Category Archives: Perfection

Bible, Law, Perfection, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

PERFECT OBEDIENCE

ROMANS 10:5

“For Moses writes of the righteousness that is based on the Law, that the person who performs them will live by them.”

Have you ever known a perfectionist? I have known a few, and they were all miserable people. Why? Because no one is perfect. As hard as you try, you are going to make mistakes. I was always taught by my dad to do a job right the first time. He set high standards for his children. But he never demanded perfection. If we did our best, he was proud of us. However, he didn’t tolerate slacking off on a job. Whether that was house chores, yard work, school or in our part time jobs, he wanted us to do our very best.

Paul is referencing a passage from Leviticus 18:5 in today’s verse. “‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; I am the LORD.’” God demanded obedience to the law. Only by keeping each and every one of His commands was the Jew able to achieve righteousness. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, they could never achieve this. Paul knew that. He had tried. Only when he found Christ (or should I say, Christ found him on that Damascus Road) was he able to achieve righteousness. Not from anything he did, but only through Christ’s righteousness.

APPLICATION

I love what Benson says in his commentary about this verse. “As if the apostle had said, Moses, by showing that the law requires exact and perfect obedience for righteousness, (an obedience impossible to be performed by us in our fallen state,) may thereby convince us that righteousness is not to be attained by our own works, but only by faith in Christ.” That pretty much sums it up.  

There are a couple of words in today’s verse that deserve to be pointed out. The first is “performs” which is the common Greek verb poieó, which means to do or make. Here it is used as a participle. Perhaps it could be translated “having done these things” which ties it to the second word “lives.” In other words, having kept all the requirements of the law and thereby achieving righteousness by the law, the Jew could live by them. Sounds easy? Not so much.

Aren’t you glad we don’t have to achieve anything to receive the righteousness of Christ. Sure, we need to strive to follow all of God’s commands from Genesis to Revelation. But God knows we will never be able to achieve perfect obedience this side of heaven. Yet He loves us still. God is a perfect God of an imperfect mankind. Any perfection we achieve in following His commands is only because of His perfect Son in our lives. Amen?

Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect Son, Jesus, Who lives in and through me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Law, Perfection, Righteous, Righteousness, Romans, Scripture

DON’T PURSUE THE WRONG THINGS

ROMANS 9:31

“however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.”

Too many people strive after perfection only to fall short time and time again. Their motive is driven by their belief that they must do something themselves to achieve this. But no one is perfect or ever will be perfect. Only one perfect human being ever walked this earth – Jesus. The good news is He doesn’t expect perfection from us even though we are told to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

This was the problem with trying to achieve righteousness by following the Law. Paul knew that. He had tried to gain this righteousness by perfectly adhering to the requirements of the Law. The problem was if you could keep the whole Law and fail in just one, you were guilty of failing the whole law. The word translated as “arrive” is phthanó which is used seven times in the New Testament. It has various meanings but generally means to attain or arrive at. We’ll look at some of the other uses later.

APPLICATION

Matthew Henry says of this verse, “The Jews talked much of justification and holiness, and seemed very ambitious to be the favourites of God. They sought, but not in the right way, not in the humbling way, not in the appointed way. Not by faith, not by embracing Christ, depending upon Christ, and submitting to the gospel. They expected justification by observing the precepts and ceremonies of the law of Moses.” That’s why the Jews struggled with the fact that the Gentiles who gave their lives to Christ achieved what they had been pursuing through simple faith.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he has a section in chapter 3 that talks about his pursuit for perfection. Take a minute and read Philippians 3:12-16. It ends with these words, “however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.” He acknowledges the journey of faith includes a process of sanctification, but states that we need to live in what we have already attained. What does that mean? It means, I believe, that Paul knew his righteousness did not depend on what he could achieve. He could never achieve perfection. But Jesus saw him and sees us perfected in Him. Hallelujah!

In Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 phthanó is used to describe what Jesus taught about the kingdom’s arrival. The Topical Lexicon says, “Jesus declares that His exorcisms prove the kingdom’s present arrival, not merely future hope. Phthanō underscores immediacy: the reign of God has already overtaken His hearers.” You can celebrate your attainment of God’s righteousness in your life today. Know your identity in Him and strop pursuing things you think will gain you a perfection not necessary in the eyes of God.

Lord, I love You and thank You for seeing me as perfected already through Your righteousness.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Heaven, Jesus, Journey, Perfection, Scripture

I HAVEN’T ARRIVED

PHILIPPIANS 3:12

“Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus.”

I have some ministry colleagues who are leaving today for a trip to East Africa (Kenya and Uganda). I have made that trip more than a dozen times, so I know the grueling nature of it. It’s not just the plane rides and subsequent jetlag. It’s the layovers and delays. It’s the lost luggage and all the little things that can go wrong on the trip. So, when they reach their final destination tomorrow, I know they will be thrilled.

What has that got to do with today’s verse? Well, the word Paul uses for “become perfect” can mean “reach a final destination.” Some scholars believe that is more to what Paul is saying than claiming he isn’t perfect. No one can claim that, no matter how pious and holy they are. We can’t deny Paul’s spiritual dedication. He lived a life we should all strive for. But Paul knew he hadn’t arrived. He still had a long way to go to be like Jesus.

APPLICATION

It is true that the older we get and the more time we spend in the Word, the more we realize that we are still a work in progress. Our spouses don’t have to remind us of that. We know it. In Acts 20:24, Paul says this to the Asian believers he had called together, “‘But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace.’” The word “finish” is the same word used in today’s verse for “become perfect.”

When you reach the end of your course, your journey with Christ, then and only then will you be perfect. You will have fully matured. You will have accomplished the task. Being perfect here is our goal for which to strive. Even though we won’t achieve it, we keep striving, knowing that with each passing day we are being perfected until that glorious day when we see Jesus face to face.

In the meantime, how close do you say you are to that perfection, to having arrived? Most days I don’t feel too close. Other days I could claim a little more. The only one worthy of judging my perfection is the only One who knows true perfection. He is my judge, not you. Nor am I your judge. Only Jesus sees our “Perfection level.” Only He can make us more like Him as we submit more and more of ourselves to Him.

Father, I want to become more like the Perfect One each day. Give me the hunger to know You more.

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Bible, Completeness, Maturity, Perfection, Scripture

COMPLETE IN CHRIST

COLOSSIANS 1:28

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ.” 

I have been a follower of Christ since I was 16, but I have still not arrived. I have matured a lot since way back then, but  there is a lot I don’t understand. I am not completely complete, but yet I am positionally. Confused? Don’t be. Let’s take a look at what Paul means by today’s words to us in verse 28.

Paul is saying our aim should be to bring all followers of Christ into completion. “so that we may present every person complete in Christ.” The word “complete” is téleios. It means “going through the necessary stages to reach the end–goal,…This root (tel-) means ‘reaching the end (aim).’ It is well-illustrated with the old pirate’s telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).” (HELPS Word Studies)

APPLICATION

This word is used in Matthew 5:48 by Jesus to describe us and God. “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. What?! We’re supposed to be perfect? That’s what Jesus said. We know Jesus would not lie or exaggerate about this. Our purpose, our goal is to be like Him. He was perfect. He was complete. We should be like Him.

Paul uses this word in 1 Corinthians 2:6a, “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature;” That’s the idea that I really want to get across. Our goal each day as a Christ follower should be to grow more like Him. We should always be maturing in faith. It’s too sad that we choose sometimes to regress and go backwards.

I love how James uses this word in James 1:4 where he is speaking about the purpose of trials. “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” God allows trials in our lives to mature us, to grow us up. Enjoy the journey He has for you, knowing His plan is to make you more and more like Him.

Lord, I want to be like You. Grow me and mature me to be perfect like You.

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Bible, Correction, God's Will, Kingdom, Perfection, Purpose, Scripture, Temple

A PERFECT FIT

EPHESIANS 2:21

“in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,”

As a boy I can remember my dad working to make something fit just right. He would measure carefully (measure twice cut once rule), try the fit, and if it didn’t feel just right to him, he would pull it back apart and file or sand some more. He wanted whatever he was working on to fit right and function properly for years to come. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a perfectionist, but he was pretty close.

Did you know God is a perfectionist? Of course, you did. God is perfect. He is flawless. So why should it surprise us that anything He does is also perfect. Today’s verse uses a Greek word that is only use twice in the New Testament. In fact, both times it is used in Ephesians (today’s verse and 4:16). HELPS Word studies gives a great definition of the phrase “being fitted together.” It defines synarmologéō as “(hinged together), occurs twice in the NT (Eph 2:21, 4:16) – both times of God ‘fitly framing believers (OT, NT) into a harmonious, synergistic whole.’ That is, each individual being functioning as a part of the one people of God.”

APPLICATION

In yesterday’s blog we looked at the cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and how He fitted the two walls (Gentiles and Jews) together. Synarmologéō just goes on to complete that picture. The first part of that word is the preposition sun which is the Greek word that implies an inseparable togetherness. This “fitting together” is permanent. And the purpose of this “fitting together” is to build a permanent holy temple. This temple is not an earthly temple. No! It is a heavenly temple for all believers.

Look at what Paul said in the letter to the Galatians. 3:26-29 says, “26 For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

Listen, beloved, we are all “fitted together” to serve the Lord. The reason God brought us to Himself was to be a part of the big picture. You are important in the kingdom. He needs you to do your part, to play your role. It’s not about works. It’s about service. Will you “fit together” today? Allow God to use His tools of grace on you to make you fit perfectly.

Thank You, Lord, for all the filing and chiseling You do on me to make me more like You.

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Bible, Devil, Division, Evil, God's Will, Harmony, Identity, Perfection, Relationships, Scripture

JUST WHO ARE YOU

GALATIANS 3:28

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

There is a lot of confusion about people today. People are choosing to identify as all kinds of other people or things. I heard recently about an elementary age child who thinks they are a cat. So, the school has to supply him with a litter box. I am not kidding. Way too confusing for me.

In today’s verse, Paul simplifies things. He says, “you are all one in Christ Jesus.” No longer do they have to think like a Jew or Greek. Whether you are slave or master doesn’t matter. The societal restraints against the sexes also fade away. He was making sure they knew that we are all together now in Jesus.

APPLICATION

How do you identify? Well, I’m Baptist so I can’t associate with those Catholics. Or We Methodists cannot go to that service because it’s being led by that Lutheran guy. We still wear our labels. No one is greater than the other in Christ. We are equal. Give each other room to grow.

I believe Paul says it best in Ephesians 4:4-6. “4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” We are one. We are united in Christ. We no longer need to be separated into classes or groups.

So, why do we have all these Christian denominations? I get asked that sometime by non-believers. They wonder why we can’t all get along. Good question. But as long as we are here on this earth, we are going to have divisions. Let’s strive to unite. Let’s strive to present a united front against the evil one. We are one!

Lord, thank You for showing me who I am. I know I am in You and You are in me.

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Bible, God's Will, Modeling, Perfection, Scripture, Strength, Suffering, Testimony, Testing

WHAT ARE YOU SUFFERING FOR?

GALATIANS 3:4

“Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

Raise your hand if you are suffering right now? That wasn’t very many. Let’s try that again. Just kidding. I can’t really see your hands raised. But if I asked each of you individually that same question, you may respond in the affirmative. Perhaps you are suffering for your faith right now. You may face ridicule and scorn from family or friends. Your employer may harass you because of your Christian stance on issues. If that is your case, then Paul asks you a question today.

As Paul addressed the Galatian believers, he asked them this question we find in today’s verse. Many of them had suffered for turning to Christ. Some of them may have lost everything to follow Jesus. If they had not personally suffered, they probably knew someone who had. Suffering in the first century for Jesus was not an uncommon thing. Is it worth it today?

APPLICATION

In Philippians 1:29, Paul says this about the issue of suffering. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,” How about Romans 5:3-4. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

There’s a purpose in our sufferings. Recently, I was with someone who is going through a tough physical challenge. I told them that God allows us to go through things in our lives for a couple of reasons. One is to draw us to Himself. He will often use our life experiences to show Himself to us and call us into His family. Secondly, as believers, I believe He uses suffering to refine us and make us more like Jesus.

Paul is reminding the Galatians believers that their suffering was not in vain. God had brought them so far for a purpose. He had proven that He was all they needed. Why go back to the fleshly way of living? Why go back to trying to earn your way to heaven? God was and will always be all we need. He has given us direct access to the throne through His Son, Jesus. Simply rest in Him.

O Lord, You are all I need. I thank You that You consider me worthy of suffering for Your name.

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Bible, Blessing, Perfection, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Salvation, Scripture

PERFECTED

GALATIANS 3:3

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

I have never met a perfect person. No one can claim that status. Well, there is one – Jesus, but I am talking about us regular, old ordinary, run-of-the-mill people. I have seen a baseball pitcher pitch a perfect game. I have seen golfers play a perfect round of golf (by that I mean playing at or under par). But I have never seen a perfect human being who has never made a mistake.

Paul continues in today’s verse with his questions. After calling them foolish again (do you think that got their attention?), he asks them if they think they can perfect themselves through the Law. That’s what he means by “are you now being perfected by the flesh.” Paul knew, all too well, that there was no way to keep all the Law. If you failed at even one law, you were guilty of failing them all. One step forward, two steps back.

APPLICATION

So, what can we do? Do we just give up and say Well, I gave it my best shot! No, goodness no. We have a way of escape. We have a path to perfection. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “‘Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” What?! Perfect?! That’s what He said. So, how is that supposed to happen.

Hebrews 10:14 gives us a wonderful promise. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” You see, we can do nothing to be perfected. But Jesus, through His sacrifice, has already perfected us. Isn’t that incredible? There is never any reason for us to beat ourselves up and say we are failures. No! If we are in Christ, He has perfected us.

I joke a lot about being perfect, but I know I am far from it. I fail miserably every day. My flesh is wicked and corrupt. Now, before you start pointing your finger at me, take a look at your own self. We are all guilty of sin. Praise the Lord that He has taken all that upon Himself and has made us perfect in His eyes.

Words will never say enough to thank You, Lord, for the sacrifice which gave me perfection.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Conceit, Deceit, Deception, Fighting, Flesh, Perfection, Safety, Scripture

BENT SIGHTS

HOSEA 7:16

“They turn, but not upward, they are like a loose bow; their officials will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.”

If you have read my blogs for any length of time, you know I love to hunt. I normally hunt with a gun, but during archery season, I hunt with a crossbow. I have spent time zeroing in that crossbow. I set up a target at different distances and practice shooting to make sure I can hit what I am shooting at when the time comes. There’s nothing much more frustrating than to have a great weapon and not have it sighted so you can shoot well.

Hosea compares Israel to such a weapon – a loose bow. A loose bow will not shoot the arrow correctly. It will miss its target. It won’t hit what you aim at because the bow is deceiving you. Not only is that frustrating, but it’s also dangerous. If you are facing an enemy, you want to be able to stop them with that bow. If you can’t shoot straight, you’re in trouble.

APPLICATION

Are you a straight shooter? Is your heart aimed toward God? If we aren’t consistent in our quiet times and our prayer lives, we will begin to get off mark. We will begin to target the wrong things. Our aim will be off. Before you know it, we are totally off course. We are pursuing the wrong things. God is no longer in our view. How did that happen?

You see, our sights can be just slightly off and cause us to miss God. It doesn’t take much. Just a little distraction can cause it. Our minds start to drift. We put off our quiet times. We neglect for a few days our time with the Lord. Whamo! We are off. We have to set our sights afresh each day. We have to make sure Satan hasn’t moved in and “tweaked” our sights to make us miss. Be sure your aim is right.

I heard about a golfer this week who had an awful putting experience in his last tournament. Before he played in his next tournament, he was complaining about it. Someone asked him about his putter. It was only then that he noticed his putter was bent. There was no way he could have putted straight with it. Check out your tools and make sure you are aiming correctly.

Father, You are the only true way to measure whether I am shooting straight or not. I depend on You to be my guide.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Commitment, Deception, Disciplemaking, Faithfulness, Following, Foolishness, Inspirational, Obedience, Perfection, Scripture, Surrender

PANCAKES

HOSEA 7:8

“Ephraim is himself thrown about with the nations; Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.”

I love pancakes, those golden brown, circular cakes from heaven. I love to put fruit in mine (blueberries, bananas, coconut). I have made pancakes for decades. My little girl loved them, too. But you have to cook them correctly for them to be good. You have to learn when to flip them on the skillet and cook the other side as well or they are no good. They are worthless.

Ephraim is being compared to a pancake in today’s verse. That round loaf was called an uggah, which literally means disc cake. It was cooked over coals and if not flipped, it would be burned on one side and doughy on the other. Ephraim was compared to this worthless, half-cooked uggah. Not very appetizing and certainly not good to eat.

APPLICATION

We were all like that, before Christ. Our life was centered on ourselves. We didn’t follow the Lord. We didn’t even know we were being scorched on one side like an unflipped pancake. We were destined for the trash can. Our lives, before Jesus enters our hearts, had no real meaning, especially nothing eternal. And we were clueless.

But once Christ enters our lives, everything changes. You see, when we surrender to Him, He watches over us, just like we watch over that cooking pancake. We know when to flip it to bring it to perfection. Jesus knows when to “flip” us to bring us to perfection. But notice something – it requires heat to cook that pancake. Jesus will also apply heat to us to bring us to that point of perfection. I bet you never thought of yourself as a pancake before.

There are worse things to be compared to. Pancakes are warm and delicious, especially after you drizzle a little pancake syrup on them. Man, I’m getting hungry just writing this, lol. The next time you eat pancakes, think about Hosea 7:8. It might just change the way you see breakfast and your life.

Lord, I trust You to “flip” me when it’s time. I know You are watching the heat You are applying to make me more like You.

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