Pursuit of Perfection

"HAVING therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
( 2 Corinthians 7:1 )

If the world were controlled by perfectionists, there would be no place for those who can never quite measure up to their standards. On the other hand, if the world were under the domination of people who wake up in a new world every day, we would probably suffocate in the accumulation of our own garbage within a week.

Fortunately, "practically perfect" people like Mary Poppins manage to get mixed up with the Dick Van Dykes of the world. The "neat and trim" husband is often found with the wife who doesn't know what she is preparing for dinner at 4 PM. And the obsessive wife's cleanliness is sometimes linked to the husband who hunts and tracks dirt across her clean floor. And so, they struggle between perfection and the spirit of tolerance.

In one compartment of the brain, there's a tug to live up to all the standards of Christ. But then on the other hand, our attempts to measure up to those standards are most often flawed.

The New Testament clearly articulates the need to "perfect holiness out of reverence for God." Perfection does not usually mean faultlessness in the Scripture, but something like maturity or completeness. Paul admitted that he had not "been made perfect" in Philippians 3:12. Yet he did not attempt to excuse himself from pursuing the goal of perfection. He said, "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

The person who excuses themself from serious effort because "nobody's perfect" is just playing a game, and not even according to the rules.

While it is self-righteous and hypocritical to claim that one has already conquered the flesh at any point in this life, we play a deadly game of self-vindication when we ignore the "pursuit of perfection." "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

Who Can Be Against Us?

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:26-28, 31)

If God be for me Who can be against me?

I heard a guy preaching about this on TV this morning (no I wasn't watching the program. I was in the other room when it came on before I got back.) But the essence of his message was that we can do about anything we want and no one will be able to hinder us. It is time for us to be bold in what we want and what we do. We can succeed in all of our endeavors.

Now that is true in spiritual realms, but it is not true in the literal social one. God is not here to help us succeed in business---although sometimes He does. He is not here to make us a an outstanding social advocate---although sometimes He does. He is not here to make us have beautiful families and well behaved children---although that is often the outcome of a holy life in the parents. God is not even here to make us famous as world wide preachers or teachers.

In these verses, if we look at the entire chapter, Paul is addressing our spiritual weaknesses, our spiritual goals and our spiritual abilities. This is the area where God is always here to help us!

Christ makes intercession for us because he has experienced our human infirmities in spiritual matters and seeks God's help and intervention in making us strong. He is there at the right hand of God to interpret for the Father the very human groans and yearnings of our heart for help in spiritual wisdom. He knows the hearts of His People and is there to be a very real "help in time of need" not necessarily physical need, although in His Love he does help us, but He helps in times spiritual weakness and need. And He intercedes for us. He funnels His strength into our wavering hearts.

How do we know that God's focus in these verses in directed toward our spiritual needs? Because the verse ends with the words: "to the will of God" and the following verse designates those "who are called according to his purpose" In several places in the word we are told what the will of God is for us. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; ( I Thess. 4:3) and also in Galatians 1:4 we find Christ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

God's desire for us is that we might grow spiritually strong and mighty in His Grace. He desires us to be fully sanctified and free of all sin and spiritual hinderances. He desires our full joy in Him. He doesn't want us oppressed by Satan's wiles. He doesn't want our salvation hindered by man's opposition. He doesn't want us frustrated the spiritual confusion of man's teachings. He wants us to fully understand His Word. He wants us victorious in His Grace that we can be strong and stand for Him

And in this we can truly say: If God be for us, who can be against us? Oh! the wonder and glory and the blessings of having this promise! We can tap into such vast resources of His Help and Power! There is no need for us to struggle or fail.

He is on our side!

Spiritual Nutrition

Part 1 of 2

Feel Free to Get Fat!

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isaiah 55: 1- 2

The Heavenly Father offers us everything that is needed for our Spiritual Health and Life. If we are thirsting for the things of the Kingdom we can come to the Water of Life and partake freely. If we are so poor that we have no money, but still hunger for a more satiation in the things of God, he offers milk and wine that have no price. It is free. We spend money for the literal physical things that don't provide fulness or satisfacation in the things of the Spirit, but He calls us to hearken to Him and we will be given to eat freely of 'that which is good" and, Wonder of wonders! our soul can delight itself in Fatness.

Here is one meal where we never need to count calories, we never have to keep ourselves from eating our fill. We never need worry that we will grow too fat on the things of God. He uses the symbolism of eating because the act involves taking substance into ourselves and internally transforming it into life and strength for our bodies. Just as our bodies become strong when we eat well, He wants to see us on a spiritual diet which makes our souls fat and flourishing in his goodness and richness!

The Father wants us to grow up as calves of the stall ( Malachi 4:2) -- well fattened, flourishing and tender before Him! The Psalmist says Those planted in the house of the LORD. . .shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: Why does he want our spiritual self to be "fat and flourishing"? To show his "uprightness," his righteousness and power and goodness and blessings! Being fat in the Lord (not in our physical body but in our souls) is a testimony to what He can do for His own.

Spiritual Bread

We are beginning to think about our "Spiritual Diets". Just as our physical bodies need sustenance to survive and grow strong, so does our spiritual self need the same kind of spiritual nourishment.

Jesus speaks extensively of the Bread of Life and likens it to himself repeatedly. Some verses might be rather repulsive if considered in the literal sense. He says in several places except ye eat of "my flesh" and "the bread that I will give is my flesh," We first have to understand that the 'bread' Jesus is speaking of is not a literal bread that we can eat as toast with our eggs at breakfast.

To understand this we must first look at a scripture that comes to us from Matthew 16:11-12 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Here we are given a clear understanding of what He is speaking of when He referrs to 'bread'. He speaks first of leaven, which is the rising element in all bread. The disciples did not understand that he was talking of anything but a literal bread, but Jesus went on to address it very clearly. And then they understood that the leaven and the bread were symbolic of doctrine. Now it becomes easy to understand that when we 'eat of the Bread of Life" we are eating of the Doctrine of Salvation that Christ came to deliver to us through the sacrifice of His flesh on Calvary.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:32-35

I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. . . . John 6: 48 - 58

We find our daily spiritual nourishment through spending time alone with the Lord, partaking of his Word and consuming every precept. As Jesus spoke to satan, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matthew 4:4 Here we find word of God that strengthens the soul compared to the strength that the physical body is given by bread. We must take the word of God, ingest its every statement make it part of ourself and grow thereby.

Again in John 6 we find Jesus instructing his disciples lest they continue to be confused. He points out very specifically that he is speaking of spiritual things not fleshly. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: The literal bread only strengthens and gives life to the flesh. But the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Lets take time every day to consume our portion of the Word, not sorting through the pieces for the softest and daintiest bits, but consuming every bit. The crusts, the hard crumbs, the chewy parts that are difficult to process, All of it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness: we only need take it all in.
[ End of Part 1 of 3 ]

Part 2 of 2

Spiritual Meat

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. ... 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6: 53 - 55

As Christ spoke symbolically of himself as being the Bread of Life, so does he use the term meat to refer to the strength that He gives His People. He uses the term to indicate the deep connection He has with us. As meat gives us enduring energy and strength in our physical life, so does Christ in all of His fullness give us enduring strength in our spiritual life. We understand that he is not telling the believers to literally eat his flesh and drink his literal blood. That would have been as repulsive to the Jewish men as it is to us today. But He is telling them to be partakers of all that He is and will be. Without that deep assimilation of His teachings and trials we cannot have eternal life.

Paul discusses this concept when he talks of the Israelites in I Corinthians 10:3 when he says they did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. He is referring to the sustenence that the Israelites experienced in their journeyings. He gave them literal food and drink in a miraculous way that reflected the spiritual sustenance derived from the promise of the coming Christ. As He was spiritual food for them so is he for us today.

If we are partakers of all of Christ we will also share in his glory. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (Peter 4:13) We know that as we participate in all of Christ's suffering and follow all of his teachings we have spiritual strength and hope of Eternal Salvation.

Milk, Water and Wine

Milk
As the body needs solid food so does it need liquid nourishment. It is the liquid in our diet that contributes to the distribution of the nutrients throughout our body. Without fluid our food would not digest properly or be transmitted to the system. Without the benefit of milk and other liquids babies would not be able to derive any strength, their digestive syst4ems are too under-developed to process more substantial food. Just as the Father provided this finer nourishment for babies and the fluids to help in processing our natural foods, so did He plan the spame purposes for our Spiritual well being.

We find milk repeatedly referred to as the most bland diet for young born again indivduals. It gives them the vital strength that is needed immediately for them to grow up as Christians. Milk is good for babies because its nutrients are almost instantly available to the infant's system. It's make up is perfectly suited for absorption; very little digestion needs to happen. . For the young child fed on the mother's milk almost the entire product is processed immediately. And that is what the new Christian needs--immediate strength and reinforcement as he sets out to live for Christ. Peter wrote: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: I Peter 2:2 These simple, easily understood and followed bits of doctrine are immediately available and useful to the young child of God just beginning his journey. Later he grows up to need "strong meat." We will deal with that separately. But upon his new birth, the young Christian needs the pure milk of the word so He can grow by its richness.

Water
Literal water is much desired and sought after for its refreshing and cleansing purposes after a hard hot day's labor. Nothing brings a surcease of weariness as much as the coolness of water. Christ compares the experience of Salvation to water. A well of living water springing up with in the hearts of the born-again man and woman provides refreshment to the person and all who come in contact with them. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. He went on to explain to her how the Water that He would give her would provide an everlasting quenching of her thirst--her spiritual thirst. whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

In John 7:37 - 38 Jesus stood and cried to the gathering at the feast, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. What was the living water that would flow out from them? The Holy Spirit prompting the call to Salvation was to provide renewed and refreshing life for the multitudes of men and women who heard the message. The world is looking for relief from Sin and the consequences of sin. The Child of God has experienced the Living Water in his own life and now has it to offer out to the world. He has the offer of blessings, refreshment, and cleansings and everlasting relief from the consequences of Sin. It is a well of living water, living water flowing out from him in his testimony, to the thirsting world.

May we live so close to God that our wells are ever flowing and free to whosoever will come to the waters.

Wine
When Christ was teaching about the erroneous doctrines of the scribes and Pharisees that were soon to be supplanted by His Own teaching regarding the kingdom, he made the following statement. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Matthew 9: 17 Here illustrating how the Old system had waxed old and would not hold the new wine Messiah's kingdom.

Wine here is used to illustrate the working of the Spirit of God in a Man. "New" wine is the grape juice that is placed in the bottles and left to ferment. As it works in the bottles, the gases given off cause the 'bottles" ( in Christ's time the full skins of goats or sheep fashioned to provide a bag with the opening at the neck) to expand and become tight. The flexible nature of the new bottles allowed this to happen and the wine was contained. None of it was lost. The old bottles had already been stretched to capacity and become brittle. Putting new, unfermented juice into an old bottle would almost surely result in the old bag splitting open due to its lack of elasticity. Thus the old system of religion was unable to contain the "New Wine' of the Holy Spirit. Christ no longer used a system to contain his spirit, but the hearts of men and women were now enabled to be filled wait the power of the Holy Spirit.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Hebrews 8:10 Paul desired that the Ephesians be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Ephesians 5:18 And the results of that spirt working in each one results in the Unity of God's People. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: I Corinthians 12:11& 12. This is the miracle that the new wine in the new bottles produces: The Holy Spirit working in each child of God produced the Unity of the body of Christ. The new wine is vital to our relationship with the other members of the Body. Without the Holy Spirit surging and working in each one of us we would stand alone and experience only the dregs in a broken bottle.
[ End of Part 3 of 3 ]

Absolute Beauty

Last week my older and wiser brother wrote about absolute truth, stating that in spite of what society tries to tell us, there really is absolute truth. Truth is not dependent on the circumstances. I would like to take that thought process one step further and talk about absolute beauty. As Gene Edward Veith pointed out in his article in the February 9/16 edition of World magazine, “Beauty is more than in the eye of the beholder.” I believe that there is absolute beauty, and that beauty is no more dependent on circumstances or perception than is truth.

“How can that be?” you ask. Surely I’m not suggesting that we must all prefer red roses over white gardenias or the majestic Rocky Mountains over the green expanses of the Great Plains! No, I’m not suggesting that we must all have the same preferences...but I am suggesting that beauty is indeed absolute. If you can agree with me that beauty can be measured by “the extent that something displays at the same time both complexity and unity”, as Veith points out, then maybe you will see what I’m talking about.

A single-dimension, single-color painting has unity, but no complexity. A hodge-podge of colors and shapes has complexity, but no unity. Neither is particularly beautiful. In contrast, a Rembrandt or Monet painting is beautiful because it uses a variety of colors and shapes that work together to make the whole equal to more than the sum of its parts. In the same way, a chorus sung in unison that repeats the same movement and words over and over may be unified, but not complex. It is not nearly as beautiful as a well-written hymn that involves not only four-part harmony, but a variety of verses bringing out one central message, or a well-orchestrated symphony that joins many instruments in a variety of movements, yet always brings them back together for a unified motion. Now don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we all must prefer to listen to symphony music over simple choruses or that we must prefer to study a Rembrandt portrait over a child’s stick drawing. I’m just saying that we must recognize that by definition, one is more beautiful than the other.

Why does any of this matter? I believe our buying into the belief system that beauty and truth are relative have profoundly affected the way we teach and worship within our church groups. We have become so concerned about our happiness and our comfort that we have bought into the line that beauty is relative. We have failed to incorporate true beauty into our lives and the lives of our children and the new Christians that we are responsible for teaching. We have allowed ourselves to feast on a continuous diet of spiritual junk food (our preference) instead of learning to see the beauty in spiritual meat and vegetables.

David Haynes, a guest speaker at our church last spring, stated that “God is not as concerned about our happiness as he is about our holiness.” We are commanded in 1 Peter 1:16 to "be holy, as I am holy". How can we do that? By recognizing and incorporating true beauty into our worship services and teaching – as well as into the rest of our lives. The songs we sing, the lessons we teach, the devotions we have should all strive to be beautiful (with elements of complexity and unity). Simple or chaotic songs, lessons, and devotions may make us feel good, but they will do nothing to promote our holiness.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that simple choruses and lessons, etc., have no place in our lives or in our worship. I like junk food as much as anyone. But while it might make me happy, a steady diet of it certainly won’t make me healthy. The same is true for spiritual junk food. It may make us happy, but a steady diet of it certainly won’t make us spiritually healthy or holy.

If young people from evangelical churches are leaving the church in hordes when they leave home, and if new Christians are “walking in one door and out the other”, as statistics say they are, maybe we should reconsider what we’re doing for them while they’re here. If we’re so concerned about giving them what they want instead of what they need, we’re certainly doing them no favors. Would you give a two-year-old what she wants (candy) all the time, or would you look ahead to what she needs (meat and vegetables)? Ideally, I would hope you would give her meat and vegetables, with some candy mixed in once in a while. That’s what we should do in the church as well.

We must integrate true beauty (not just our preferences) into our lives and our worship. We must feed on a steady diet of holiness and beauty, with some spiritual junk food mixed in once in a while, rather than feeding on a steady diet of junk food with some holiness and true beauty mixed in once in a while.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: "
(Romans 14:10-16)

I'm not accountable to God for you, but for myself. Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1). All judgment needs to be left in the hands of Christ. Each of us will give an account of her or his own self to God. Nor can we blame our condition on another.

Love gives birth to tolerance. We may not see everything alike, but love should enable us to live together in peace. Let's beware lest some thoughtless act or attitude should send a weaker brother or sister astray. Remember, even a correct idea can be defended in an unchristian way.

Are we willing to modify our behavior for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Even when we're right?

Back To Our Index Page