In Genesis chapter number 17, let me get over there real quick myself. I really just want to look at that first verse there
It's where I get the
Title for the sermon tonight, which is be perfect and that's something that we see God commanding
Abraham here and
We kind of might wonder what that means to be perfect
It says in verse 1 of Genesis 17 when Abraham was 90 years old and 9 the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him
I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect, right?
so that's a very clear command that he gives to Abram that he's to walk before him and to be
Perfect and I want to make some application here using this passage tonight
but before we get into that
let me just really quickly define the way the Bible uses perfect because
The way we use it today isn't necessarily the way that the Bible uses it today if I say hey, this is perfect
I'm saying, you know, there's nothing wrong with it
It's it's you know, it meets this
Exceptional standard. Okay, that's what we kind of mean when we say perfect
But in the Bible really all the Bible saying here is to be complete
Okay, and if you would go over to James chapter 1 you have to keep thinking Genesis, but go over to James chapter number 1
You know a couple in one sense, you know being perfect to walk before the Lord thy God and to be perfect
You know
I believe the way God is using it there and in other places is that he's expecting us to be completely obedient
Right to walk before the light Lord thy God and be perfect because as we'll see here in a second to be perfect is
To be complete right and what he's saying is to walk but walk before me and be perfect meaning walk
Completely with me right be all all the way on board
To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul mind and strength to be perfect to be complete to not be
Lacking in that area when it comes to walking with the Lord
God wants us to walk with God in a completely obedient fashion not kind of half in half out
one foot in the world one foot living for the Lord and
Trying to just kind of keep both things going and once God wants us all the way in on his side
He wants us to be completely obedient, right? That's why he commands us throughout the scripture
In fact over in Deuteronomy 18, he said thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God, right?
And in the context of Deuteronomy 18
He's talking about how they are going to worship the Lord God only and not go after these
you know false gods not be given over to you know, the astrologers and the
Prognosticators and all of the the seers and things like that that the Canaanite nations the heathens and the nations around about we're practicing
He's saying no don't be like them be perfect with me meaning worship me as I tell you don't
Slack, you know don't cut corners with God. Okay, that's not something we want to do in life. We want to be perfect
Okay. So again when we say be perfect, which is a command in Scripture, you know, we have to understand
What does he mean by be perfect? What's he telling Abram when he says hey walk before me and be perfect
Is he saying be sinless?
Obviously not because that's not something we can do if that were the standard that God held us to
So to live a perfectly sinless life, you know, we would all we're all gonna fall short because we all sin
But what he's saying, I believe the way he's using this word throughout Scripture is he wants us to be
You know completely on board with God. He doesn't want us to have a double mind
He doesn't want us to have he wants us to have a whole heart that serves God with everything that we have
Be perfected, you know is one thing to be completed, right? I believe that's what he's saying here to be complete through God's blessing
Okay, because remember as he told Abram it was to walk before God and be perfect before me, right?
So I believe one way you could kind of look at this is that when he's saying hey if you walk before me if you
Walk in my ways if you serve me you will be perfect or you will be perfected
You will be completed God will begin to
You know make up that which we lack in our lives if we walk before him
Again, let's just look at the word perfect here in James chapter 1 and verse 2
It says my brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this
That the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, right?
Meaning what let her have her perfect word mean don't stop it. Let it be completed. Let patience have her perfect work
Don't try to you know, cut it short
Let this trying of your faith take place so that your patience can be perfect so that your patience can be complete
Let her have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire so you can see the way the Bible is using the word
Perfect. It's not necessarily in the sense that we use it today, right?
He's saying being perfect meaning be complete being entire look at there at the end of the verse for
Wanting nothing being without want right? That's what it means to be perfect or to be
Perfected it means to be completed to not be lacking anything to be without want if any of you lack wisdom
So again, there's this idea of the being complete being perfect entirely wanting nothing and then there's this idea of lacking something
Right and he's saying if any of you lack wisdom
Let him ask God that giveth to all men liberally and a braideth not and it shall be given him
But notice this verse 6 but let him ask in faith
nothing wavering for he that waver it is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed for let not that man think
That he should receive anything of the Lord a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways
So what he's saying is right in order to be perfect to be in order to be entire to be
Not in want of anything, you know, we have to have faith. We have to walk with the Lord our God, right?
We have to trust the Lord and that was what is going to make us perfect in the Lord
So when we say be perfect, what we're really saying is
Follow God live for the Lord being given over to God be obedient to God and he will begin to make up with that
Which lacks he will perfect us, okay?
Being perfected is to be to receive from the Lord again
If you look at verse 7 let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord
and he's telling us to let patience have a perfect work to be entire to be want and want of nothing and
It's going to be given to us of the Lord
So what perfects us what makes us complete is something that comes only from God as Christians as those that have believed in Lord
Jesus Christ there are things that we need from God that only God can give
Okay, and if we're going to be perfect if we're going to be complete and entire
Then we're going to have to go to God and get that from him
It's something that God has got to bring into our lives and give us. Okay
So what are some of those things that are going to help us be complete perfect entire and wanting nothing?
Well, obviously, you know we could talk about salvation
That's where it starts right and if you would go over to 1st John chapter number 2 1st
John chapter number 2 the Bible says in Colossians 2 for in him dwelt all the fullness of the God had bodily and
Ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. So we are complete in Christ
Obviously, you know without salvation we are not complete right? We are we don't have the filling of the Holy Spirit
We don't the sealing of the Holy Spirit. Our spirit is still dead
We haven't been renewed in the inner man, you know if we have not been saved
Okay, but just because we got saved that doesn't mean we're perfect and or that we are entire and complete and one of nothing
Otherwise, why are we being told throughout Scripture to ask these things of God even as his children?
Why are we being told to ask these things in faith?
nothing wavering so that we may receive these things from God because there are still things that we need even as God's children in order
To be perfect
We can never get this idea or this thought that somehow we've arrived in the Christian life and
Obviously, we're never going to arrive in the Christian life being perfect is really a process
It's something that we go through over the course of our lifetime
Okay
Obviously begins in salvation, you know, we're completed him
Bibles says in Hebrews 10 for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are saved Christ has perfected us in
Him right. He did that perfecting. He's the one that brought us salvation
Our salvation is complete in Christ through him. Our salvation is complete and entire and want of nothing right just like in James
It doesn't lack anything because it's done through Christ. We don't have to add anything to our salvation
It's by grace through faith and not of works. We have nothing else to bring bring to it
All our righteousness are as filthy rags
You know, it is by his mercy that he saved us
Okay
So that's one example
Right of the of something that we have to receive from God that has to come from him and it can only be received
It's not something that somehow we can earn. Okay
the other thing I want to look at in or and in in
You know in with this idea that we are
Receiving things from God in order to be complete in order to be perfect as we are commanded to be in Scripture
Is the Holy Spirit
Okay, and of course that kind of covers a multitude of things and I'll try to narrow it in here as we move along
But the Holy Spirit is something that is given by God
You know, obviously when we get saved we're sealed by the Spirit
We have the seal of spirit until the day of our day of redemption, right? That is the earnest of our inheritance. Okay?
But there's also the filling of the Holy Spirit, which is something that not everybody has
It's something that we have to get from God. It's not automatic
Okay
Bible says in Luke 11. I'll just read to you if ye then this is Jesus speaking being evil
Know how to give good gifts unto your children. How much shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him
So he's showing telling us here. Look it's given to those that ask
so if we're not asking for the Holy Spirit if we're not seeking it if we're not going after it if
We're quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit. We're not receiving it because it's not automatic if we're not receiving the Holy Spirit
We are not perfect and we need to walk before the Lord our God and be perfect
You know, we want to live the whole Christian life
We want to be complete as a Christian. We don't want to be lacking things in our Christian lives
We don't want to have these big, you know gaps in our spirituality
We want to make sure that we have all of it and a big part of that comes through
The guiding and the leaning and the teaching of the Holy Spirit that and that's something we have to go and get from God
We have to ask him and look like he said in James if we lack wisdom
Let him ask God and shall be given him
Because God gives to all men and a bread if not he giveth unto all men liberally and a bread if not
But what we have to ask in faith and and again Jesus is saying in Luke 11
Hey, if you being evil know how to give a good gift unto your child
And you're nothing like God you're nowhere near as good as he is and you know how to do good things for your children
You know how to bless them and give them what they need how much more so shall your Heavenly Father give you the Holy Spirit
Which is the greatest thing we could receive, you know, the filling of the Holy Spirit
It's what's going to bring all the love joy
Peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness and temperance that we need and patience in our lives
We need these things right God gives us those things through the Holy Spirit and he will give them to us
Because God is good. Okay, and he's using us as kind of an example right saying look, you know how to do it
God's greater than you
So we need to go and ask these things of God why so that we can be perfect so we can be complete
Now obviously if we're gonna want to get you know, the Holy Spirit from the Lord and have that filling the Holy Spirit
It's not enough just to ask right? I mean again using the analogy that Jesus used of a child asking a parent
You know, my kids could ask me all day for something that they want
But the fact is you know, if they're misbehaving or if it's something that they don't need or shouldn't have
I'm not gonna give it to them
You know, I'm gonna weigh out whether or not they need that
You know a lot of it's gonna be the the merit is gonna be based on their behavior
You know, we can't ask for the Holy Spirit and then quench turn around and quench the Holy Spirit
We can't ask for the Holy Spirit and then turn around and grieve the Holy Spirit
You know God gives us the Holy Spirit in order to you know
Perfect us in order to complete us what to lead us away from a life of sin to give us wisdom and knowledge
Understanding in his word, you know, if we're not taking the things of God seriously, why would he give it to us, right?
So we have to walk with God and goes back to that picture
Again with Abram walk before me and be thou perfect, right? If we walk with God God will perfect us
Yeah, I believe that's one way you can look at that
You there in 1st John chapter number 2 look at verse 1 my little children these things write it on to you that you sin
Not but if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father
Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also the sins of the whole world
And hereby we know excuse me and hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments now
Let me just point out here in verse 3 because sometimes this can get confusing for people
But it's hereby we do know that we know him, right?
Here's how we reassure ourselves that we are know God and that he knows us
It's not for us to go around and judge other people with this is a real self reassurance, right?
Here's by how and hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments, right?
and
What often happens with people when they get backslidden when they get out of church and they get into sin a lot of times?
Those same people not all of them, but often people will start to doubt their salvation won't they?
I mean they they reach out to the church all the time answer that I answer that email often as hey
You know, I'm wondering if I'm even saved, you know, and then you add then you dig a little deeper and it's like well
Yeah, I believed on Christ
You know, it's salvation by grace through faith. You can't lose. It's like well, yeah, you're saved. That's the gospel
Yeah, I know but you know, it's this that anything
It's like well you dig a little deeper you find out they're they're just really backslidden, right?
so that's just kind of a little extra, you know tonight, but
Again, verse 3 is telling us hereby. We do know that we know him if we keep his commandments
you know one thing it's really gonna reassure you in the Christian life that
You have God's blessing is if you keep his commandments, right if we do that
We're gonna we're gonna know that we know him he that sayeth I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar
And the truth is not in him
But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God
Perfected. Okay. So when we keep his commandments when we keep God's Word when we walk with him
We are perfected when we keep his word
when we begin to do the things that are written the Word of God when we actually begin to flesh out and live the
Christian life a genuine authentic walk with God
You know, that's when God begins to perfect us. The love of God is perfected in us
It is made complete in us
When we keep his commandments he that sayeth he abideth in him ought himself
also, so to walk
Even as he walked in order to have the love of God perfected in us
We keep his commandments and we walk as Christ has walked
He told Abram walk before me and be thou perfect, right?
So it sounds that you know when you first read that you think oh, it's a command
Right and it is that first half walk before me and you could say well no
He's commanding him to be perfect and in a sense he is he's telling him. Hey worship the Lord thy God only
Him only shalt thou serve but another way of looking at that is that when we walk with God we are
Perfected we are made better. We become more Christlike as we walk with God
You know, and sometimes this is what people fail to see in the Christian life
They just you know
They wonder why they have such a hard time keeping the commandments why they have such a hard time
Having a walk with God because all they see are a bunch of do's and don'ts all they see is just all the
You know the hard work the struggle that comes along with this with living the Christian life
But what they fail to see is that as you walk with God you are the love of God is perfected in you
You become more Christlike, you know, and what else would would you rather be in this life than more like Christ?
You know, there's nobody greater to emulate. There's nobody else that you would want to be more like than Christ himself
But how is that accomplished through keeping his commandments?
through keeping his word by by walking with him and letting the love of God be perfected in us and
When that happens when the love of God is perfected in us when we walk with him
You know that begins to show up in our lives. It begins to manifest itself
I'll just read to you go to 1st Peter 3, but it says in 1st John 4 no man hath seen
God at any time
If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us
You know when a person is walking with God when a person is keeping the commandments when a person is having a real genuine
walk with Christ
It shows up it manifests. It's perfect. The love of God is perfected in us. And one way that we know that's happening is
That his love is what's perfected and what happens is we begin to love one another right?
We start to have a love for the brethren a love for the things of God, okay
And that's something that we're commanded to do, you know, we are to love the brethren
There ought to be a love there and look if we're lacking love towards God's people
You know, then we have to ask ourselves. Are we really walking with God?
Are we really is the love of God really being perfected in us?
If there's a lack of love for the things of God and for God's people the Bible says
1st Peter 1 verse 22
I know you went to 1st Peter 3 but it says in 1st Peter 1
Seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth of the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren
Right seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth the gospel
through the Spirit
unto unfeigned love of the brethren
So he's saying, you know, you've purified your souls how because you obeyed the truth through the Spirit, right?
You obeyed the gospel. You had the witness of the Spirit you heard the gospel
But what did you obey unto unto salvation only no, but also unto unfeigned love of the brethren
You know, that's something that comes with the Christian life or at least at adhu, you know
If we get saved we ought to walk with God
so that the love of God is perfected in us and then we have experienced what's called an unfeigned love of the brethren
Unfane meaning and not a fake one, you know, not one that's just this surface level
Just something that goes beyond courtesy something that just goes beyond being polite
But we actually have a burden and a care for the brethren, right?
That's what he's kind of saying there in 1st Peter 1 if you really break it down and kind of think about what he's saying
I know I had to go to 1st Peter 3
But it might be worth backing up to chapter 1 and looking at that with me in verse 22
You've purified your souls and obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned of the love of the brethren
That's what we're called to and then he kind of repeats himself
But is he you know if we have to think about what he's saying see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently
Seeing you have been purified unto unfeigned love of the brethren. That's what our Christian life is
That's what we're called unto
Salvation and love of the brethren because that's what it is. See that you love one another with a pure heart
Fervently you follow what I'm saying here. Am I breaking that down well enough for you, you know, that's what we're called unto and
So he ends the statement here by saying because that's the case see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently
And he's saying fervently unfeigned, you know, that's the kind of love that we ought to have for the brethren
You know, we ought to love the people that come to church here
You know, obviously we love all people the Bible says that we should do good unto all men
You know therefore as we have opportunity let us do good therefore unto all men
But you know what else what he goes on and says, but especially what to them that are the household of faith
Of course, we love the lost we help other people
But you know the people that we should love fervently and and deeply are the people that are brothers and sisters in Christ
Because you know, we share a kinship with our brothers and sisters in Christ that we don't share with the world
You know, we don't those we're not going to spend eternity with the unsaved
You know, we're not we don't we don't they don't love the things of God. They don't love the Bible
Those are things that you know, we have a common interest so to speak with people that are here at least we ought to
So there ought to be a fervent love of the brethren in a church
And it ought to go beyond just you know, hey, how are you?
You know have a good sunday. See you next week
You know, and i'm not saying we all have to
You know get together all the time, but there ought to be
An understanding that if you know somebody in this church has a need we're there to help
You know where we take an interest in other people
Where we want to see other people grow and we don't want to and most
You know, especially not take other people in this church for granted
You know, it's really easy to do in a church sometimes especially if those people are faithful and diligent and you know reliable
You know, sometimes those are the people that get taken granted for the most because they're just always there
You know, we're just kind of like, oh, yeah, they'll always be there, you know, that's and that can actually sometimes quench people's love
Because people take things for granted, don't they?
So i'm just trying to make some you know practical application here with this command to love one another fervently
You know that could mean a lot of different things couldn't it how you're gonna how are you gonna flash that out in the christian life?
How are you gonna actually
Live that so how are you gonna love one another fervently?
You know, we could think about a lot of the needs that people have people have a lot of different needs at different seasons in
their life
And we should be there one for another you go back to first peter chapter three verse eight. I love this verse
It says in verse eight finally
We all have one mind having compassion one another love his brethren be pitiful be courteous
Right and you know be courteous be pitiful, you know, we ought to be long suffering with people in church
You know, but sometimes it's so mind-boggling to see christians
So ready to just jump down one another's throats over things they start to pick people apart
And i've said this before but there's a saying it's out there and I believe it's true
That familiarity breeds contempt
And that's unfortunately the case sometimes
You know, we don't we don't want to let the familiarity that we have here
Become a source of contempt with people. Okay, we want to make sure that we're pitiful
Compassionate that we're loving and that we're courteous. Okay
It goes on it kind of gives us a little bit more what this looks like in verse nine not rendering evil for evil
You know, sometimes some people are going to come to church here and they're just going to be having a bad day
They might say something they might do something
And you know what? They might even render some evil, right?
Well, let's not go tit for tat for them. Let's just be pitiful. Let's be courteous. Let's be long suffering
That's the love of god, right?
That's how we know that's the love of god being perfected in us
God doesn't always treat us the way we deserve to be treated. Does he?
You know god is very pitiful and merciful and compassionate and long suffering with us on a daily basis
Sometimes for very long stretches, right?
God looks past a lot of faults in our you know between us and him
You know, we should be willing to do the same with another, you know
We should you know, we should uh, be careful to not you know
Behold the moat that is in our brother's eye when we have a beam in our own. Okay, make sure we've removed the beam. Okay?
But contrary wise he says blessing that's why we should be treating the brethren knowing that you are there unto called
We're called to bless the brethren
Right, we've been purified unto unfeigned love the brethren. That's what we have been called to
To bless and to love the brethren therefore, let's do that fervently therefore
Let's be these things with one another, you know, that's you know, i'm just making applications. This is what it means to be perfect
You know, this is the love of god being perfected in us
You know if we walk with god, this is one way that it's going to show up in our lives
If we have a love of the brethren
You know, that's why you know people who kind of take church for granted or take bible reading for granted
They kind of take the things of god for granted their love begins to grow cold
You know people can be at sometimes be very on fire for the things of god. They can be very involved in the church
They can be you know ready to lend a helping hand
They they want to you know, spend time but you know, sometimes you'll see people where that ceases to be the case
And a lot of times those same people will start to have
You know that that love quenched in their heart, you know, we've probably all gone through that to some degree or another
Even if we've managed to just you know, drag ourselves in here and stretch a smile across our face and just kind of fake it
You know inwardly we might find ourselves
Not having that fervent love
You know, we don't want that to be quenched out. We don't want that to happen
We want to make sure that we're loving one another
Fervently in an unfeigned manner, you know being patient courteous all these things because that's what it means to be
Perfected because that's a sign that we're walking with god, okay
Bible says in first peter two, i'll just read to you there verse 17 honor all men love the brotherhood fear god honor the king
Now, you know, we'd probably read the of those several of those commandments that are given in that one verse
Right honor all men love the brotherhood fear god honor the king
You know, we would never say oh fear god, that's optional
Right everyone here say that's that's a command. Well, so is love the brotherhood
So is loving our brother and that's something we are commanded to do to love one another
You know another way this might show up another way we could practice this in our lives is to not assume the worst about people
You know if we find ourselves just assuming the worst all the time about, you know, well, we're so-and-so
You know, they must have quit the church
They must be backslidden, you know, whatever, you know, that might be a little bit more of our own insecurities coming through right?
Or maybe that's a lack of love. We should not assume the worst about other brothers and sisters in christ
You know, we need to make sure that we're loving them. You know, we would just assume that
You know the best rather than the worst
Let me wrap up here though. Okay, so I wanted to kind of just make a practical application, you know
What does it mean to to to uh to walk with the lord and and to be perfect?
Right. Well you when you kind of read the scriptures that kind of surround those words
What you see is the love of the brother brotherhood show up loving the brethren, right?
You know, we have to walk with god in order to be perfect we cannot be
Double-minded and that is a command right to be perfect
But again going back to the text that we opened up with walk before me and be thou perfect
In order to be perfect, we have to have a walk with god in order to be perfected in christ
We have to have a walk with him
If you would go to romans chapter number 12 romans chapter number 12
The bible says in first kings 8 i'll just read you verse 61 let your heart therefore be perfect with the lord our god
To walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments as at this day
So again, you always see this idea of being perfect and walking with the lord, right?
He told abram be thou perfect, you know walk before me and be thou perfect
He said in first kings 8 when solomon's dedicating the temple
He says therefore be perfect with the lord our god and walk in his statutes
And again, hopefully we have an understanding what that word perfect means now it means to be complete
right
If we're going to be perfected if we're going to be entire we're going to have to walk
with the lord
And if we don't have a walk with god
Then we're missing that we're like hat. We're not we're not entire. We're not perfect. It's like part of us is missing
Okay, we're not a complete person
We're missing out on what we could be, okay
And so why doesn't everybody do it then why doesn't everybody just go ahead and walk with god
You know
I mean it leads to all these great things right, you know in him the love of god is perfected
We become more christ-like as we walk with god. Why doesn't everybody do that?
Well, because it requires sacrifice. I mean if we're talking about being christ-like
What did christ do?
Right. He laid down his life
For the brethren. No, no greater love had the man than this that he laid down his life for his friends, right?
That's what jesus said, you know walking with god, you know
And being perfect is going to require
Sacrifice on our part. That's why people don't do it
Despite all of the good things that come with it, you know the contentment the peace all of that
People don't experience it because having a walk with god requires real sacrifice
If you look at romans chapter 12 verse 1
It says I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of god that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
A living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto god, which is your reasonable service
That be not conformed to this present world, but be this world but be transformed by the renewing of mind that you may be
May prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god
you know in order to prove the perfect will of god you have to be willing to
Present your body a living sacrifice
All right
And now obviously we're not talking about, you know, literally laying yourself down on an altar, right? It's a living sacrifice
That's what we are. We're not we're not a sacrifice that you know
Like in the old testament or something like that, you know, it's a living sacrifice our life
Is not our own you are not your own you are bought with the price this is what the scripture says
You know and honestly, you know the sacrifices that god asked us to make the limit isn't real that really that big
You know not many of us have been asked to you know, literally lay down our lives
Or to go through some great trial or great some hardship, you know some hardship, you know
There's there's other people that we can look at even other churches and pastors and things like that who are going through much greater
Trials than any of us have ever gone through here, right?
Really the sacrifices that got us, you know at a minimum requiring of us are not that great in the scheme of things
your time
Your effort, you know your will the things that we you know, we want out of life, you know, we should align ourselves with
You know the gospel and preaching christ, you know living for the lord. That's what it means and to not be conformed to this world
Meaning when the world's philosophy and the world's teaching the world's instruction coming in, you know conflict with this book
God's word wins
Every time we side with the bible, you know, that would be live presenting yourself a living sacrifice
That's what it would mean to not be conformed but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind
You know to say hey, what does the bible say about this issue? What does the bible say about this matter? Whatever it is?
Look and there's plenty of things out there that come in conflict with this book
But if we're going to have a walk with god that's real and genuine if we're going to be perfected
You know, we're going to side with the word of god and it might require sacrifice
You know it might require it might create conflict in our lives
It might you know, uh cause us to be at odds with people that we know and love
People that we know and love, you know, but that is a sacrifice, isn't it that we might have to be might have to make
So go to philippians chapter number three i'm almost done philippians chapter number three
So again the idea of being perfect isn't this
Ideal, you know sinless perfection that we might think of today, but it's this idea of
being complete being entire
wanting nothing of being perfected right and
What we see in the scripture when we look at it is that it's often associated with having a walk with god, right?
So that just tells me that to be perfect, you know, that's something that's an ongoing process
That's not necessarily something that just happens you get saved and then you're just perfect
And honestly, as I said earlier, we're never really going to be
Completely perfect in this life where where there's always going to be things that we have to make up, right?
And some people might at that thought just throw up their hands and say well, what's the point
Why bother having a walk with god if you know, it's just constantly going to be
A struggle if it's just constantly we're never going to be perfect in the sense that we think of right
Well again because as we do that, you know, we become more christ-like we have more genuine love
We have more zeal for the things of god that just manifests themselves in our lives. They don't have to drum these things up
They're just there and they're real, okay
Look at philippians chapter number three verse 13
So again
What I was saying, you know in order to be perfect you have to have a walk with god
And it's not something that's going to just happen overnight something you have to do, right?
So to be perfect don't you know, don't throw up your hands and say what's the point, you know start wherever you are
And start having a walk with god so that you can be perfected, okay?
It says in verse 13 brethren I count on myself to have apprehended
But this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before
So i'm not going to see her dwell in the past. I'm first pressing toward the mark, right?
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ. Jesus
Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded
You know if we're going to be perfect
We have to have the same mindset that we forget those things which are behind and we press
Toward the mark we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god
And if in anything you be otherwise minded god shall reveal even this unto you
You know as we walk with god and be perfect we and we are perfected by him, you know god
That's when god begins to show us things through his word and through the holy spirit in our lives things that we need to change
Right things that maybe we have to add or take away from our lives things that we have to change in our lives
God will show this unto you
Right, isn't that what he said there god shall reveal even this unto you if there if you in anything you be otherwise minded
I mean if we have a mind maybe that's
In conflict with the word of god god will reveal that unto us
if there's something that we think or opinion that we have or
A philosophy that we have or whatever it is if that comes into conflict
With god, you know god will reveal that through his word through conviction of the holy ghost
Go to hebrews chapter number 13 hebrews chapter 13, so I guess what i'm trying to say here at the end is this is that perfection
Is a process
Perfection is not this sinless state that we somehow magically achieve in this life. What
Walking before god and being perfect. He's talking about a process there, right?
Because you think with abraham he's you know, what did abraham want wanted his son when you read that chapter
He's asking for ishmael to be his heir god's saying no i'm going to give you a son of your own loins
It's going to be the son of promise of of from sarah and he kind of laughs and mocks, right?
But what he's saying is i'm going to
Complete this i'm going to you know, make you perfect in this way, right?
Make you perfect in this way, right?
If you walk with me walk before me and be thou perfect be thou completed
As you walk with me, right?
So perfection is a process, you know something
That we go through it's not something that just happens but it only happens
When we have a walk with god, okay
Hebrews chapter 13 verse 20 now the peace of the god of peace
That brought again the dead of our from the excuse me that brought again from the dead our lord. Jesus christ
That great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting confident make you perfect
In every good work to do his will
You know god is going to perfect us
To every good work to do his will that's what it means to be perfect
It means to do the will of god, right?
Working you that which is well pleasing in his sight
If being perfected is a process, you know, what it looks like is that we're doing the work of god
We're completing it through jesus christ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
You know again
It's just this idea that
We're never going to be some sin in some sinless state, you know being perfected is something it's called the christian life
You know, it's achieved by having a walk with god
And the fact is that we're never always we're never going to be all that we should be
We're just not
Okay
We're never going to be everything that we should be for the lord
It's just not going to happen
But if we're striving to do that
You know, we can at least be guaranteed that we're going to be better than we were
You know, why go through the christian life? Why continue to serve god? Why continue to present your body that living sacrifice?
So that I can be better than I was
You know, i'm not gonna we're not gonna be all that we should but at least we should be getting better
Okay, that's what it means to have
The love of god perfected in you
And to be you know, pressing toward that mark. It's getting better. We're never going to be perfect
But we will always you know, we can be perfected. We can be going through that process. Let's go ahead and pray