Perfection

       Wanting to be perfect has given me a lot of grief over the years.  While I don’t expect perfection of others, for some reason, I do strive for it myself in the things I do or create.  Although I know perfection is truly impossible, there is a certain level I must achieve in order to be satisfied with the job.  Sometimes, if I don’t think I can do the job to my satisfaction, I won’t even try.  That very fact led to many years living in a messy house!

       However, perfection doesn’t exist in this world- just look up the definitions which are full of ‘as good/ close as can be’, ‘as free as possible’, and never just faultless or flawless.  Certainly, no human could ever be perfect, as the ‘perfect’ person for you (that you married) often turns into the most flawed person within a few short years!  As to perfect objects, birthed in the depths of the earth, diamonds are considered valuable and are treasured, especially good quality ones.  Here is a description of diamond clarity:

Every diamond is unique. None is absolutely perfect under 10× magnification, though some come close. Known as Flawless diamonds, these are exceptionally rare. Most jewelers have never even seen one.

       Notice none are absolutely perfect and that is under 10x magnification which leads me to wonder, what if the magnification were stronger?  Would we see even more flaws?  It is a good thing that God doesn’t look at us under magnification because our flaws are already visible to the eye.  Any closer inspection would surely make it much worse.  Blessedly though, we have the best solution for cleaning available to us in Jesus Christ.

       Just as the blood was sprinkled 7x (Lev. 16:14 -perfect atonement) on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:10-22) so that God looking down at the commandments inside (Ex. 25:16) saw only the blood of atonement and not how many laws His people had broken, so when He looks at us through Jesus’ blood, He sees us cleansed.  “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1Jh. 1:7) 

But when Christ came … he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that was not made by human hands … Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he went into the Holy of Holies once for all and secured our eternal redemption.  Heb. 9:11,12

       Let’s get back to perfection though.  There is One perfect thing in the universe, He dwells in heaven (Ec. 5:2) and is our God.  Not only is He blemish free in character, but also in actions.  He is holy (Rev. 4:8), a just God and Savior (Is. 45:21), a righteous God (Ps. 7:9), He doesn’t lie (Nm. 23:19) or change (Mal. 3:6) His nature.  He doesn’t need to change who He is, for who He is, is perfect.

…your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  Mt. 5:48

As for God, his way is perfect…  Ps. 18:30

       And so we can find/ ‘see’ perfection in this universe.  Any time we enter God’s presence, we are able to be in the presence of His perfection and there we find many treasures*.  We can enter into His presence because of what Jesus has done for us (Eph. 3:11,12) at the cross and resurrection.  In fact, at His death the veil was torn (Mr. 15:38) giving us access to the presence of the Almighty (Heb. 10:19,20) and His perfection.  Ah, what wonderful perfection it is!

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,

and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,

dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 

Jude 1:24,25

 

*Scriptures on some of the treasures found in the presence of Almighty God

Ac. 3:19; 1Chr. 16:27; Ps. 27:4; Ex. 33:14; Ps. 16:11;

Secure in the Calling

       The first time I saw him, he was sitting at the front of the sanctuary listening to the testimonies of some of the people in the congregation at my Wed. night church.  At the time, I didn’t know who he was, and a different man was speaking, so it wasn’t until the end of the service that we met and shook hands.  He was friendly and welcoming but I still didn’t know he was the pastor until I asked somebody.  He’s a quiet, thoughtful man with an intensity for the Lord that I really appreciate.

       By the next Wed. I saw that almost every person who attends that service participates in some way: praying, reading Scripture, testifying, on the worship team, taking offerings and even speaking.  It is rare to see that percentage of people involved in a service, but at the same time, there is an encouraging atmosphere to support it.  Eventually, Pastor asked me to sing on the team (obviously he’d never heard my voice J ) or maybe to speak some day.  Though it wasn’t my time to do that again, I waited and watched as he continued to encourage people to use their gifts and their testimonies to help others, and I thought…

        Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?  We all have gifts and talents that God has given us from birth, and from our new birth (Rom. 12:5-8), and since He gave them to us because it pleased Him (1Cor. 12:18), He expects us to use them.  “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Eph. 4:12)  “…the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Eph. 4:16 TLB)

       What I have come to realize is that this Pastor is secure in his calling from God.  Secure enough to allow others to freely use their gifts, sensible enough to understand we need teaching from many sources, and trusting the Lord enough to know that His will will be accomplished (Is. 14:24) in this congregation when all the parts of the body are functioning in harmony (1Cor. 12).  Every believer is called by the Lord (Rom. 1:6; 1Cor. 1:24) and we are assured that “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)  And so we are to fulfill His purpose by using the gifts and talents given to us, and allowing others to do so in our lives.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, along with patience, accepting one another in love. Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit…  Eph. 4:1-3 ISV

       This is the way the body is supposed to work- in unity with each other, humbly and gently accepting one another and not worrying if someone else’s gift will outshine ours, or is better/ worse/ more spiritual/ fulfilling/ encouraging etc.  All we need to do is use the gifts God has given us and encourage others to do the same, secure that all will be done according to God’s purpose and plan in our lives. God declares, “…My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Is. 46:10; also Pr. 19:21)

Addictions

        One evening I picked up my daughter’s book off the floor to check it out and see what she was reading.  It was a well written piece that was very descriptive of the characters and their lives.  One chapter led to another and soon I couldn’t put the book down.  When I finished the book it was early morning (over 600 pages) and I had the usual school day start to attend to.  Needless to say, I was exhausted by noon.

 

       Growing up in the suburbs I didn’t see a lot of down-on-their-luck people like in the city, and though the problems were there, it was much more concealed.  There were alcoholics and drug users as well as those addicted to prescription drugs, but they were hidden behind the exteriors of upstanding, ‘respectable’ people.  We all target addictions like that as unhealthy and therefore bad addictions, but what about ones like I mentioned above?  Reading had become an addiction for me.  If I picked up a book, I couldn’t put it down until it was done.

       Computer games and television have also surfaced time and again to monopolize my time.  Are any of these things bad per se?  Not really in and of themselves (having said this, just what is the content of what we are watching/ playing?), but the amount of time we spend consumed by them indicates where are hearts are.  “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Mt. 6:21) 

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor as yourself.  Lk. 10:27 ISV

                                                                      (all scriptures in this post are from this version)

       If all my heart is the Lord’s, then why is it easier for me to be reading, playing games or watching T.V. than to be spending time with Him first… or doing the tasks He has called me to do?  What is this compulsion we (mankind) have towards anything but God?  Where does it come from?

…The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.  Mt. 26:41

Indeed, all of us once behaved like them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses…  Eph. 2:3

 (believers-) who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  Rom. 8:4

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  To set our minds on the flesh leads to death, but to set our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace. Rom. 8:5,6

Promising them freedom, they themselves are slaves to depravity, for a person is a slave to whatever conquers him. 2Pt. 2:19

       All our addictions have us in the bondage of slavery which the Lord came to set us free of (Is. 61:1).  Whether it be texting, talking on your cell, playing computer games or facebook-ing, watching T.V., having all the latest gadgets or electronic devices, shopping, buying clothes or gifts, sports, food/ eating, and on and on, any and all things that we spend more time on than with God must be questioned.  Am I addicted?  Am I indulging my flesh or my Spirit?  Is this activity feeding my Spirit, or my fleshly pleasures?

       We are supposed to live by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) for if we live by the flesh, we will die, but if by the Spirit we die to the flesh, we will live (Rom. 8:13).  Those who live by the flesh are in slavery/ bondage (Rom. 8:15) and if we continue to sow to our flesh, we will reap to the flesh (Gal. 6:8) instead of the spirit.  And judgment awaits for “those who satisfy their flesh by indulging in its passions…” (2Pt. 2:10)

       This has been difficult for me to write about because I still struggle with my particular addictions thirty years-ish after becoming a Christian.  When I was young I realized that a reformed alcoholic should never touch even one drink again or the probability was high they would loose control.  I consider that wisdom now in my own life and how it applies to me.  In the end I must question myself: is the Lord my treasure, or not?

For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what he deserves for what he has done in his body, whether good or worthless.  2Cor. 5:10

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 

Gal. 5:24

Stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father's love is not in him. For everything that is in the world-the desire for fleshly gratification, the desire for possessions, and worldly arrogance-is not from the Father but is from the world.

1Jn. 2:15,16

Do we want slavery…    or freedom?