PERFECTION IN CHRIST How can we end without heralding the glad news of our coming perfection? When the grand purpose of God is brought to its culmination, we shall be perfect in every sense of the word. There will be no experiential flaw in any sense or any part of our persons! Spirit, soul, and body- -we shall be perfect at last! Until then, we are reckoned already perfect because of our faith in Christ. We are also in the process of being perfected by God in every aspect of our persons. We are entering joyfully into the work by the power of the Spirit. However, we long to be free from every vestige of imperfection! We Wait For The Hope of Righteousness Now righteousness is imputed to us through our faith. It has made us acceptable to God. We are received in His sanctuary, and can obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need (Heb 4:15-16). But there is another law in our members, warring against the law of our minds, and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin and death that is in our members (Rom 7:23). Like Paul, we acknowledge that we have not yet attained. "Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:12). Presented To God Without Fault Do you doubt your participation in this glorious perfection? Your faith must rest in the Lord, not in your efforts! God has started something in you, and He is capable of completing it. Jesus is the "Author and the Finisher of our faith," and He only requires your consent to finalize the work (Heb 12:2).
Devotion 14 of 15
Jesus will receive a bride that is without spot. That is the Divine objective, and it is refreshing to contemplate the time when it will occur. The Lord Jesus cleansed the church in order "That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:27).
We are not utterly frustrated by our condition. The Holy Spirit enables us to wage a good warfare, all the while anticipating our complete liberation. Scripture states it this way. "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Gal 5:5). That "hope of righteousness" will be realized when the Lord Jesus returns for us. As it is written, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:1-3, NASB). There we have all three senses of perfection! We are now the children of God- -perfect now! We are purifying ourselves--being made perfect! We shall be like Him--ultimate perfection!
Jude completed his book by calling us to the foundation. If you have wondered whether or not you will be able to hold out to the end, this word is for you! If you are discouraged by your failures, and want them no more, this word is for you! It is a true word, and it will sustain you. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
The Lord can "keep you from falling." Through your faith and by His grace, He can keep you standing in the true grace of God! There is no need for you to fail, because nothing is able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:36-39). "Cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart" and you will avoid the snares of the devil!
The Lord can "present you faultless before His throne." If ever you want to be without fault, it will be then! Do you believe God is able to do this? Labor to believe it, because it is the truth. What Jesus has accomplished in His death and resurrection provides God a reason to do this, as well as a basis to do it righteously!
Believe that God can "keep you from falling," and "present you faultless before His throne" - - and do it with you having "exceeding joy!" If you have lived by faith and walked in the Spirit, you will not stand in fear and trembling before the throne of God. God is able to stand you there with "exceeding joy!" That is a joy that ever increases, filling your whole person. That will not be a "high," so to speak; i.e., something that will wane and finally dissipate. That is the kind of joy we experience here, but it shall not be so then. We will have exceeding joy because at last we will stand "faultless" before the One who redeemed us to Himself.
-- Tomorrow: WILD GRAPES --