GET TOGETHER – GO ON TO PERFECTION

Jas 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Heb 6:1 ¶ Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (NKJV)

I praise God for the finished work of Jesus Christ through His death on the cross and by His rising from the dead. For the believer in Jesus Christ, we can rejoice that by the shedding of His Blood that He made atonement for our sins. The Apostle Paul wrote in the Ro 3:24,25 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” So, for the repentant sinner we can rejoice that He has saved us from hell and reconciled us unto Himself.

On the other hand, He is not finished with us. Here is an example that I didn’t really want to give, but I know that the Lord wants me to do it. First, I want to praise the Lord for the things that He has delivered me from in my past. You have heard me testify of him delivering me from drug use, drunkenness, and several other things.

So, here is what I really didn’t want to share. Last week we were at our Grandson Judah’s basketball game. The bleachers were very close to the court. A call was made and us being only about 5 feet from where the official was standing, I questioned the call and the official answered me. The Holy Spirit convicted me about what kind of an example was I setting. We live in a world that shows so much disrespect to those who are in authority.

After the game I went up to the official and asked him to forgive me. I told him that I had a friend that was an official. And that he had told me how hard that it was today to get officials because people don’t want to go out there and get yelled at. And sometimes even face threats against them through bodily harm.
When I first got saved an umpire that I had used some profanity on when I was playing softball before I got saved came into our business where I was working. I can remember very well the Holy Spirit impressing upon me to go and ask him to forgive me for that. I asked him to forgive me for that. I then told him that I had been saved and that I didn’t talk like that anymore. I don’t want to go back to old behaviors that I had before I got saved. Jesus said in Mt 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I know that sometimes the devil brings false guilt, and condemnation to us. And we need to know that as Paul wrote in Ro 8:1 that we are not under condemnation. ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

I also know that we haven’t arrived yet. And I know that we aren’t perfect. But we are called to go on to perfection. Sometimes we play the I am not perfect card in a way that it stunts our growth as a Christian. The Lord has blessed J.J. and I with many brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ across denominational lines. In the part of the Body of Christ that I came out of one of the questions associated with that tradition that I think is helpful for all of us is to ask one another this question. Are you growing in grace? Are you going on to perfection? Meaning are you moving forward in your relationship with Christ? Are you maturing as a Christian ?

The Greek term for perfection in Hebrews 6:1 is teleiotes, tel-i-ot’-ace. It means completeness, mentally, morally and perfection. No, you can certainly tell that I am not there yet. But on the other hand as we are told consistently in the Scriptures:
Ps 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. (NKJV) Php 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;(NKJV)

So, with that said let us do as we are told at another place in the Book of Hebrews Heb 12:1 ¶ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NKJV)

By the way I have another game to go to tonight and one of the other areas the Lord is working with me in is not coaching from the stands as I sit by J.J. and coach to her. So, pray that this will be another growing point for me. When He removes something, He always replaces it with something better.

Let Us Pray
Lord we are reminded in the Word of God that you chasten those that You love. We thank you that You don’t condemn us, but You show us areas of our lives that You want to work in. We thank You that You are a good good Father.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Love You all
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston