EXCHANGING WHO WE ARE FOR WHO WE WERE MEANT TO BE
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
When I started this series of discussions with you I actually had no idea how deeply in grounded the concept of our separation against one another has gone. The world has continued to bombard us with the idea of developing cliques of people who agree with one another on a few things, and then pick those people against other groups who may question their logic, thoughts, and perhaps motives.
I have found that there is really only one perfect relationship between us and God, and that relationship is always dictated by God, and not by man. This week I want to begin a discussion with you about who it is that we have been created to be. I can tell you from the outset that it is not who we have become as people so far in this life, but rather who God is trying to direct us to be. In the life and in the ministry of Jesus Christ we have been shown exactly what we need to do to develop a spiritual perfection.
1. Jesus has shown us what a perfect relationship between us as men should be with God. First of all we are perfect because of our eternal union with a perfect Christ. That relationship with Jesus Christ can only be perfected as we become one with him. When we become his children, we are declared "not guilty", and it is because of that we are looked on as righteous. One of the greatest desires that Jesus had was that we all become one with him just as he is one with the father. It is because of what Christ has done, and the fact that he is God's beloved son that we even have a chance to have a relationship father at all. It is this perfection in our relationship that becomes absolute and unchangeable and it is this perfect relationship that guarantees that we will one day be completely perfect. We can see this in Colossians 2:8-10 and in Hebrews 10:8-14.
2. We cannot be perfected spiritually unless we are willing to subject ourselves to God's perfect progress in helping us to grow up spiritually. We can grow and mature spiritually as we continue to trust Christ, learn more about him, and draw closer to him. One of the biggest things that we need in this concept of perfect progress is to obey him. The progress that we make in becoming mature in Christ is one that changes over time. It is not like that ironclad relationship that we have through Christ and with God the father. The pathway that we take to grow to ward maturity varies in many ways. There are seasons of growth, and there are seasons of development but God's word tells us that we are always growing toward perfection if we"continue to press on" Philippians 3:12. As is in every case we will find people who gravitate toward good works to demonstrate their perfected maturity in Christ, but these good deeds do not perfect us; rather, as God perfects us, we will tend to do good deeds in his name but they will be more like a byproduct of our relationship in Christ.
Philippians 3:1-15. There will be a time when Christ returns to take us into his eternal kingdom that we will all be glorified and made completely perfect according to Philippians 3:20-21 but until that time we have a personal responsibility in perfecting our unity with Christ, and our relationship with the father that is best described in Romans 12:1-2 "therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, is good and pleasing and perfect will." It is my prayer that in this coming year we can all find that unity in Christ; that perfection in relationship and in the progress that we each one make toward spiritual maturity. May you richly bless God through your life in him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
When I started this series of discussions with you I actually had no idea how deeply in grounded the concept of our separation against one another has gone. The world has continued to bombard us with the idea of developing cliques of people who agree with one another on a few things, and then pick those people against other groups who may question their logic, thoughts, and perhaps motives.
I have found that there is really only one perfect relationship between us and God, and that relationship is always dictated by God, and not by man. This week I want to begin a discussion with you about who it is that we have been created to be. I can tell you from the outset that it is not who we have become as people so far in this life, but rather who God is trying to direct us to be. In the life and in the ministry of Jesus Christ we have been shown exactly what we need to do to develop a spiritual perfection.
1. Jesus has shown us what a perfect relationship between us as men should be with God. First of all we are perfect because of our eternal union with a perfect Christ. That relationship with Jesus Christ can only be perfected as we become one with him. When we become his children, we are declared "not guilty", and it is because of that we are looked on as righteous. One of the greatest desires that Jesus had was that we all become one with him just as he is one with the father. It is because of what Christ has done, and the fact that he is God's beloved son that we even have a chance to have a relationship father at all. It is this perfection in our relationship that becomes absolute and unchangeable and it is this perfect relationship that guarantees that we will one day be completely perfect. We can see this in Colossians 2:8-10 and in Hebrews 10:8-14.
2. We cannot be perfected spiritually unless we are willing to subject ourselves to God's perfect progress in helping us to grow up spiritually. We can grow and mature spiritually as we continue to trust Christ, learn more about him, and draw closer to him. One of the biggest things that we need in this concept of perfect progress is to obey him. The progress that we make in becoming mature in Christ is one that changes over time. It is not like that ironclad relationship that we have through Christ and with God the father. The pathway that we take to grow to ward maturity varies in many ways. There are seasons of growth, and there are seasons of development but God's word tells us that we are always growing toward perfection if we"continue to press on" Philippians 3:12. As is in every case we will find people who gravitate toward good works to demonstrate their perfected maturity in Christ, but these good deeds do not perfect us; rather, as God perfects us, we will tend to do good deeds in his name but they will be more like a byproduct of our relationship in Christ.
Philippians 3:1-15. There will be a time when Christ returns to take us into his eternal kingdom that we will all be glorified and made completely perfect according to Philippians 3:20-21 but until that time we have a personal responsibility in perfecting our unity with Christ, and our relationship with the father that is best described in Romans 12:1-2 "therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, is good and pleasing and perfect will." It is my prayer that in this coming year we can all find that unity in Christ; that perfection in relationship and in the progress that we each one make toward spiritual maturity. May you richly bless God through your life in him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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