How many times have we looked at someone who appears to have it “all together” and felt that they were “perfect?” We all have at one time or another. That person seems to walk through life without making any mistakes; the key word here is “seems.” We all know that person is not what he or she appears to be and is most definitely not perfect. There was only One who was truly perfect… or are there others… how about you?
Ok, I hear you now… Nobody is perfect! Let me, let the Word challenge that.
Jesus was and is perfection, but we frequently forget that He gave that perfection to each member of His bride. When we, by faith, gave our self to Him, He “sanctified” us. He imparted all of His perfection, all of His holiness, into each one of us, not gradually but instantly. Our sanctification does not mean anything less than we have the holiness of Jesus inside us. So, we ask the question: if that’s true, why do I not walk, act and live like Jesus?
Col 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
You knew I was going to get here… Romans 8:29!
That perfection that resides in us because God has fully sanctified us (completed the process; it is done) to be made known the riches of His glory to the world around us; glorifying God. And that “making known” is the province of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to…
Phil 2:12-13 … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God, the Holy Spirit, is the One who works out our sanctification as we yield to His direction and the Word of God. In reality, sanctification is working through all the issues in our life that are hindering the holiness of Jesus to be evident in our life. Day-by-day (Matt 6;33-34), as we submit to the “transforming” process of the Holy Spirit, we become a little more like Jesus, a little more of His holiness and His perfection becomes evident to those around us. And God gets the glory.
So, are you perfect? Yes, absolutely! But until we stand before Him it will not be totally evident. We have perfection in our spirit and our challenge is to focus on allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us through the transformation process one day at a time… from glory to glory.
2 Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
We need to understand that we are not “being sanctified,” we are “already sanctified;” past tense. And the first step in seeing it manifest in our life is to accept that fact and begin to allow the Holy Spirit to “work it out.” It’s the process of spiritual maturity, and the goal is becoming in the natural what we already are in the spirit. We are not trying to draw power from the Holy Spirit to be holy… we are to draw from Him the holiness we have already been given.
Yes, we are perfect and that is an understanding that needs to be locked into our heart so we can stand on that truth each and every day. Let the transformation (metamorphoo) continue to the glory of God. Like the ugly caterpillar morphing into the beautiful butterfly, there is a big challenge to get out of that cocoon but the end result is worth the effort.