perfection

God believes in equal justice.

God believes in equal justice.

Job 24

There is a lot of talk about justice these days—especially in the "enlightened" and "educated" culture of the West. And this topic of discussion is not limited to any particular arena. You hear it discussed both inside and outside of the church. There are a lot of different ideas about justice. What is it? When is it achieved? How is it achieved? Is justice achieved at the level of treatment (that is, how people are treated) or at the level of outcomes (that is, what happens to people)?

God is speaking.

God is speaking.

2 Chronicles 34

Once again, a king in Judah (Josiah, this time) was trying to reform the spiritual state of the nation. After years of idol worship and evil-doing kings (with little respite in between), here was a king who was determined to seek God and do things His way. And in the process of restoring the temple, the chief priest found the Book of the Law. Apparently, it had been lost—either accidentally or intentionally. Either way, when Josiah heard what was in the Book of the Law, he was quite distraught. He tore his robes and wept.

God is looking for willingness.

God is looking for willingness.

1 Kings 15

There is a lot of controversy in Christian circles over the issue of obedience to the law, sanctification, perfection, etc. Some people say that perfect obedience to God’s law is required for salvation. Others say that the law was nailed to the cross with Jesus, so there is no law to keep. Still others say that Jesus kept the law perfectly so we wouldn’t have to. He keeps it for us. To be blunt, I think they’re all wrong.

God doesn't do anything halfway.

God doesn't do anything halfway.

1 Kings 8

One of the best lessons I learned from my father was that if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing all the way. I don’t think this was anything he ever sat me down and told me. Rather, I learned it from watching him. Whatever he undertook, no matter what it was, he did to the very best of his ability. There was no "halfway" with him. There was no mediocre. Everything he did, he did it to the fullest and the finest. Even the little things, the kinds of things that most people would do halfway and then say That’s good enough.

God uses imperfect people.

God uses imperfect people.

1 SAMUEL 27

Are you imperfect? Great! You’re a prime candidate to be used by God! He loves to recruit and use imperfect people in His unfolding plan for this Earth. Well, okay, I guess He really doesn’t have much of a choice. If He wants to use humans, He will have to settle for imperfect ones. But I suppose He could have chosen to do things without us... or made us so we couldn’t screw up in the first place (i.e. without freedom). I’m glad God chose to do it the way He did.

Righteousness By Faith {gn15:6}

Photo © Unsplash/Mohamed Nohassi

Photo © Unsplash/Mohamed Nohassi

Abram was regarded as perfect because he
believed what God had said. He trusted in
the unbelievable promises the
Lord had made to him,
and he was set right with God
that very moment. The Creator who
made us wants only this: for us to know
him and to trust that he will always do
right by us. If we have that sort of friendship
with him, there's nothing our miracle-working
God can't accomplish in us.

 

God gives the full treatment.

God gives the full treatment.

EXODUS 29

As part of the process of ordaining Aaron and his sons to be priests over Israel, they were to be sprinkled with blood: "Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet." (vs 19-20)

God doesn't demand perfection.

God doesn't demand perfection.

GENESIS 20

Abraham, friend and prophet of God, was apparently a slow learner. It hadn’t been that long since he and Sarah lived in Egypt, and here he is, once again, telling the same lies to Abimelech, king of Gerar!

I was genuinely puzzled by this chapter of the Bible. I mean, Abraham already went through this in Egypt with Pharaoh. He told the lie about Sarah because he was afraid of what would happen to him, and it ended up looking like God dealt more severely with Pharaoh instead of dealing with Abraham, who told the lies in the first place.