual strength.  The greatest commandment is to love God with all our strength.  Lk.10:27

The fourth way God in His remarkable grace helps us is to establish us.  Ps.1:3 is a good example of being established.  A good tree can withstand many storms.  With our faith in God, we also should be able to endure the storms of life.  Many times we are told to “stand firm.”  Eph.6:13   We are to use our armor with God’s help.

As we accept Christ as our Savior, we are sanctified or set apart for Him, for Jesus offered Himself once and for all times and through that offering has perfected us.  Heb.10:14   Jesus offers Himself as an example in that He became perfect because of His obedience.  Heb.5:8,9   Obedience is necessary for us to grow in perfection.

Paul was dealing with those who had not stood firm in the faith in Galatians.  He asks them if they are being made perfect by the flesh.  Our humanness cannot gain perfection for us.  Paul tells the Galatians that it begins with the Holy Spirit.  Gal.3:3

So far in gaining perfection we have the help of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  There is another very important help—the Word of God.  2 Tim.3:16,17   In striving to be perfect, we are striving to be made complete.  Scripture is our instruction book written by God’s inspiration to the authors.  We need to hunger and thirst to feed on His Word.  Matt.5:6; Jhn.7:38,39   The Word of God definitely performs a work in us.  1 Thess.2:13   This helps us grow toward perfection as well.

As Paul was explaining the various gifts of ministry to the Ephesians, he gave the purpose to attain unity and knowledge of Jesus.  As these gifts are used, they cause growth in maturity.  Maturity is part of perfection.  Eph.4:11-13

Even suffering makes perfection.  Heb.2:10   We learn many things through pain, loss and problems.  This causes us to grow toward perfection.  Jam.1:2   James goes on to name some of the growth factors that come from suffering.

Perfection is acquired through the growth of spiritual graces.  Love would be an important one of these for without it, not much is accomplished.  Col.3:14   Spiritual graces begin and end with love.  1 Cor.13:13  

Part of being complete or perfect is our faith.  1 Thess.3:10   Faith is the beginning of our salvation.  Nothing else would matter if we didn’t fully believe.  Eph.2:8   Peter reminds us in 1 Pet.1:5 that salvation is protected by our faith but salvation is not complete until the “last time.”

We not only add all of the fruit of the Spirit as stated in Gal.5:22,23.  We cleanse our lives from pollution of body and spirit.  2 Cor.7:1   We are a temple of the Holy Spirit as a church.  1 Cor.3:16,17   Each one of us personally is also a temple of the Holy Spirit.  1 Cor.6:19,20   We must not defile the body of Christ.  This would keep us from any perfection we might have attained.

Paul expressed our growing toward perfection so well in Phil.3:12.  We have not yet reached perfection but pressing on toward that goal becomes a lifetime work.  Let us keep in mind the goal—perfection.  Matt.5:48   Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.