Michael D.R.I.V.E.: Spiritual - Perfect and Blameless

Important note: The Bible gives us several examples of people who were in God’s eyes; literally “perfect”. But for the word ‘perfect’ not to be a stumbling block to people, it must be defined. First of all, Webster’s definition for the word “perfect” is: “Being without fault or defect: flawless; satisfying all requirements.” Now, when the Lord told us to “be perfect” (Matt. 5:48, Gen. 17:1), He said to KEEP ALL OF HIS COMMANDMENTS and have NO IDOLS. (Matt. 19:17,21 ) “If you want to enter into life, keep My commandments… if you want to be PERFECT, go sell what you have” (give up your idols), “…then give to the poor… and come FOLLOW ME.” (He used that as an example for the ‘rich young ruler’ because money was in fact his idol.)

To be “Imperfect” according to ‘people’ will often be defined differently than how God Himself views imperfection. Some people call “undesirable” personality issues sin, so that they can equate it with things like fornication, lying, covetousness, etc. Personality issues are things that God works to change in us over a period of time, as we become more and more filled with His Holy Spirit, but He demands total obedience of His children in terms of the 10 commandments and NO IDOLS. He is not concerned with an occasional wrong tone of voice or whether we pick our nose or not, or an occasional upset in heavy traffic for example. These are things that change as we grow in Him. But He states that anyone who knows Him at all IS keeping His commandments. 1John 2:4; “He who says, ‘I know Him’, and does NOT keep His commandments, is a LIAR and the truth is NOT in him.” Anyone who keeps His commandments and has no idols is “perfect” in God’s site. This is why He commands us in the Bible- “Go and sin NO MORE” after He’s forgiven us of our sin (John 8:11). Personality issues may be “imperfection” to US, not Him. We consider personality “flaws” to be occasional rudeness or impatience to somebody, for example. Again, God is Not concerned about a constantly perfect tone of voice or whether we pick our nose or not, etc. Occasionally, we do offend people with our personality flaws, and again, that’s not what GOD calls imperfection. You’re not going to go to hell for picking your nose or reproving someone in traffic. What He IS concerned about is that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS and have NO IDOLS! When you totally obey Him, and are consistent about it, you are “perfect” in His sight! John 15:14; “You are My friends IF you do WHATEVER I command you.” Luke 19:27; “But those My enemies,” (His disobedient *SERVANTS) “who would not let Me rule over them, bring them here, and kill them in front of Me.” [*Vs. 13]

Here are some of His commandments to be “perfect” from both the Old and the New Testaments:

Gen. 17:1; “…Walk before me, and be perfect.”

Deut.18:13; “You shall be perfect with the LORD your God.”

Matt. 5:48; “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

Col. 4:12; “…that you may stand perfect and complete in ALL the will of God.”

Now, as promised, here are some of the examples of what He calls “perfect”…

Luke 1:6; (About Zechariah and his wife) “They were both RIGHTEOUS before God, walking in ALL the commandments and ordinances of the Lord BLAMELESS.”

Gen. 6:9; “Noah was a just man and PERFECT in his generation, and Noah walked with God.”

Job 1:1; “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was PERFECT and UPRIGHT, and one who feared God and turned away from evil.

2Pet. 2:8-9; “That righteous man (Lot) dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly…”

Here are more reasons why NO ONE has an excuse:

John 8:11; Jesus said “…Go and sin NO MORE.” (Very important: We cannot atone ourselves of what Jesus did on the cross if we knowingly continue to do what put Him there!)

1John 5:18; “We know that everyone who has been born of God DOES NOT CONTINUE TO SIN, but he KEEPS himself from sinning and that wicked one does NOT touch him!”

Psalms 37:37; “Mark the PERFECT man, and behold the UPRIGHT: for the end of that man is peace.”

2Pet. 3:14; “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, WITHOUT SPOT AND BLAMELESS.”

Acts 10:34-35; “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation, he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted by Him!”

2Chron. 16:9; “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on the behalf of them whose heart is PERFECT toward Him.”

1John 3:6,9; “Whoever ABIDES in Him does NOT sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him… Whoever has been born of God DOES NOT SIN, for His seed remains in Him; and he CANNOT SIN, because he has been born of God.”

John 15:6; “If a man does NOT abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

Prov. 28:13; “He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and FORSAKES them shall have mercy.”

Heb. 12:14; “Without holiness, NO MAN shall see God.”

Numb. 15:27-31; (But… there is a difference between sinning ‘unknowingly’, and doing something you know is wrong- but you choose to do it anyway); “If one sins through ignorance…”

Rom. 8:4,13; “That the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do NOT walk according to the flesh, but after the Spirit… for if you live after the flesh, you SHALL die: but if you through the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, you SHALL live.”

Rom 8:14; Only those that allow the Holy Spirit to LEAD them are true children of God; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Gal. 5:24; “Those who belong to Christ: have put to death the flesh and it’s desires.”

Rom 6:6; “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should No longer serve sin.”

In conclusion, it is important to realise that after we have truly been born of God, we are Not STILL hanging on to; and living with that old sin nature; that “old man” spoken of in Rom. 6:6 above. We WERE controlled by that nature before we came to know Christ; but NOW we are SAINTS OF GOD, our wills crucified, surrendered to God’s will, and sin no longer has control over us. We have a new nature that hates it, and we have the Holy Spirit who empowers us to sin No more, as Jesus commands us. Just as Billy Graham says, “We hate what we used to love, and we love what we used to hate.” If we are ever tempted to sin, we will always have the power to say “No” through the power of the Holy Spirit, who Now lives in us. 1Cor. 10:13; “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Therefore, none of us have ANY excuse for sinning, because we ALWAYS have a way out, praise God! It’s ALWAYS a matter of OUR CHOICE, and the choices we make HERE determine whether we will have eternal life THERE! We will always answer to God for our choices. Eternal life IS a CHOICE… and so is death!

Deut. 30:19; I call Heaven and earth as witness this day against you, that I have set before you life and death… therefore CHOOSE life, that you… may live!”

Jer. 21:8; “Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before YOU the way of life, and the way of death.”

IT IS A MATTER OF OUR CHOICE, says the Lord.

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