God Perfects Us!

Thank you for reading the blog post today! When we read the Word of God, we sometimes see commands that, in the natural, are not possible. Today’s topic is one of those, “Be perfect.” The beautiful thing about the Lord is that, if He demands something, He also makes the way for it to be accomplished. Praying the Holy Spirit will give you His revelation today. His servant, Eric

2 Samuel 22:31a states, “As for God, His way is perfect;” Derek, the Hebrew word for ‘way’ in this verse means: moral administration, manner, path, and journey. We read in Deuteronomy 32:4b, “His work is perfect.” The Hebrew word for ‘work’ is poal, meaning: doing deeds, work, and things done, ‘Perfect’ tamiym in both of the previous verses means: sound, wholesome, unimpaired, having integrity, and innocent.

In these two verses then, we have learned that the Lord’s manner, path, journey, moral character, and all of the things He has done, or will do are perfect, or sound, wholesome, unimpaired, have integrity and are innocent. Wow! What an awesome God we serve!

Here comes the challenge for us! Matthew 5:48 in the Berean Standard Bible commands us, “Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The Greek word translated ‘perfect’ is teleioi and refers to that which has reached an end, that is finished, complete, perfect, consummate soundness, being whole, and maturity when referring to believers. The root word for teleioi is telos. It means mature and Blue Letter Bible adds: lacking nothing and necessary to completeness.

In our previous studies, we have learned that it is God who creates us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13 and Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)). We also know that we were created to fulfill God’s own purpose and plan for our lives. 2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV), “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” Kaleo, translated ‘calls’ means to invite one to something to enjoy it or to participate in it. ‘Purpose’, prothesis in the Greek, is purpose, plan, or desire. Romans 8:28 tells us we were called according to His ‘purpose’ which means: a deliberate plan, or advance plan, or an intention. You see, the Lord had a very deliberate and intentional plan in mind for you when He created you and He invites you to participate in it!

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT), “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” The phrase ‘makes us more and more like him’ is taken from metamorphoo. The use of this word is pretty amazing because it means: reproduce into the same image, change into the same image. Synonyms are: reproduce, replicate, recreate and reduplicate. Did you catch what that is telling us? The Lord Himself is the one who changes us into His same image! That takes some of the pressure off of us, because if we were to try and do what would be necessary for us to be changed into His image, we would fall terribly short. Praise God! He is involved in our lives, shaping us into His likeness. Realize though, the onus is not simply on God, we absolutely do have a part to play. We must accept Christ and as His children, walk in obedience to His Word. Remember what we read in Matthew 5:48? We shall be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. What good news though! It is God doing the perfecting!

Let’s look at Psalm 138:8, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, [endures] forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” The Hebrew word translated ‘perfect’ in this verse, according to Strong’s, means: complete, come to an end, perfect, finish, will plead my cause, the completing, finishing, and perfecting of God in one’s life. I want to emphasize, no matter what obstacles or opposition we face, God is on our side! With God, we win!

The Lord’s perfecting of us is a process and a journey. Each bump in the road, every detour along the way, every delay fulfills a purpose in God’s plan for us. Let me say that again. “Each bump in the road, every detour along the way, every delay fulfills a purpose in God’s plan for us!” We may not understand what those things accomplish in us, however, we can trust God. Word Wealth in the New Spirit Filled Bible states this concerning Psalm 138:8, “ God begins to work out His purposes in the life of His servant and continues His work until it it absolutely and completely done.” In the Berean Study Bible this verse reads, “ The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.” Also, in the Amplified Bible Psalm 138:8 reads this way, “The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me.” Grab ahold of it - there are no if, or, might, or maybes about it. God will always complete what He begins. Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Just as a parent or teacher is involved in training a child, so our Father is doing the same with us - only with perfection in mind. Completing, finishing, and the perfecting of His course and plan for our lives is His will!

In Isaiah 64:8 (NLT) God is referred to as, “the Potter”, one who forms, fashions, and shapes, while we are “the clay”. The potter puts a lump of clay on a spinning wheel then gently and skillfully shapes it into a vessel (cup, bowl, vase) that he desires. If in the creation process, the vessel becomes flawed, the potter gently fixes it or starts over by pushing the vessel once again into a lump. Jeremiah 18: 1-4 reveals, “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.” Verse 4 brings to mind the words of a song written by Joel Hempfill, “He’s still working on me, to make me what I need to be…” (Some vessels are very utilitarian while others are beautiful pieces of art, yet they all fill a purpose.)

As we submit to His process of transforming us (His children) into His image, we experience all kinds of things. In this training, we can experience both enjoyable and painful events.

Those who enter the military undergo some rigorous, difficult, and sometimes painful training. Those who are in special forces endure even more rigorous and necessary training. Soldiers are sent to the front lines of the battle and they must be prepared.

Early in my ministry, when things became very difficult and frustrating, I was relaying some of the hard things that had happened to my Aunt (a missionary in Egypt.) Her response was that “those on the front lines need more rigorous training and endurance.” James 1:2-4 (NIV), “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” I have found that going through the difficulty teaches valuable lessons. In the trials and going through the fire, we often come to the end of ourselves and in realizing our need for help, we learn to partner with the Lord, the One Who longs to help us.

1 Peter 5:10 (NLT), “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” In times of hardship, suffering, bitter disappointment, or even being wrongly treated, we can know that God will work through those trying times to fulfill His good purpose in His children. In those times, God may or may not directly change the circumstances, yet He ultimately guarantees good results and brings maturity of character to us.

Just as I sometimes had to discipline my sons to train them to become responsible mature young men, the Lord has to discipline us so that we become responsible and more mature. Hebrews 12: 5-7 (ESV) reads, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"

In the book of Ephesians, we learn that God placed those He has gifted, raised up, and trained in the body of Christ (His believers) to equip, teach, and train believers to be mature and able to do the work of the ministry. Ephesians 4:11-13, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”

As a believer in Christ, we are responsible to do what is necessary for us to grow and mature in the Lord, then to assist the rest of the body to do the same.

Jesus is coming back for a mature church. He will be looking for a people who through the process of the Holy Spirit’s training, work, and help will be perfect, blameless, without spot or wrinkle, a mature, glorious, and holy church.

Ephesians 5:27, “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Colossians 1: 21 and 22, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight”

God is continually working to transform us into His image. When we set God and His Word as a priority in our lives rather than seeing our relationship as a duty to be fulfilled, the more quickly we will be transformed into His image. Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Psalm 19:7-11 instructs us that His Word converts the souls.

In Psalm 119:1-3 we read that when we walk in the law (in obedience to the Word of God), we are blessed.

2 Samuel 22: 31 informs us that God’s way is perfect (sound, wholesome, unimpaired, having integrity, and is innocent).

He makes my way perfect. (2 Samuel 22:33) The Hebrew word for ‘makes’, nathar means: sets free and unbinds prisoners. ‘Perfect,’ tamiym, means: sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity, of God’s way

Colossians 4:12, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” The Greek word for ‘perfect’ here is teleios meaning: complete, finished, having soundness, being whole and mature. A ‘bondservant’ is one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will.

Will you allow the Lord to perfect you?

Will you give yourself up wholly to His will?

When we live our lives completely in the will of God, we will stand perfect!

Unless otherwise noted Scriptures are New King James Version.

NIV New International Version

ESV English Standard Version

NLT New Living Translation