Date: July 18, 2021
Theme: The Doctrine of Perfection: “Get on the Road to Perfection, Now!”
A Message for the body of Jesus Christ:
The day of the Lord is approaching, and it is high-time for the Church of Jesus Christ to put away childish behavior, petty doctrinal differences and disagreements, and to stretch forth its hands together and open up the Holy Bible and receive with meekness the engrafted Word of God, which is able to save our souls. (James 1:21)
It’s time for the Church to be exactly what the Word of God says we are: “Perfect!” At Exousia Ministries, Inc., we believe in, hold, and affirm the Holy Scriptures, which teach that every-born again Christian has been made “Perfect” in the sight of God, and we are commanded to live in perfection.
The Word of God calls for the people of God to live an exalted existence on earth as spiritual kings and priests unto God, (Rev. 1:5-6) and to show the world the greater works of Christ—to do great exploits far beyond the wisdom, intelligence, and imagination of what mere human beings are able to perform. (Daniel 11:32 & John 14:12) So that all men might see “God-works,” and marvel, and then come to us and say “what must I do to be saved?”
The Church of Jesus Christ must now take its rightful place in God and in the World to exercise spiritual authority and dominance over the kingdom of darkness—the home of the defeated foe Satan—who seeks to rule over and devour the world’s nations—political, judicial, economic, educational, scientific, technological, social systems and institutions. The Church must therefore, gird up its loins and become “ONE” with Jesus Christ to take back and conquer—every place that has a name and no name—placing there the name Jesus Christ to the glory of God. (Act 4:12 & Josh 1:3)
So to the Church of Jesus Christ I say, “Get on The Road To Perfection Now!” (Heb. 6:1-3)
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Of the doctrine
of baptisms, and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead, and
of eternal judgement, And this we will do, if God permits.
Introduction:
Tell me this please. How many times have you said, “no one is perfect,” or “I am only human, and everyone makes mistakes?” The answer most likely is, too many times to try to remember and count. Truthfully, most Christians think they are far from being perfect, and have convinced themselves that it is impossible to be perfect and live in perfection. This is dead wrong thinking and these thoughts and words must be condemned because they are contrary to the promise of God! (Is. 54:17)
How will you ever live in perfection, as the writer of Hebrews exhorts Christians to do, if you think it is impossible to be perfect? The inward thoughts of a man determine his destiny in life. (Prov. 23:7) Tell me, how do you think of yourself? Search your heart, and tell me what you see and hear about you? In your spirit is the portrait of perfection!
In this final module of our series, we are going to move into the Doctrine of Perfection using the theme, “Get on the “Road to Perfection Now!” “Perfection,” broadly stated is the continual action of becoming spiritually complete or mature in your daily walk with Jesus Christ. The Road to Perfection should always be packed full with Christians, but scarcely a few on purpose and with passion make their way on to it.
When have you ever heard a Christian stand up in church, and testify saying, “I thank God that I’m on my way to perfection?” When a person greets you and asks, how are you doing, when have you ever responded that you are “Perfect?” Christians run from the word perfect, like it’s a plague!
To guide you onto the Road to Perfection, I will teach on these three lessons:
(1) Every Born-Again Christian Has Been Made Perfect By God in Christ Jesus.
(2) Living by Every Word of God Produces the Fruit of Perfection.
(3) God Uses Christians Who Live In Perfection To Do Great Exploits—Turning The World From Up-side Down—To Right-Side Up!
Lesson 1: “Every Born-Again Christian Has Been Made Perfect By God in Christ Jesus.”
The world famous NBA basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain is credited with coining the phrase, “nobody is perfect.” I would amend Wilt’s assertion by saying it this way: “No one in this world who lives their life outside of Jesus Christ is perfect.” On the contrary, born-again Christians are not of this world, and we should never consider ourselves as anything other than what God has said about us. (John 17:16, 18 & Rom. 12:1-2).
Let your mind be renewed with this truth right now: “God through Jesus Christ has made you “perfect forever.” I will provide the proof for this shortly.
To prepare for the road trip to perfection, there is one thing that every Christian must do. You must become single-minded to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus—and that is, to live in perfection. (Php. 3:12-14) Living in perfection must become your sole goal. You must make the decision to forget about your past performance, including all of the blunders, mistakes, shortcomings, weaknesses, and so called failures experienced in your life. Say this with me now. “My Past Is Not a Part of My Forecast!
Think about it. No one cares about yesterday’s weather report. Instead, we only concern ourselves with today’s weather report and future forecasts. In the Kingdom of God, where every Christian resides, the forecast today, tomorrow, and until Jesus Christ returns is “perfection!” (Eph. 4:10-15) Perfection is God’s high calling, therefore, we only stretch and strive to reach for perfection and the divine rewards that come with living in perfection.
Moreover, if you are a born-again Christian, the Holy Ghost is constantly pushing and pulling you forward into and down the Road to Perfection. Your spirit craves and longs for the deeper truths of God and doing the greater works of Jesus Christ. Your spirit only desires that you do everything with excellence!
Now, you must also be aware that Satan, does not want you to live in perfection, so he will try to bring to your memory past shortcomings, which lay the ground work for future so called failures. Anything short of doing something perfectly, is the result of sin—no matter the subject or task at hand. (James 1:17) Thinking of past shortcomings will only result in you repeating them. It is Satan’s trick he uses to keep you from walking in perfection. This will become more evident in Lesson 2.
God through Jesus Christ has made you perfect, and in Hebrews 6:1, the writer admonishes Christians to leave the principles of the doctrine (elementary teachings) of Jesus Christ, and go on to perfection. We have spent considerable time teaching on the elementary (first) teachings of Christ, including how to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils, and baptisms. We certainly will not abandon these teachings, but rather use them as our foundation to build upon as we move forward into perfection.
More specifically, Bible perfection is the process of leaving the babyhood stage of Christian experience and becoming full grown adults who are able to eat and digest strong meat (deeper truths from both the written and spoken Word of God). (Heb. 5:14) Christians who walk in perfection are able to teach fellow Christian converts about the deep things of God, and duly exercise all of their spiritual senses in the Righteousness of God—comprehending the fullness of their equality with God—always bearing an abundance of fruit from the Word of God.
The word “perfect” describes one that is complete, being free from all faults and defects. Through Jesus Christ finished works on the cross, God has made you perfect—free of all faults and defects! Glory be unto God!
There is even evidence from the Old Testament that God’s people can walk in perfection. Remember Job? In the very first verse of the Book of Job, the writer tells us that Job was “perfect and upright,” and a man that feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:1) Moreover God Almighty Himself told Satan, that Job was a “perfect man.” (Job 1:8) The word “perfect” in the Hebrew language is “tam,” and describes a person who is complete, pious, having integrity.
In Job, God had a man who trusted in Him, obeyed His commandments, and abstained from the practice of evil. Perfect does not mean that Job never sinned, but that he was honorable and always strove to do the right things in life. Since Job was perfect and upright in the sight of God, every man must have the potential to do so as well, because God is not a respecter of persons. (Rom. 2:10-11)
As born-again Christians, however, we live in a far greater spectrum of perfection than Job experienced with God. For by the finished works of Jesus Christ on His cross, we have forever been perfected and sanctified in our hearts (spirits). (Hebrews 10:12-14). While we were yet in sin, by the offering of the life of Jesus on the cross, our spirits were made perfect and identical to the spirit of Jesus Christ.
Your born-again spirit is perfect—absolutely complete, without faults or defects, just like Jesus’ spirit. Examine Colossians 1:22 in the New Living Translation, which follows, and take the scripture personally please.
Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ
in his physical body. As a result, He has brought you into his own presence,
and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Consider these scriptures as well. (II Cor. 5:17, Rom. 8:9, and Col. 2:10) Your Spirit is filled with the fullness of God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. Your inner man (spirit) is the real you and is reenergized daily, even though your physical body is perishing. (II Cor. 4:16) Let me keep throwing more scriptural evidence at you that your spirit man is perfect. Scripture confirms that every born again Christian is holy, blameless, and guiltless in the sight of God. (Rom 8:1-2, Eph. 1:4, Col. 1: 21-22). If you had not already been made perfect, God could never command, nor expect for you to be holy as He is Holy in all aspects of life—your deliberations, conversations, and deeds. (I Peter 1:15-17)
Let me really blow your mind! Through Jesus Christ, it is impossible for a born-again Christian to fall down and fail, because Jesus keeps you from sin and all error. (Jude 24, II & Thes. 3:3) With God, you are never cast out, rather God always upholds you in His hand. Therefore, in God’s eyes you are always perfect. (Ps. 37:23-24, Is. 1:18, & Heb. 10:16, & I Sam. 16:7) The truth is, you are a “marked” man or woman of God that is destined to live in peace (completeness) because God in Christ Jesus has made you perfect. (Ps. 37:37-40) All of heaven, earth, and hell have been placed on notice that you are perfect. Whenever you struggle in times of trouble, God will uphold you and strengthen you, and bring you into the place of the promise of salvation—perfection. (I Pet. 5:10)
Unfortunately, what most Christians have been doing is judging themselves by the world’s measures and standards of “perfect,” and not God’s. The world judgesperfection based on how well they behave and perform tasks. This is why the world says—“nobody is perfect,” “we all make mistakes,” “nobody walks on water.” However, Christians do not judge themselves by their behavior and performance, but by who they are in God in Jesus Christ—perfect!
When personal behavior and performance are used to judge perfection, almost always we fall short of our own or others expectations. This causes people and Christians a like to become very critical and hard on themselves and others when mistakes or errors are made. Jesus Christ taught that when we judge the performance of others, we subject ourselves to the same judgement we render on others. (Matt. 7:1-3) In so doing, Christians bind themselves to the continuous process of making mistakes themselves.
To get onto the Road to Perfection, you must judge yourself only based on what God has said about you. God has made you perfect, and you are to walk in perfection. Every day when you wake up, say out loud: “Thank God through Jesus Christ I have been made perfect, I live in perfection, and that everything I think about, say, and do today will be done perfectly by and through the Spirit of God!” (Zech. 4:6 & Php. 4:13)
Next week, we will take a closer look at what it means and how we are to walk in perfection.