Living in the Spirit

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This is the 7th sermon in a series of messages on sanctification. The texts I used were Luke 11:13 and 1 Thess. 3:9-10.

Written Excerpts:

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, ¹⁰  night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Introduction:

As we look into God’s Word today we are continuing our discussion of sanctification, which we have been doing for 6 Sundays. To begin today I would like to read a fictional story created by Dr. John Oswalt in order to illustrate a passage found in Romans 6:16-18 which speaks about being freed from slavery to sin and made “slaves” to righteousness.

“Imagine this picture. Sitting on a curb along the street of a great city is a woman dressed in rags. Her hair hangs in greasy strings. Her skin seems impregnated with dirt. She stares around her with insolent eyes. Suddenly there is a flourish of trumpets. Around a corner comes the gilded carriage of the prince of that kingdom. He is a handsome young man of power and grace and all the princesses of the surrounding kingdoms have set their caps for him. As the carriage passes the spot where the woman is sitting, the prince suddenly calls out to the driver, ‘Stop!’ As the carriage slides to a stop, the prince says to one of the footmen, ‘Do you see that woman? That’s the woman I want to marry. Ask her if she is willing, and if she will come to live in the palace until our wedding day can be arranged.’

“Now the scene shifts. We go to the palace on the wedding day. We are in the bride’s chamber. And what do we see? There sits the bride cross-legged in the middle of the beautiful bed stuffing her mouth with candy. She is still in her rags; her hair still hangs down in greasy strings; her skin is still the color of earth. Around her are the ladies-in-waiting with the gown, the soaps, and the perfumes. At one side is the hairdresser. One of the ladies finally says hesitantly, ‘My lady, don’t—don’t you want to get ready?’ but the woman’s answer comes out harshly through her full mouth. ‘He liked me well enough when I was sitting in the gutter like this, so I guess he can marry me like this, too.’

“Yes, there was nothing I did to deserve his love. He saw me in the gutter, in my rags, and in my filth, and he said, ‘I love you. You are my bride.’ So what will I say? … ‘Well, rags were good enough for him in the beginning. I guess they will be good enough for him all the way.’ Never! Rather, I will say, ‘Oh, don’t you have some stronger soap? I need something that will get all this grime and grease off me. Don’t you have a wire brush I can use on my fingernails? And that is lovely perfume, but don’t you have something even more elegant? He deserves the best! How he could have ever loved me I don’t know, but today I will be all I can be for him.’ Everyone else looking at her said, ‘What a worthless wench.’ But the Prince saw his bride. Shall we persist in our rags, our grime—our sins? Not at all!.... We must not sin, because we cannot return again to the slavery of sin when he has called us his bride.” (Taken from Called to Be Holy)

This made-up story illustrates what seems to be the attitude of many professing Christians who are not concerned about the lack of transformation in their lives. I believe God’s Word is so clear regarding the change that spiritual birth brings about, that I would be so bold as to say this: “If a transformation has not been taking place in my life, revealing more and more evidence of it in my conduct and attitudes, then there really has never been a new birth take place, no matter how much I may have claimed it.”

We’ve been trying to show in the Bible how God has marvelously and graciously saved us from the consequences of sin and made us His own children. Or, to use the analogy we started with, He has chosen us to be His bride. But the Bible is also clear that God’s purpose and intention is to change us so radically that we can enjoy fellowship in His presence as He transforms us more and more into the likeness of His character. He takes us as we are, so that He can make us like He is.

Last Sunday, we spoke about the need for and the privilege of being baptized with the Spirit; a blessing that prophets predicted would come through the ministry of the Messiah. It is the indwelling Spirit of God that makes it possible for our stony hearts to be changed to hearts of flesh, and for our spirit of harlotry to be changed to a spirit of fidelity and loyalty to God and God alone.

However, it is even more extensive in its power and effectiveness. The Spirit of God can transform us so thoroughly that it affects our lives and our behavior day in and day out. It is a pattern of life that is lived in the Spirit.

Transition: What does it mean to talk about living in the Spirit and how is it manifested?

Proposition: We are going to look at Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to discover the deeper need that they had, the message of hope that Paul offered, and the expected effects of this deeper life.

(Again this morning, I want to say I’m indebted to Dr. John Oswalt for many of the ideas that I will be sharing today, as has been the case all through this series.)

I.    The Need for a Deeper Level of Faith

A.  Some background information

One of Paul’s earliest letters (as was Galatians). These two letters being his earliest, give us a glimpse at a typical pattern he repeats over and over in subsequent letters. Gives us insight into Paul’s basic concern for new converts in the early days of their Christian walk of faith.

Paul begins with expressions of prayer for them and commendations to them.

B.  Commendations for Their Current Spiritual Status

They are commended for:

·     Their response to his preaching (1:6-10)

·     Their joy in their new-found faith (1:6)

·     Their response to opposition and persecution (1:6)

·     Their faith is reported by others who witnessed it (1:8-9)

C.  The Lack in Their Faith

Paul has commended them for several reasons in chapter 1. He has reviewed his own ministry among them and his ardent desire to return and visit them in chapter 2. And in chapter 3 he notes his decision to find out how they’re doing by sending Timothy, who has returned with glowing reports.

We might expect Paul to say that now it is no longer necessary for him to come. But that is not what he says. Rather, he says he is earnestly praying that God will grant him the opportunity to come to them and “perfect what is lacking in their faith.”

“lacking” – a. The basic sense “to come too late,” “to fail to attain;” b. With reference to circumstances, hysteréō means “to lack.” (e.g. rich young ruler); c. The most common sense in the NT is “to be in want.” This is the prodigal’s plight in Luke 15:14; (TDNT: Abridged in One Volume.)

So Paul is identifying a lack or want that still exists in their spiritual development. Paul realizes that the new Christians need to take “the next step of faith” to trust God for a deeper work of the Spirit in their lives.

II.  The Hope for a Deeper Level of Faith

Paul not only expresses a knowledge of what they lack, but he expresses hope for its achievement; that what they need is definitely available to them.

A.  Hope Expressed in Paul’s Tone

Paul’s statement is one of expectation and anticipation. He intends to come and convey to them a message that will provide an additional understanding and experience in the grace of God. What they had experienced and “achieved” in faith so far was great, but God had more.

So Paul wants to “perfect what is lacking.”

“perfect” – The fundamental meaning is to put a thing in its appropriate condition, to establish, set up, equip, arrange, prepare, mend. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, Zodhiates)

Paul anticipates the time when he can teach them more spiritual truths and lead them into a greater level of love and holiness.

B.  Hope is Based in God’s Work

The Apostle is optimistic that they would be able to experience a whole new level or capacity of love toward one another just as they had witnessed in Paul’s life. He is also optimistic that they could be established (made firm or solid) in holiness to a level of being blameless (from our previous discussions regarding perfection, = all that it was meant to be, nothing defective).

The verbs that are used in verses 12 & 13 are in the Greek verb tense that indicates completed action rather than action that is continuous and ongoing. They are also in a verb form that expresses a strong wish or possibility, which is indicated by the English word “may.”

So Paul’s desire to come and see them is for the express purpose of providing or supplying what is still lacking in their faith, means that God can grant them a whole new level of love and a deeper life of holiness that will prepare them for the coming of the Lord; whenever that may be.

 (Oswalt) The fact that Paul is presenting this message in the context of a “lack in their faith” shows that Paul is not merely giving them a “pep talk” and encouraging them to try a little harder. If God’s will for His people to be holy in their behavior is to be realized, it will take more than simply trying harder… It is matter of the Spirit doing His work, and that is a matter of faith.

Paul has warned both the Galatians and the Romans about the legalism and hypocrisy that results when we rely on human efforts to be righteous simply by “trying harder.” When the Holy Spirit does His work in us it produces a life with some noticeable effects.

III. The Expected Effects of the Deeper Life

What are the areas that would be affected if they would exercise this level of faith?

A.  Sexuality (4:3-8)

Sexual desire is one of the strongest desires that God gave to us. However, unless God’s Spirit does something for us, we will be mastered and destroyed by the inappropriate expressions of sexuality.

The practices of the pagan world often included gross immorality as a part of their idolatry. God’s people are to be marked by a distinct separation from the pagan world by understanding that God intended for our sexuality to be sacred, and expressed only in the context of marriage as He designed it.

The same kind of faith they exercised to be forgiven can now be exercised further to give them victory over sexual passions.

B.  Brotherly love (4:9-10)

Urging them (and us) to exercise a level of faith that enables us to overcome the “flesh” which turns everything back upon itself and prevents us from freely giving ourselves away without always questioning whether we will get our love back with interest or not. (Compare 5:12-15)

Paul wants us to forget the question, “What can these people do for me?” and instead ask, “What has God given me for these, the idle, the timid, the weak?” (see 5:14)

C. Self-Discipline (4:11-12)

It is not enough to “turn over a new leaf.” We must exercise faith and surrender to the power of the Spirit to deal with self-serving fleshly appetites.

D. Right Beliefs (4:13-5:11)

Earlier in chapter 3, Paul says that his desire was for them to be established blameless in holiness whenever Jesus appears. But now in chapter 4-5 he seems to be clarifying some of their misconceptions about the second coming. It’s as if he is saying that they must avoid the opposite extreme of thinking that their beliefs don’t really matter as long as their hearts are right. So he gives them some important instruction regarding the return of Christ.

Even though the return of Christ is the subject here, we are taking it in the broader context of previous chapters to say that living in the Spirit causes us to take care that our doctrines and beliefs are truly consistent with the revelation of God’s Word.

(Oswalt) Right living rests upon right doctrine, and right doctrine is not right unless it results in right living.

Conclusion:

(Oswalt) A famous story tells of a poor man who dreamed of taking a journey on a great ocean liner. He saved his money carefully for many years and finally calculated that he had enough money to buy the ticket. But when everything had been added up he realized he did not have enough money left over to pay for the kind of sumptuous meals he had heard they served on ocean liners. So he took what he had and bought a large box of soda crackers and some cheese and took it on board with him.

When the rest of the passengers went to the dining room for their meals, this man stayed in his room eating his crackers and cheese, just counting himself fortunate to be having this experience at all.

But on the last day, he determined that he would have at least one of those wonderful meals, so he took all the money he had left, hoping it would be enough, and went to the dining room. Imagine his surprise and chagrin when he was told by the steward that they had been holding his place at the table all week because the price of the meals was included in the price of the ticket.

This describes the state of far too many Christians. The life of the Spirit is theirs; it was purchased for them at the cross. Yet they struggle on with their “crackers and cheese” when a sumptuous feast is spread for them. Why is this the case? Because in God’s economy you cannot possess what you do not have the faith to ask for.

Do you believe God has this life for you?

Let us sing the song in our red hymnals: #193

There Is Sanctifying Power

Baptized by the Spirit

(To download an MP3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is the 6th message in a series of sermons on the topic of sanctification. Passages from Luke, John and Acts are primarily used for this message.

Written Excerpts:

Luke 3:16  John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Introduction:

For about 5 weeks I have been doing a series of messages relating to the topic of sanctification. To help us in our understanding of this biblical subject, I’ve been borrowing some material from the book “Called to Be Holy” written by Dr. John Oswalt.

From the very beginning of the series I’ve tried to provide some examples of how badly we need a revival of holiness and true righteousness within the American Christian church.

Some years ago a well-known researcher who does research surveys on various social issues came up with these alarming facts through one of his surveys:

The Church (Born again Christians)

·  Faith today begins with personal felt needs and ends with convenience and simplicity

Ø  In other words, many “Christians” came to accept the Lord because they believed He would solve their problem(s) or would provide something they needed.

Ø  Their practice of faith goes no farther than deeds that are simple and convenient for them.

·  54% of born again Christians are not convinced that there is [any such thing as] absolute truth

Ø  How difficult should it be for a Christian to at least affirm that “the existence of God is absolutely true?”

Ø  Or, “it is absolutely true that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world.”

·  Amount of time spent watching TV is 7 times more than all spiritual pursuits

Ø  “All spiritual pursuits” would include prayer; Bible reading; church attendance; etc.

·  8% tithe their income

·  Discipleship is unknown: 60% of converts are not connected to any Christian body in 4 weeks after conversion

·  No statistically observable differences between the values of the church & the world

·   Six primary values of both groups:

o    Material well-being

o    Satisfaction

o    Happiness

o    Approval

o    Comfort

o    Convenience

[There’s no mention of eternity, divine approval of life, fulfillment of divine purpose, service, etc.]

George Barna – “We have not transformed our culture because we are neither grieved nor embarrassed by our sin.”

When our current President was running for office, he campaigned on a pledge to “fundamentally transform our nation.” And, in my opinion, I think he’s experienced phenomenal success. In similar fashion, I believe that the American Christian church has been fundamentally transformed until it doesn’t look any different than your basic, run-of-the-mill, secular social club. Its values are no higher than the average “man on the street.” We’ve determined that it’s not possible to live holy lives, so we have been all too satisfied to prove it by our self-centered, lustful living.

The last sermon I gave in this series, which was three Sundays ago, we talked about the need of having a new spirit within us in order to have the ability to holy lives. We looked at some OT passages which revealed man’s problem stems from a “spirit of harlotry” or “spirit of prostitution” which cannot remain faithful to God and Him alone, but is constantly seduced by other “spiritual affections.” We also learned that we naturally have an unclean/impure spirit which also prevents us from being wholly devoted to the Lord. The Bible records prophecies where God promises to give His people a new heart and a new spirit so that they would and could live in obedience to His will and they could be exclusively His people.

Today, I want to continue speaking about this biblical emphasis on the work of God’s Spirit upon the heart and spirit of man to transform us into someone that is loyal and devoted to Christ through and through.

Before we continue, I want to provide a review of the “progression of thought” we have been following so far: What Must God Do [to bring you to the point that you can dwell in His holy presence]? (From Dr. Oswalt’s presentation at Table Rock Pastors’ Gathering)

• Deliver you from the consequences of your sin (by His grace through the atonement)
• Cleanse you from your idolatry (take away divided heart and spirit of “harlotry”)
• Give you a new heart and spirit (a heart that is perfect, whole, all it was meant to be; and a spirit that is truly alive to God)
• Put His Holy Spirit in you (baptize with the Holy Spirit, live within you to provide ability to be alive and whole)

Transition: With God’s help, we want to consider three aspects regarding the baptism with the Spirit.

Proposition: The baptism with the Spirit involves Christ’s messianic mission; our recognition of need; and our response in order to receive the baptism of the Spirit.

I.    The Messianic Mission

A.  OT Prophecies relating to the Messiah and the Spirit

Isaiah 11:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. ² The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

This prophecy announces that the Messiah will be marked by the distinct presence of God’s Spirit upon Him.

Isaiah 32:1, 12-15 (NKJV) ¹ Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.  ¹² People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. ¹³ On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; ¹⁴ Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks-- ¹⁵ Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.

Disastrous conditions shall prevail because of the sins of Israel until the “king” reigns in righteousness (v.1) and the “Spirit is poured upon us from on high.”

Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV) ¹ "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

These are some examples of references in the OT that show a clear and direct connection between the reign of the Messiah and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

B.  The affirmation of John the Baptist (Messianic “forerunner”)

Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

In the NT we have some pointed statements by John the Baptist who was the “voice in the wilderness” and the forerunner of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

(There had not been a person clearly marked as a prophet of God for 400 years.)

·          What was John’s introduction to the Christ? “I baptize you with water, but He will ‘die for your sins.’” ??????

·          No! “…but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire!”

·          All four gospels and Acts repeat this declaration.

·          Did John not believe in the atoning work of Christ on the Cross? Of course. [He also said, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.”   But,]

·          He knew what the end work was [i.e., he knew that salvation through the atonement was not all that the Anointed One would perform.]

(Oswalt, Presentation at Table Rock Pastor’s Gathering)

Not only have the OT prophets spoken about the direct role the Messiah will have with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but now in the NT, the prophetic forerunner of the Messiah echoes the same message.

But, John is not the only one who specifically emphasizes this aspect of the Messiah’s task.

C.  The confirmation of the Messiah Himself

After the resurrection, when the disciples were gathered and talking about His appearance to the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appears again and begins to speak.

Luke 24:44-49 (NKJV) ⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

 “Wait for the promise of the father”

·          No disciple stumbles over this

·          How surprising – they have stumbled over almost everything else He has said.

·          Has He finally said something they expected the Messiah to say?

·          They expected Him to make the Spirit available to them so they could keep the covenant.

·          They had not realized that the only way that gift could be given was through His death to Himself on our behalf (Is. 53)

·          All of our cross is to die to our own selfish ways.

(Oswalt, Presentation at Table Rock Pastor’s Gathering)

There were many truths and principles that Jesus taught to His disciples while He was with them. One of those important truths had to do with the sending of the Holy Spirit to dwell within them. (We read some of these texts in our responsive Scripture reading earlier in the service.)

As He draws near the close of His earthly ministry, He urges them to tarry until they are endued with the power from on high; referring to the outpouring of the HS at Pentecost.

II.  The Human Need

We’ve already talked about the human condition; a problem of a defective heart and spirit. We need to be rescued from the consequences of our rebellion, but we also need to have the original problem dealt with as well.

The remedy God has provided is both external and internal.

A.  The Atonement

We said earlier that God’s plan for bringing people into relationship with Him involved:

·          Delivering them from the consequences of their sin (by His grace, through the atonement)

This was the external part of His work and plan. It was the sacrifice Christ did for us, but apart from us. There was nothing we could do to provide for our own salvation. It required the atoning blood sacrifice of God’s own Son.

But, there was an internal component as well.

B. The Baptism with the Spirit

In order to…

·          Cleanse them from their idolatry (take away divided heart and spirit of “harlotry”), and

·          Give them a new heart and spirit (a heart that is perfect, whole, all it was meant to be; and a spirit that is truly alive to God)

… it would require the very presence of God Himself through the Holy Spirit to effectively make these changes inside of us.

This impartation of the Spirit begins at the time we are born again. Transformation begins to take place immediately for the person who has genuinely trusted in Christ. Yet, there is a deeper work of the Spirit that must also take place as we discover our weaknesses, our divided affections, our self-centeredness and our predisposition to retain control of our own lives. We can solve none of those problems ourselves; it takes the mighty power of the Holy Spirit freely flowing through us for God’s glory.

III. The Human Response

If you remember the time when someone explained to you how to be saved, they probably emphasized the need to be sorry for your sins and repent of them, and then place your full trust and confidence in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for salvation (rescue from all consequences of sin including eternal death). We had to renounce our sinful attitudes and choices and accept Christ’s remedy.

There is a slightly different response that is appropriate for this baptism of the Spirit we are talking about today. In addition to accepting Christ and asking Him to come into our hearts, we must make a conscious decision to invite the HS to take complete control of our lives. There must be an unconditional surrender to the lordship of Christ and a willingness to let His Spirit take the controls of our heart and life, i.e., to “sit on the throne” of our heart. And, as Paul indicates in Eph. 5:18, we must keep on being filled with the Spirit, which indicates the necessity of continually seeking and submitting to a fresh filling and anointing of the HS as often as He prompts us.

This kind of consecration implies nothing held back. We yield to God every detail and aspect of our lives, our future, and everything. Then, we believe or trust Him to fulfill His promises.

“Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” (1 Thes. 5:24)

This follows immediately after the verse that reads like this, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly (entirely, through and through), and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus came and died so there might be an adequate atonement for our sins and we could be forgiven because of His sacrifice, but He also came and died so we could be baptized by the Spirit and enjoy the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit here and now in this life.

Conclusion:

The Pattern of God’s work in His people…

·          God saves His people from the consequences of their sin by grace alone

·          He saves them in order that He might take up residence among them

·          But that is only possible if they share His character

·          However they are unable to live that character (of God) by their own ability.

·          God intends to empower them through the gift of the Spirit that His Son’s sacrifice will make available.

(Oswalt, Presentation at Table Rock Pastor’s Gathering)

Let us close the service this morning by singing the hymn that is listed in the bulletin:

Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart    #390

If you haven’t completely and totally consecrated yourself to the full control of the Holy Spirit, I urge you to do it.

You can either do it this morning by coming forward for prayer before you leave, or you can find a quiet place of prayer alone, but in any case, I urge you in the strongest terms possible to find that time of prayer and make that total surrender to the Lord. 

Nobody's Perfect

(To download an MP3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown here.)

This is the 4th message in a series of messages regarding sanctification. This message addresses the topic of Christian perfection.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 5:48 (NKJV) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Introduction:

We’ve been speaking for a few weeks now about the matter of sanctification and what it really involves. I have been sharing ideas that I have gleaned from a book titled, “Called to Be Holy” by Dr. John Oswalt.

We have been trying to show that the NT call for Christians to be holy and to be sanctified is firmly grounded in the message of the OT and the record of God’s work with the people of Israel through the use of the covenant.

Covenants were very familiar to near eastern cultures.

The covenant God established through giving the law to Moses reveals important truths about God’s character as well as the people’s character.

Things that covenant revealed:

·     God is completely separate from the world that He created and He stands apart from any other being.

He can’t be manipulated through the world as a source of power and magic.

·     He is sovereign

Just like a king, He as legitimate authority to require strict allegiance.

Can stipulate how humans should conduct their lives in order to exhibit His own character.

·     God is gracious and faithful.

The Israelites did not deserve His offer or His choosing of them.

God repeatedly maintained His faithfulness and offered them forgiveness when He had every “right,” according to the terms of the covenant, to completely destroy them.

·     Covenant was never intended as an instrument for starting a relationship with God, but it was intended to teach the people of God how to live in a way that confirmed they belonged to the Lord.

In last week’s message we learned…

·     Covenant also revealed that humans have an essential defect in their hearts.

We are naturally inclined to rebel against authority and insist on having our own way.

God promised through the prophets to take away the stony heart and replace it with a heart of flesh.

In other words, He would do a work of grace in them that would remove their rebellious, self-centered heart and replace it with a submissive and compliant heart.

Today, we want to take a deeper look at this gift of grace that God wants to provide for His people.

We will be looking into the issue of perfection that is addressed in both the Old and New Testaments.

Title = “Nobody’s Perfect.”

Cliché - universally accepted as absolutely true.

Often used as a “catch-all excuse” for behavior that we know is wrong.

However, I believe we can find evidence in the Bible that the phrase, “Nobody’s perfect,” is not always true. I also think we can discover that there is a “Christian perfection” that God has made available through grace and desires for His people to achieve.

Proposition:

The Bible repeatedly describes people that are in a committed, “covenant” relationship with God as being perfect.

After looking at some references where people are described as perfect, I want to explore the answers to two questions:

What does it mean to say something or someone is perfect?

What is the scriptural expectation for Christians regarding perfection?

I.                    Examples of people who are described as perfect

Gen. 6:9 – Noah was a just and perfect man.

Ps. 101:2 – I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way… I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

Job 1:1 – … that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

1 Kings 15:14 – …Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

2 Kings 20:3 – …O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart….

These are some examples from the OT of men who are described as perfect or having a perfect heart.

All of these examples I’ve read from KJV, but newer versions almost always use different words other than “perfect,” probably due to our modern aversion to thinking that any kind of perfection is possible.

If you are like most people, you’re probably thinking, “What does the word perfect really mean in these contexts?” We know that it is impossible for anyone to live an absolutely perfect life, with zero mistakes, so it’s got to mean something different, doesn’t it?

I glad you asked that question. Let’s take a look at the meaning of the words that are used.

II.              What does perfection mean?

OT Words & Meanings

A.  One of the primary words in Hebrew is the root “tmm” (consonants only). (By adding various vowels around those consonants we can form nouns, verbs and adjectives.)

(Oswalt) “Five different forms of this root are used to refer to human behavior that is without fault…. Most occurrences of the verb [form] have to do with the completion of an object or a process…. But there are four places [regarding Job and David] where the verb is used of human behavior, and these show that the kind of completion being talked [about] is of a moral and ethical nature.

“In other words, Job’s behavior toward God is not partly obedient and partly disobedient; it is wholly [completely] obedient. In the same way [David’s prayer in Ps. 19], the person who is delivered from [presumptuous sin] will be completely obedient. Rebellion will have no part in his or her life.”

This same root word is used in an adjective form most often to describe sacrificial animals that are complete in the sense that they are everything they are expected to be; unblemished; with no defect.

(Oswalt) Does not mean they were “show animals.”

i.e. – it doesn’t mean that they could not be better in some way, or improved upon in some way, but they were entirely without defects.

We tend to think, “If it doesn’t win a blue ribbon, it’s not perfect.” Or, “If it wins a blue ribbon in a local fair, but not at the state farm show, then it’s not really perfect.”

But that’s not the meaning of the word. If it is all that a lamb is supposed to be, then it’s perfect.

Other uses and forms of this word indicate the idea of a faultless attitude or integrity and uprightness.

When Elihu tells Job that he speaks with perfect knowledge (Job 36:4), he is claiming to speak without false motives or deceitfulness. He is claiming a quality of knowledge, not a quantity of knowledge.

When David says that God’s way is perfect and it is God who makes his way perfect (2 Sam. 22:31, 33), David does not mean that he has done everything right, but he is serving God with the same quality of integrity as God has.

In other words, David is not serving God for deceitful or base motives but out of a pure heart of integrity.

B.  A second word used in the Hebrew is the root word containing the consonants “slm”. This is the word that the Hebrew word “shalom” comes from and is often translated as “peace.” It also has to do with idea of completeness, but rather than stressing lack of blemish or defect, it carries the idea of “all parts being present,” or “wholeness.” So “peace” carries the idea of complete well-being; everything is present as it should be.

This word is used many times to describe the heart of someone.

Since “heart” describes the center of personality, including discernment, will and affections, then a “whole heart” or “perfect heart” is someone that is undivided in their thinking, their will and their choices.

If you read about the kings of Judah and Israel, you will often read one of two descriptions about each of them.

1. “His heart was perfect toward God as was that of his father David.”

2. “His heart was not perfect toward the Lord his God as was the heart of his father David.”

King Asa (1 Kings 15:14) is described as a man whose heart was perfect toward God, even though we are told in the same verse that he did not perfectly perform everything God required.

How is that possible? Presumably because his knowledge or understanding of God’s requirements was limited.

In this specific example we find that being complete or perfect in one’s devotion to God and in one’s obedience to Him does not necessarily imply perfect performance.

So we’ve seen in the OT that the word perfect primarily means wholeness / completeness / undivided; or unblemished / without defect / all it was meant to be.

NT Words & Meanings

Don’t want to take a lot of time here, because the Greek words in the NT are very similar to what we have already described in the OT.

Two Grk words are used to translate the 1 word for perfect that was used in the Hebrew. The basic idea is the same, i.e. wholeness, completeness. It carries the idea of being mature as adults rather than infants.

But, it goes beyond the mere idea of maturing to adulthood. It also implies having become all that can be expected.

James 1:4 admonishes us to let patience have its perfect work so that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

(Oswalt) Here it shows that it means more than just becoming an “older” Christian, it means becoming all that can rightly be expected of a follower of Christ.

The word often translated as “perfect” also carries the meaning of being finally brought to the appropriate end for which it was created.

There is so much more that can be stated here, but to save time, let me just say that it completely agrees with what we have already seen in the OT. = wholeness, completeness, brought to the intended level for which we have been created.

So we have seen that the meaning of the words used in the Hebrew and the Greek do not require us to think of perfection in the absolute sense, where no more growth or development is possible, but rather it’s a standard of motives and behavior that is completely what God intended it to be.

III.        Are Christians expected to be perfect?

This brings us to the second question.

Are Christians expected to be perfect?

Well, first of all let me say that many of the examples I gave when I was trying to explain the word meanings were people that were described as perfect. If God can do it for them, I believe He can still do it for us, and wants to do it.

We also have specific commands like the one in James 1:4 that we referred to, as well as the words of Jesus that was read earlier in the service, from Matt. 5:48 – “Therefore, be ye perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.”

Jesus is obviously not demanding absolute perfection to the same degree as God. No, (understood in the context) He seems to be emphasizing the fact that God’s love for people is not mixed, diluted, or polluted. So our love should be the same kind.

One thing seems obvious, Jesus is not merely saying, “You must be mature as God is mature.”

Conclusion:

So many American Christians think that God is completely satisfied for us to just live our lives any way we please, and we are entirely comfortable to use the cliché, “Nobody’s perfect,” as an excuse to keep living a life that shows little resemblance to the Lord we profess to love and serve.

What I am hoping we all take away from this message today is that this modern thinking is totally unscriptural.

God has something far better for us.

(Oswalt) Such a life [of perfection] is still possible and it is still expected by God. It is possible to be perfect – whole, complete, undivided – in our devotion to Him, and if our obedience is … unintentionally limited by matters beyond our control, such as ignorance or imperceptions, it is nevertheless possible for a person to give an obedience which is perfect, that is, flawless, utterly without blame. However, that kind of heart and that kind of a life are never merely the result of human effort…

As we emphasized last week, we need the work of God’s grace to give us a new heart; a heart of flesh in place of a heart of stone.

How can He do it? By the power of His Holy Spirit. This will be the focus of our message next time.

In closing, let’s stand and sing the song that is printed on the insert in your bulletin:

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God      

Spirit of Holiness and Power

(To download an MP3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown here.)

This is the 5th message in a series of messages regarding sanctification. This sermon addresses the need for humans to experience a transformation in heart and spirit.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We’ve been speaking for a few weeks now about the matter of sanctification and what it really involves. I have been sharing ideas that were presented in a book by Dr. John Oswalt titled, “Called to Be Holy.”

Last week we were discussing the fact that many Christians use the cliché, “Nobody’s perfect,” as an excuse for attitudes and behaviors that are completely inconsistent with the life and spirit of Christ.

Some even excuse behavior that is clearly condemned in God’s Word, but they somehow think God will exempt them from judgment because one day they prayed for forgiveness and claimed faith in Jesus Christ, and… “after all, nobody’s perfect!”

We shared some biblical examples of individuals who were described in the Bible as “perfect.” We pointed out that these individuals were not absolutely perfect, nor did they live with zero mistakes, but their hearts were totally submitted and committed to loving God and doing His will as they understood it.

They may err unintentionally, but they faithfully attempted to live pleasing to God at all times, and they operated from a heart that was totally devoted to the Lord, i.e. their motives were pure.

We ended up last week by referring to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:48 – “Therefore, be ye perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.”

The verse is structured as a command, but Jesus is obviously not demanding perfection in our performance to the same degree as God. No, (when we understand the statement within its context) He seems to be emphasizing the fact that God’s love for people is not mixed, diluted, or tainted, so our love for Him and for our fellow man should be the same kind.

It should be a love that is not divided or diluted with self-centered or rebellious motives.

Before we continue today, I want to repeat a quote from Dr. Oswalt that I read at the close of the message last week because it fittingly introduces the point of the message today.

(Oswalt) Such a life [of perfection] is still possible and it is still expected by God. It is possible to be perfect – whole, complete, undivided – in our devotion to Him, and [even] if our obedience is … unintentionally limited by matters beyond our control, such as ignorance or imperceptions, it is nevertheless possible for a person to give an obedience which is perfect, that is, flawless, utterly without blame. However, that kind of heart and that kind of a life are never merely the result of human effort…

Human efforts will fail every time. We who have trusted in Christ, yet find ourselves in dire need of a “heart transplant” (from a stony heart to a fleshly heart); we must have a supernatural work of God’s Spirit within us to perform what we cannot do for ourselves.

So, in the short time we have today (because of sharing communion today), I want to begin exploring what the Bible says about the work of the Spirit in our hearts and lives.

I.                    Uses of the word “spirit.”

The word “spirit” has various meanings and uses in the English language.

“spirit of the meeting” – the general trend of a group of people; the atmosphere prevalent in the meeting.

“a lot of spirit” – the particular energy of an individual or group or even an animal; expressing life, liveliness and vitality.

“the human spirit” – that something that makes a human alive and is radically noticed when it’s gone, i.e. when the person dies.

“good food and spirits” – reference to beverages that have the capability to bring someone under its influence; to alter the mood and behavior.

Brings us to a text that was read earlier in the Scripture reading for this morning:

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Paul is urging the Ephesian Christians to avoid allowing themselves to come under the influence or control of mind-altering spirits, but to submit themselves and allow themselves to be controlled and influenced by the Holy Spirit.

Additional Hebrew meanings:

“breath” – similar to the “human spirit” i.e. something that leaves for the last time when a person dies. “God breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul.”

“wind” – invisible power that moves things and can do great damage. You can’t see it, but you can sure see its effects or impact.

We have already used the word “heart” to describe the part of us that is the center of the personality, the will and the affections, but the spirit of a man is that which gives us life, vitality, and the ability to communicate with or be influenced by the spirit world.

II.              Problems in the spirit of man.

The last couple of weeks we have spoken often about the problems we humans have in our hearts.

We naturally struggle with divided hearts, stony hearts, rebellious hearts, etc.

The Bible reveals that the spirit of man is also defective.

Notice how some of the OT writers characterized the spirit of man centuries ago.

A.Spirit of prostitution

Hosea 4:12; 5:4 My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God. ⁴"They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, And they do not know the LORD.

The prophet is talking about a general spirit of faithlessness that exists in the people of Israel.

A tendency to decide for themselves where their true pleasure lies and refuse to be “bound” to only “one true husband.”

This a spirit that abandons the one true love and insists on expressing its “freedom” to find pleasure wherever it pleases.

(Oswalt) The result is that our gifts are squandered on those who do not care for us, who only wish to use us.

How unspeakably sad it is when we witness this literally in a man or woman who continues to chase one lover after another.

It is equally sad when a person that professes to know Christ refuses to remain faithful to Him, but seeks to find spiritual pleasure and satisfaction in other “lovers.”

B.      The spirit of impurity.

Zechariah 13:2 (NKJV) "It shall be in that day," says the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.

God seems to be saying that there is such a thing as an unclean or impure spirit that prevailed in the people, which was evident in their worship of idols, and it needed to be purged from the land.

Just note that in the NT, esp. the Gospels, the use of the term unclean spirit most often was used to denote the activity of demons or demonic spirits.

I can’t say for sure whether this is implied in the references in the OT.

III.        Help from the Spirit of God.

(Oswalt) The Hebrew people realized that their problem was one of the spirit. If … they were ever to fulfill the spirit of the covenant and serve God with perfect hearts in flawless obedience, then something was going to have to be done about the human spirit. This is nowhere more clearly revealed than in Psalm 51.

Psalm 51:7-12 (NKJV) ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. [or, sustain me with a willing spirit.]

After his fall into grievous sins, King David realized that he needed and wanted God to do a radical work in his heart and to his spirit.

He prays for God to create in him a clean / pure heart, which would coincide with what we talked about last week – a heart that is whole, unmixed or undivided by other affections.

But, he also prays for God to give him a “right spirit,” or a “steadfast spirit.”

(Oswalt) The sense of the Hebrew word is of being solidly fixed or established. David realized that the only hope of having a genuinely pure heart, [i.e.] one which belongs to God through and through, [it is only] if something fairly radical is done to his human spirit.

David not only prays for God to give him a spirit that is fixed and steadfast in God, but he prays for a spirit that is willing and generous.

He wants a spirit that is free to give himself away in God-inspired generosity precisely because he is supernaturally fixed upon God.

We said earlier that this change that is needed clearly cannot be achieved by mere human effort. God’s Spirit must do a supernatural work in our lives and that can only happen as we submit completely and unconditionally to the work of the Spirit.

Conclusion:

We are going to continue further on this matter of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives at a future service, however, we’ll be taking a break from this series for a couple of weeks as we do our VBS program and then we’re going to have a group from New Destiny here.

But, after that we’ll come back to this subject and explore more of what the Bible has to say about experiencing God’s grace in changing our spirit to be loyal and faithful to Him.

May God’s Holy Spirit convince us of our need for a radical transformation of our spirit in order for us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.