Thursday, August 15, 2013

August 16, 2013

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” Hebrews 12:14
 
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8
 
I put out the challenge for perfection last Sunday.
 
What, me, perfect?
 
Yes, you!
 
How can that be?
 
Understand it is not perfection of performance.
 
What is it then?
 
First, it is a purity of heart.
 
Joan Mills enjoyed a bedtime ritual with her little boy. They each compared how much they loved each other. She said, “I wouldn’t trade you for all the boys in the world.”Then he creatively compared his love for her by saying, “I wouldn’t trade you for forty motorcycles,” or, “I wouldn’t trade you for Aunt Judi’s pool if it were filled with cash and I was swimming in it.” Joan says one comparison has stood out above all others. One time little Andy said, “I love you with all the pieces of my heart.” 
 
Does your heart ever feel like it’s in pieces? Maybe it has been broken by disappointment, or torn by decisions, priorities, and tasks. Andy is right, our hearts are made of many different pieces. The question is, how many of those pieces will be devoted to loving God and others? “You shall love the Lord your God with all the pieces of your heart . . .”
 
God, through the grace of Jesus Christ can forgive your sins and bring you into right relationship with Him. And then, you can have your sinful nature cleansed by the blood of Jesus and made morally pure when the Holy Spirit fills you.
 
Second, it is a perfection of love. Because His Spirit controls you and your will is one with His will, you have the purest of motives – LOVE for God and LOVE for others!
 
Third, it is perfection of position. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus….” Ephesians 2:6.
 
If you could be made perfect and if you should be made perfect, why wouldn’t you be made perfect?