PERFECTION IN CHRIST Man was not made to be imperfect. Sin inducted a plummet from the Divine image and intent. Coming short of "the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) may be common, but it is an abnormality from the standpoint of God's purpose. Believers must not allow themselves to become accustomed to sinning and imperfection. A sense of discontent must grip our hearts as we contemplate our own shortcomings. Whenever they surface, we must run to Christ, acknowledging our sin and receiving forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:7,9; 2:1). We must not allow sin to keep us from God. If we do, it will dominate us. If we do not, we will conquer it.
Devotion 3 of 15
To be unlike God in any way cannot be justified, nor does He allow us to be content in such a fallen condition. Ungodliness, or ungodlikeness, puts one into a state of eternal jeopardy. An acute awareness of this remains in every one whose conscience is not seared.
The unlawful quest for fleshly gratification is evidence of basic dissatisfaction and discontent. This confirms the nature of mankind reflects Divine objective, even though corruption has rendered man incapable of realizing God's real intent for him.
Made in God's image, no person can find fulfillment short of fellowship with the living God. Perfection is demanded by the human constitution itself. To put it another way, God created mankind for a fellowship with Himself that is not enjoyed by any of His other creatures. That intent involves the "perfection" of which I speak, and it is reflected in our very nature. Although man seeks gratification and maturity in unlawful ways, yet the very fact that he seeks it shows a propensity to improvement. That improvement, and ultimate perfection, can only be realized in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul expressed it well in his testimonial to the Philippians. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:12-14, NIV).
The Apostle, dominated by personal faith, was not content with imperfection. He knew Christ "took hold" of him for a high and noble purpose, and he wanted to fully attain to it. Confirming this was not an attitude peculiar to himself, he added, "All of us who are mature ("perfect," KJV) should take such a view of things" (Phil 3:15a). This is not, of course, an option for the believer. It is the ONLY acceptable posture for life!
Outside of Christ there is a sense of incompleteness. While dominated by sin, that sense is defiled and characterized by a fundamental ignorance of our need. Thus the sinner engages in unlawful pursuits, all the while imagining he will be better when they are hopefully attained.
In Christ Jesus, a greater clarity of our situation is realized. We are apprised by God Himself that His predetermined intention is to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). In salvation, that conformity begins, as we are changed from one stage of glory to another, "even as by the Spirit of our God" (2 Cor 3:18). By nature we sensed we needed something. In Grace we know what it is, and enter joyfully into the process. That process is nothing less than one in which we are being perfected.
-- Tomorrow: PREFIGURED IN THE LAW --