Christian Perfection
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”… Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect …” (Matthew 19:16, 21)
How can we become blameless? How is perfection possible? Perfection simply means completeness, living so there is nothing in me to deflect my attention from Christ, and being fully concentrated on him. It takes the Spirit of God to do that for you and for me, but he is able. If today my attention is not completely centered on Christ, it is because I have failed to let him place me in himself. When I am centered in Christ, I am free to live.
I must allow the Holy Spirit to rid my life of anything and everything that turns my focus from Christ. If the Lord Jesus is not in control of our lives, we carry in our breast something that has the capacity to crucify him. We may simply break his heart, but our disloyalty to him will ultimately separate us from him and destroy us. He has the power to perfect the love in our hearts so that he is in control and he is our Lord.
Does he have a rival inside you, or are you complete in him?
—Dennis Kinlaw,
This Day with the Master
One of my favorite Bible verses reads, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Our growing in Christ—our sanctification, as the theologians call it—is a work God does in our lives and hearts, but a work that we have a hand in, presenting ourselves to the Lord, for Him to take control, lead and guide our hearts. Today’s reading offers us a great opportunity to ask the Lord, What rivals you in my heart? What things do I cling to that I need to release? What areas am I lacking trust? And the blessing is realizing anew and afresh, how desperately we need Jesus! Pray into this subject and find the abundant grace He has in store! —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics