Date: July 25, 2021
Theme: “Get on the Road to Perfection, Now!”
Lesson 2: “Living by Every Word of God Produces the Fruit of Perfection.”
Before moving into Lesson 2, let me expound upon some of the points we made last week. Most Christians in the body of Christ should be far beyond the basic teachings of Jesus Christ and should be mature teachers by now, showing other Christian converts how to live in perfection, fully exercising their equality with God. (Heb. 5:12-14)
However, let’s be frank. Instead, most Christians have not even begun to do the first works of Christ—of winning the lost to Christ through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, healing the sick, casting out devils—or for that matter even inviting a single person to church! Nevertheless, those that be perfect-minded must move on to perfection in Jesus Christ.
In Lesson 1, we learned that God has made our born-again spirits “perfect in Jesus Christ.” (Heb. 10:14) Our spirits (the Inner man) are the real and vital part of our existence and is renewed daily. Every day, we should release our faith in this mighty work of God, by thanking God that, “He has made us perfect through Jesus Christ.”
On purpose, each day, we should have ready as an expectation that everything we do will be done perfectly to the glory of God—without mistakes, errors, or defects. We should also acknowledge that everything we say and do is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; and without the assignment of the enemies’ accusations of fault, guilt, blame, or shame.
Are you following me? When I use the words, “perfect” and “perfection,” I am saying that the spirit man of every born-again Christian has been made perfect—without fault or defect—by God forever.
As such, as Christians, we are to walk in perfection—ever striving to be Christ-like in our thinking, behavior, and performance. In other words, let your outer-man reflect the knowledge and experience of your inner-man. The sons of God are led by the Spirit of God, and if you are led by the spirit of God, you will always walk in perfection! (Rom. 8:14)
But here is the critical point. We are not to try to be like Jesus Christ through our own wisdom, strength, and abilities. Rather, we yield ourselves to Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to make us perfect in our thinking, behavior, and actions.
I know that for many people what I am saying sounds absolutely crazy and impossible—to do everything right and perfect all of the time—but it is God’s expectation that we walk in excellence. We are saved (made perfect in our spirits) by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the scripture tells us we are God’s workmanship, re-created in Jesus Christ to do God-good works! (Eph. 2:8-10) As I showed you last week, all of the works of God are perfect! (Deut. 32:4)
You have been anointed with the Holy Ghost and power, just like Jesus. You do the same good works and greater works that Jesus accomplished because Jesus is at the right hand of God. God is in you, God is for you, and God is working through you! (Acts 10:38) Since we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, so likewise, it is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that we live in perfection!
Please remember Jesus Christ said all things are possible if you can believe. (Mark 9:23) If it were not possible to be perfect, then Jesus could not have made this statement. Settle it for yourself, if you are a born-again Christian, your spirit has been made perfect, and you can and should walk in perfection daily!
Think of it this way. Even if and when you are imperfect in your thinking and actions, God does not take account nor remember your sins, therefore, in God’s eyes you are always perfect! You are the servant of righteousness, not sin! (Rom. 4:8, 6:18, 8:1-2, and II Cor. 5:19) So who cares about the finger-pointing, back-stabbing, ridiculing, and judgmental actions of other people rendered against you? We only give serious regard to how God sees us and treats us. (Romans 8:33-34)
In Lesson 2, we teach that “Living by Every Word of God Produces the Fruit of Perfection.”
Recall the account when the devil tempted Jesus Christ for 40-days in the wilderness and commanded Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by turning a stone into bread. Jesus replied to Satan, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:1-4)
Yes, by every Word of God man shall “LIVE,” OR SHALL HAVE “LIFE.” Life from God is a “perfect existence;” one that is free from evil, deception, corruption, and damnation. “Life,” eternally attracts and embraces all that God has breathed into it, which is the essence of God Himself. Jesus Christ said I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man can come to the Father but by Him. (John 14:6) Therefore, every person who believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord has, “Life!”
The Greek word for “Life” is “ZOE,” which signifies the God-kind of life—the rich abundant divine nature of God; His fullness of love, joy, peace, power, and ability. When a person is born-again, this abundant life and nature of God is imparted into their spirit from God. (II Pet. 1:3-4)
Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, demonstrated for us how we as Christians are to walk in perfection. (Heb.12:2-3) Examine the testimony Jesus gave to the Jews who sought to kill Him concerning His life, relationship with God, and public ministry. Jesus gave them this answer: Watch this! John 5:19 records Jesus as saying:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what
he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the
Son likewise.
Remember what Jesus told the Jews again at John 12:49-50?
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak
therefore even as the Father said unto me I speak.
Now look at the testimony Jesus Christ gave to His disciples, about Himself at John 14:10.
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words
that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me,
he doeth the works.
Can you see what Jesus Christ was saying about the things He said and did? In essence, His testimony was that He trusted in, relied on, and depended on His Father God for everything He said and did. All of Jesus’ thinking, speaking, and actions were totally dependent on God. Jesus acknowledged that He could not accomplish anything without God, and followed everything He observed God doing.
Through Jesus’ testimony, we discover how we as Christians are to walk in perfection:By trusting in, relying on, and depending on God and His Word to do the work! In all we endeavor to do, we let the Word of God do the work. (Col. 3:17) Apart from Jesus Christ we can accomplish nothing! (John 15:5)
In fact, God gave us the Word of God so that every born-again Christian can be perfect and do everything with excellence. (II Tim. 3:16-17) The Word of God obeyed will produce the fruit (rewards) of perfection—ZOE life. One of the rewards of perfection, is the God-given ability to do the same works of Jesus Christ and greater works. (John 14:12)
Some people reading this may still think it is impossible to live in perfection. Again, as I noted in Lesson 1, it’s because many Christians, like the world, think they are to go through life speaking and doing things according to their own wisdom and strength. This mindset guarantees that the things they try to accomplish in life will be fraught with errors, mistakes, and failures.
Please take Jeremiah 10:23 to heart. No person can find the path and right way to go in life without God’s direction. God has commanded us to trust in Him alone, to acknowledge Him in all of our ways, and He will direct our paths. (Prov. 3:5-6 and Prov. 3:17) We never have to take a false step because God will set us and lead us into the path of perfection. (Psalm 37:23)
Here me now, Christians labor only to enter into the Lord’s rest. (Heb. 4:9-11). The Lord’s rest is His finished works on the cross—for Jesus died, rose again, ascended on high and is seated at the right hand of God. Everything was completed in Jesus when He died on the cross and rose again and sat down at right hand of God. By God’s grace and mercy Jesus Christ sees to it that we walk in perfection.
We are to put on the mindset that we are perfect. (Php. 3:15) As I noted earlier, we should expect to do everything perfectly. The Apostle Paul wrote, that through Jesus Christ we can do all things, as He infuses us with strength. (Php. 4:13)
In walking in perfection, we must fully embrace and trust in the “grace process,” that Jesus Christ is forever perfecting our thinking, behavior, and actions. (I Peter 5:10, Psalm 138:8). It was God through Jesus Christ who started the good work in us by perfecting our born-again spirits, and until the day of Jesus Christ return, He will perfect our walk with the Lord. (Phil.1:6)
So here is the key to walking in perfection and receiving the fruit of perfection: “WALK IN LOVE.” Examine Ephesians 5:1-2, and then 4:32.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and, walk in love,
as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. (Eph. 5:1-2)
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven You. (Eph. 4:32)
The biggest challenge you will ever face in Christianity is to love every person, as Jesus has loved you. The enemy wages all-out war against you daily to tempt you to “hate” people (to dislike, mistreat, neglect, reject, and exact revenge against people) because he knows of the awesome power of the love of God. Satan knows that when a Christian loves another person, they are giving away God Himself, for the Scripture says, God is Love. (I John 4:7-8). Let’s begin our walk down the Road to Perfection by releasing the love of God in our lives by faith. Say this with me now:
“These are the Words of Perfection Spoken from My Heart.”
| I LOVE GOD AND ALL PEOPLE BECAUSE GOD FIRST LOVED ME. (I JOHN 4:19-20) I LOVE EVERY PERSON THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” NO MATTER THEIR RACE, GENDER, ECONOMIC STATUS, PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, AND WITHOUT ANY REGARD TO HOW THEY THINK OF ME AND TREAT ME. I FORGIVE EVERY PERSON FOR THEIR SINS BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST FORGAVE ME FOR ALL OF MY SINS, INIQUITIES, AND TRANSGRESSIONS. I FORGIVE EVERY PERSON WHO EVER HAS OR WILL COMMIT A SIN AGAINST ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. AS SUCH, I STRIP THE SINS OFF OF THE PERSON(S) WHO HAVE WRONGED ME, AND ONLY SEE THEM AS GOD SEES THEM—AS HOLY, GOOD, USEFUL, AND PURPOSEFUL UNTO HIM. EVERY PERSON, INCLUDING MY ENEMIES, ARE WORTHY TO RECEIVE ACTS OF KINDNESS FROM ME. GOD-GOOD THINGS—BOTH SPIRITUAL AND NATURAL BLESSINGS THAT MEET AND EXCEED ALL OF THEIR NEEDS. BEHOLD, GOD HAS GIVEN ME A NEW NAME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST: MY FIRST NAME IS: “LOVE” MY MIDDLE NAME IS: “FORGIVENESS” MY LAST NAME IS: “KINDNESS” BECAUSE I LIVE IN PERFECTION! |
Now, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost will teach you and cause you to love every person, just as Jesus has loved you. As you yield to Christ, your thoughts, character, personality, and actions are infused with strength to be like God, and to love and forgive just like God—without hesitation and reservation, or limits and conditions. Consider these scriptures on the love of God, and let them minister to you:
Colossians 3:14 says that, love is the bond of perfectness—when you commit to love every person, it brings forth perfection in whatever you say and do!
I John 4:18 tells us that there is no fear in love, and perfect love cast out fear. When there is no fear present sin cannot be committed. Therefore, mistakes, errors, wrong decisions and actions cannot take place. Fear is the root cause of all imperfection!
Galatians 5:6 reads, faith works by love. The faith of God is activated when you love others as Jesus loved you, which causes the promises of God spoken aloud, without wavering, to manifest in your life. (Heb.10:23)
Galatians 5:14 instructs that when we love our brother we fulfill all the law of Moses; and the blessings for obedience are poured out on us! (Deut. 28:1-13).
I Corinthians 13:7-8 witnesses that, love never fails. Since love never fails we know that love always overcomes every obstacle, set back, stormy sea, and fiery trial, and wins more than a decisive victory!
Finally, at Matt. 5:43-48, Jesus Christ commanded us to love our enemies—all of the people who curse us, deceive us, persecute us. In so doing, we bear proof to God that we are His children, and we are as perfect as God!
For our enemies, we heap up forgiveness, not holding their transgressions against them. Instead, we bless them with prayer, the word of correction and encouragement, and with material blessings that meet or exceed their expectations. In this way, all of the works of our hands are made perfect by Jesus Christ, and we lay up instore eternal blessings against the times to come.
In closing, when we love one another, including our enemies as Christ loved us, we walk in perfection and receive the fruit (rewards) of perfection—ZOE life. Whatsoever we ask of God, we receive because we keep God’s love commandments. (I John 3:22-23) This is spiritual maturity—perfection! I say, I say, unto you, walk in the spirit (the Words of Jesus Christ) and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16)