Perfectionism

God tells us in His word to be perfect even as He is perfect (Matt. 5:48), so I guess that means we have to be perfect, right? Wrong. This perfection is the result, not the process. God knows we are sinners, saved by His grace alone (Eph. 2:8), but He also expects us to grow in our Christian walk. 

Just as a child grows from infancy to toddlerhood and finally to adulthood, so we are to grow from salvation to perfection. The theological term is sanctification, and that is simply allowing God to work through us to bring us to spiritual maturity. We do not expect our children to have the skill or understanding beyond their maturity level, but we expect them to mature and acquire skills and knowledge.

It is the same with our Heavenly Father. Once we are born into His family, we are expected to be babes in the faith, longing for the pure milk of His Word (1 Pet. 2:2), but as we mature, we put aside childish things and begin to long for the meat of the word (Heb. 5:13-14). We want to dig deeper; we long to know the reason and the how behind the glorious promises He gave us. 

Interestingly, the same Greek word is translated as perfect and mature. Those who are spiritually mature will be perfected in Christ Jesus. They will be complete in Him and have moral maturity and character. Yes, even wisdom and discernment. Just as a child moves from a tricycle to a bicycle to a car, so we should move from simply reading stories to understanding the character and flaws of the people in the Bible. We should learn from the lessons they learned so we do not have to repeat them. 

A popular saying is, "Choose the hill you are willing to die on." In childishness or maturity, that hill will change. It is for the mature to help the children choose wisely. 

The mature Christian will understand that even though we are all one family, we will have disagreements. Those disagreements should be broken into two categories - heaven or hell issues and everything else. If the dispute is based on eternal destiny - the Deity of Jesus, for example- it is a hill worth dying on. If it is not eternally based - the method of baptism, for example, then we should learn from each other and perhaps change our perspective or agree to disagree. 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to maturity, guide my footsteps ever closer 

to you and your will in my life.

Please help me give grace to those with whom I disagree and

the wisdom to know when I need to review and revise my understanding.

Thank you for bringing me closer to the perfection found in Jesus Christ,

In Christ alone,

Amen

The Catalyst

 I have read the whole Bible through many, many times. I have a degree in Christian Studies and consider myself well-versed in Scripture. Yet, I was humbled and dumbfounded today. 

"But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus." John 12:10-11 NASB

Wait! What? The same people plotting to put Jesus to death wanted to put Lazarus to death too? Why had I not seen this in my previous readings? More importantly, why did they want Lazarus dead? After all, he was a village neighbor, a brother to Mary and Martha—a friend. 

This was the last straw, or sign if you will. The Jewish leadership knew the Messiah would be known by the miracles He would perform. Jesus had already caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. He had healed lepers, a woman who had an issuance of blood and even raised others from the dead. Why was Lazarus different?

The physicians and magicians of the day also performed some signs and wonders. The difference is Lazarus had been dead for four days. Not four minutes or hours so to claim he was not dead at all, but four days. If you have hunted or been around dead animals, you know they start to smell in a few hours. In four days, rotten flesh is rank; it seems like the odor permeates your clothing and even your very pores. So Lazarus was not just dead; he was rotting. 

The fact that Lazarus was alive proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, other family and friends, and professional mourners witnessed Jesus' miracle. John writes that because of Lazarus, many came to believe in Jesus. The Jewish leadership was about to lose its power and prestige. Lazarus must also die - again.

John then goes directly into Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. I had not connected the raising of Lazarus and the triumphal entry so closely before. The two events were separated by two, maybe three weeks at the most. Lazrus' resurrection set into motion the rest of Jesus' earthy ministry. His hour had come. In less than a week, Jesus would be dead. 

Friends, life can shift in the blink of an eye. Events can change the focus of our lives in an instant. But, it does not have to be as dramatic as a friend raised from the dead. It can be a quiet phone call or a chance encounter with a stranger. Who will you turn to when life gets in the way of your plans? Turn to the One who is never surprised by circumstances. 

Lord God, Creator, and Sustainer,

 Someone is reading this who may not know you.

Or they might be caught in the circumstances of life. 

We all need You, Father. We need to know that You

hold the world, and our lives, together. 

The future does not surprise You or challenge You.

You knew Lazarus' resurrection would lead directly to the Cross

Yet you did not hold back. 

As we go into Holy Week, I praise you for your Mercy and Grace

I pray that all who do not know You will turn to You 

that they will find peace and comfort in Your arms.

In Christ alone

Amen