Being transformed?

A current chorus begins with, “When all I see is the battle, You see my victory. When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved.” How easily I can focus on the battle, the problem, and forget that God uses all things, even afflictions, for good — the good being to transform my life into the image of His Son.

Christians tend to ask God to remove the problem so we will be comfortable. However, if He does give comfort, it has another purpose. Instead of making me feel better, He wants me to use the comfort He gives to comfort others…

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:8–11)

That being His will, living it out follows the pattern of the gospel. I cannot save myself, and I cannot endure suffering like Jesus does, unless the Holy Spirit is doing it through me. And one way that I learn how that works is by keeping my eyes on Him. Thinking I can do anything He asks apart from the Spirit is futile.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17–18)

Not everyone sees this. Only God’s people, and only those who deny self to serve Him:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3–6)

Reading these verses helps me avoid the common response to suffering — asking God to remove the problem so I will be comfortable. However, having a switch in the reason I want comfort means the lesson of suffering has been learned, at least some of it. It makes me think about the reason Jesus died. It certainly was about the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12), but it was the foundation needed to set us free from our suffering in sin’s bondage and in the fear of dying. As Paul wrote, we do “have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh…” (2 Corinthians 4:7–12)

When life hands me discomfort, it helps to realize that even in suffering, my inner self is being renewed and prepared for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. That requires looking to what I cannot see — God’s eternal promises, fulfilled and demonstrated in the One who battles for me. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

PRAY: Yesterday’s thoughts on Your suffering for the sins of all humanity for all time put two great extremes in my heart. The obvious is great sorrow for Your pain. The other is great joy for the love that motivated such selflessness. I need to gaze at Your glory and allow You to use affliction, great or small, to transform me yet at the same time realize that goal is so incredible that even thinking it is beyond me. Oh Jesus, I do love You. 

Never-ending Mystery. . . .

Observation: when 83, a person thinks more about death than when 23, or 33, or even 73. Far too many of my Christian friends seem to dread it, fight to stay alive (and healthy) and are not ready at all for that transition.

This past week, I asked God to give me the right attitude about death. And without anything happening (other than the usual aches and fatigue) I began getting excited to the adventure of stepping into eternity. This is sort of like reading a good mystery. I like best those that I cannot figure out until the ending. Since God reveals very little information about eternity, it is a mystery, intriguing and each day is a page-turner. Yet I do know one thing — I will see Jesus! For that reason: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

The ‘gain’ part is easy. I will be like Him. What greater gain is that? The Word of God testifies to this truth:

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus. . . .  (Hebrews 12:22–24)

While I don’t agree with the usual definition of ‘perfectionist’ yet always want to do the best I can, and being made perfect goes far beyond all my intentions and abilities. Being perfect is even a mystery. It will be solved, yet as appealing as that is, seeing Jesus is even more appealing.

Herein is the mystery. How is He both fully God and fully man? What does He look like? Will He still bear the scars of being here? What will the expression on His face say? I can barely think of His touch or a hug, but I do long for the wonder of meeting Him face to face. No more tears, no more pain, nothing can hold a candle to seeing Him like He is and realizing that the mystery will be over — even though I will spend all of forever finding out all there is to know about my amazing Lord.

PRAY: Jesus, You are my life now, my joy and peace. The wonder of You is in every breath yet there is more, and more, and more. Yes, to live is You — yet to die and be with You is an incredible hope that fills my heart and mind with the excitement of discovering that the lovely mystery of You will satisfy my soul — for eternity.

Made perfect in Christ

 

People used to call me a perfectionist. I resented it because in my mind, every person should do the best they can. Not only that, it seemed to me that most folks could excel or at least improve if they tried harder.

Then one pastor said, “If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly.” That made me think about my motivations. Was I restricting my activities to only the tasks that I could do well? Was I unwilling to attempt anything that I knew would not turn out well? Was ‘doing poorly’ a threat to me?

I still think that doing the best we can is a virtue, but have changed my mind about picking and choosing. Some things are impossible or not a good idea because of my health and physical well-being, but I’m far more willing to try new things and not worry too much about how I rate.

As for being a perfectionist, Jesus did say this: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) While perfectionism can be a sin, I wondered why tell us that when the Bible is clear that no one is perfect except God?

Today’s reading says this word is used in four ways. Job 1:8 points to one of them.

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8)

According to this writer, God uses this term to describe someone who is ‘sincere’ and says that God’s people are not deceitful, hypocritical or pretentious. While this is true of Job, the Hebrew word in other versions is translated blameless, free from guilt. This indicate that perfection is about keeping short accounts with God and trusting Jesus who bore our guilt. In other words, it is about being forgiven and knowing it to the degree that all of life is affected.

The next verse about perfection says: “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2)

This word in Greek is about maturity or completeness. Those who are in control of what they say are mature. It seems that perfection in this verse refers to Christians who are walking in the Spirit and not so much in the flesh. It isn’t so much about who they are all the time, but how they let God control their words as they obey Him.

The third use refers to the believer’s positional holiness, sinlessness, and blamelessness before God by the atonement of Christ and the imputation of his righteousness. The author used this verse to illustrate this meaning:

And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 16:14)

While perfect is used in this example, the context is a description of a sinful use of the physical perfections. The perfections of Christ imputed to us are not about the appearance of our physical bodies. Our imputed holiness is better described in the NT rather than this verse that uses the word ‘perfect’ to describe what He has given us. Not every Christian could be considered renown because of their outward comeliness, but all are perfect in holiness in Christ. 

Of course another use of the word ‘perfect’ is in describing  the ultimate glorification of all believers when we shall be made entirely conformed to the image of Christ in heaven. This verse is used:

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12)

Another author says that this use of ‘perfect’ should be understood in the sense of a functional stage of religious attainment, to be completely successful, to succeed fully. For this, I’m often drawn to this verse that describes what God is doing in my life:

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)

In this life, I see Jesus in reading about Him, in experiencing and responding to His grace. This is the route to perfection, yet He does it. On my own I can do nothing.

PRAY: Lord, as I confess my sins, You forgive and cleanse me. As I keep my focus on You, You transform me into what I see in You, yet this task is not done and will never be until You take me to be with You forever. If perfectionism means to be a fan of the One who is perfect, then I’m all for it.

Amazing Hope. . . .

So far, this has been a challenging week with concern for friends, odd health issues, spiritual lessons that seem impossible to learn and apply, interruptions to almost every task, and a long to-do list, meetings and appointments, and new information flying at me like angry wasps. I felt abandoned at times, like Jesus had other more important things to deal with and the battles were mine alone.

Today’s reading is like warm oil. It begins with: “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4)

When John wrote of his experiences in exile, he saw a sealed scroll and was concerned that no one could open it and he began to weep. However. . . .  

One of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Then Jesus appeared between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, standing as a Lamb as though it had been slain. He took the scroll and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before Him, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then John heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders. These angels numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Not only that, every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, were saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:1–14)

The Bible does not tell us much about heaven, but this is awesome. I will have a clear vision of Christ. Everything which now hinders my sight of Him will be removed. My many sins, earthly cares and sorrows will be gone, and like the song that blesses me, there will be nothing between me and my Savior, nothing to rival Christ or distract me from all that is in Him.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1–3)

This is full redemption — seeing the face of Jesus with all evil and every fleshy impulse totally eradicated. I long for that complete transformation when my will and heart are totally one with His will and heart. No more battles with sin. Total bliss.

PRAY: Jesus, thank You for such a wonderful hope, particularly when the days are long and filled with so much of the struggles that will not be in heaven. What a great blessing to know that when I at last see Your face, I will be perfectly satisfied. In the meantime, thank You also for the challenge to purify myself as You are pure, doing this by obedience to another truth from John: “If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Truly, You are a worthy and awesome God.

God transforms by substitution

 Today’s events remind me of a totally imperfect analogy. The Bible says concerning our redemption: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) In other words, Jesus represents us by taking our sin on Himself and dying for it, and with that, God puts His righteousness on us that we might live.

In thinking “Who else represents us here on earth?” I came up with lawyers who might speak on our behalf and politicians who are supposed to rule representing our wishes. The first could have all sorts of reasons for defending my wishes, but if I stopped payment, all would cease. As for the second, we know the power trips made by those who soon forget what is best for the people in favor of what is best to get re-elected.

Our legal relationship with Jesus is not like anything on earth. First, God put our sin on Christ who willingly took that shame and guilt and suffered the full penalty for it. He did not earn or deserve it. His life was perfectly obedient and without sin. How could God declare Him guilty? Was it only because He willingly took that sin in an act of love rather than leave it for sinners to bear and to die? He, like a lawyer or a politician, represented humanity, but did far more than speak for criminals or look out for the best interests of His people.

As for the people He died for, all who believe experience the incredible removal of sin, yet God’s grace did not leave them a blank slate. In another sovereign declaration, He imputed or put on sinners the righteousness of Christ trading sin that Jesus never committed for His sinlessness that we never earned, deserved, or would never have, unless God had made this amazing trade we call redemption.

One of my friends said, “We get saved in an instant, then spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out what happened!” He was right. Suddenly I was a different person, the same with those old selfish and sinful desires, yet Jesus walked in — and everything changed. It was not exactly like having another person driving my car, more like a new person solving my problems, listening to my heart, giving me a life, peace, joy and attitudes never before experienced. Righteousness imputed. I didn’t do anything. He simply looked me in the face and it was a done deal.

These two things, Christ being made sin and us being made righteousness, could only be accomplished by substitution. There was no possible way for the Lord of glory to be made sin, except by imputation. And there is no way by which any man can be made righteousness, except by imputation. It is a legal matter. But also a practical one. Day by day learning from this One who is always here, always teaching, always wanting His best for me. Always learning from Him.

PRAY: And You, Jesus, are always listening for me to desire, “Not my will but Your will be done” with an honest and humble heart. It has been a rocky road in places, a lovely vista most of the time. Hopefully in it all, I decrease and You increase — until that day I see You face to face and with no more sin, when the process is complete.

Seeing Jesus – Seeing what needs to change

 

This vacation and observations of my attitude while away from home show the importance of understanding what is coming from the Holy Spirit and what is a demand of the flesh. If I use the lists of sinful attitudes in Scripture, I can easily make excuses for selfish behavior. Most of them a horrid things that I’d never do.

This reminds me of the five-year-old in a discussion of sin. She said, “But I’ve never murdered anyone” and to her thinking, she was not a sinner. If we rate sin that way, excuses come easily.

One clue to the subtlety of sin is in the words of the OT prophet: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) This describes sin as turning to my own way rather than living in God’s way. This means if something looks good, even though it is selfishly motivated and for my own glory, it can be justified or excused. I could think that only the really bad actions are sin.

Yesterday I felt like leaving this place and going home to my Christian friends who sin at times but it is not their lifestyle. But the Lord reminded me that He did not do that. He came to this sin-soaked planet to save the lost. I’m in this place to be like Jesus and not do my own thing – including running away from what is difficult or unpleasant.
However, it is not just knowing myself and my sinfulness. This is only discovered by knowing what the Lord Jesus Christ is like and willingly let His Spirit make a comparison to show me His intentions and His goal for me.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1–3)

God is my Father and I am His child – an infant really. When I ‘grow up’ I will be like His Son, perfected when I see Him, but in process while here and while God uses all things to work in me that likeness. I’m to see Jesus as clearly as I can, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit who reveals Him to me...

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

It is in beholding Jesus that I see what I am not, but also how He changes me. Instead of wanting to run to my comfort zone yesterday, He showed me Himself and it became easier to “eat and drink” with those who don’t know Him. This is why I am here.

PRAY: Jesus, Your Word and Your people give me a vision of what I am not, and what I need to confess so You can forgive and cleanse me (1 John 1:9). I know I bear “the image of the man of dust” but will “also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:49) and am thankful to be alert to both the old that needs to be changed, and the new that is my destiny – all because of Your incredible grace!

The “words” of truth

My hubby will testify that the use of the right word is important to me. If he or anyone else uses words that mean something other than they are trying to say, I am usually confused and sometimes  annoyed.  
Today’s reading uses one word in a definition of the Christian life that misses what that word means in English dictionaries and in NT Greek. It alerted me to how an assumption about a word meaning can justify an unbiblical doctrine.

The word is “acceptable” used as an adjective and then the author says its opposite is “rejected” but that is another error. For “acceptable” the English dictionary gives antonyms like “inadequate, insufficient, lacking, unsuitable, wrong” but not everyone rejects (a verb) whatever they find unacceptable. They might correct it, or rebuke it, or fix what is wrong. This applies to God also.

Saying that God rejects whatever is unacceptable is not part of the gospel. All of us fall short so if it means that, all of us would be rejected. Instead, it is correct to say that without grace, all people reject Him (see Romans 3:10-18). Even though God finds our sinful attitudes and actions unacceptable, according to His plan of redemption, He does not condemn everyone to hell nor toss His children who sin out of His family. Instead, He works to correct our sinful attitudes and actions and transform us into the image of His Son. He always seeks the lost and redemption and changed lives are His plan…

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:16–17)

But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:20)

As the book of James brings out, bearing fruit is evidence that I AM SAVED, not the means by which I please God, but the result of His saving work. In other words, to be saved is to be fruitful, and to be fruitful shows I am saved, no matter the size of the crop! My lifestyle and my new nature in Christ is evidence of His plan being fulfilled.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Romans 14:16–19)

If I “walk in the flesh” this means I’ve disobeyed Him. My behavior became unacceptable but this does not mean He rejects me. He keeps working, desiring that I confess, repent, and experience His grace:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Further, it is even folly to think that I can please God or make Him sad. He is complete in Himself and needs nothing from me. I’m the one in need of change and care and His love. He desires the best for me, and works in my life to that end. When I disobey, I am hurting myself and that is unacceptable because it does not do the good He desires. That is to say, my sins do not change God — He is the same yesterday, today and forever, but my sins hurt me and others. He does not need me to be joyful. He is that in Himself.

Today’s reading says, “No matter how good our outward appearance, how clear our doctrines, or how great our activities, unless we bear fruit we cannot be acceptable to God.” Yet the Bible is clear; He will never forsake His children. I am His forever and all my sins are covered. My life is hid in Christ and He is my righteousness. If salvations depended on me, it would not happen.

Those who do not believe cannot bear spiritual fruit for the Holy Spirit is not in them and they are lost. God desires all to be saved and bear fruit — but without the Holy Spirit, I cannot do it. Yet because He lives in me, He will produce fruit acceptable to His plan.

PRAY: Jesus, I’m not enjoying the challenges of the current devotional book, but realize that clarifying what ALL the Bible teaches is good for me. Keep my heart right as I try to clear the fog from many statements that contradict Your Word and that confuse me and threaten others into the error of trying to be perfected by the flesh after becoming Your children through the saving grace of Your Spirit. I trust You to save me and to keep me for I know I cannot do either one myself.   

How to be transformed...

 

Yesterday was filled with emotions. Unexpected help came regarding family reunion plans that thrilled me. Not only new ideas to help people enjoy one another, but a great deal of thoughtful and encouraging motivation expressed with it. Then our team nearly won a soccer match only to have it tied in the last minutes and lost in a shoot-out. And after that, a different kind of shooting with an attempt to assassinate the former US president. Then I had a long dream in which a false teacher, filled with nonsense ideas about the way people think, led two church services filled with thousands of people who thought she was wonderful. I woke up distressed at this depiction of the way our world is going. My emotions threatened to take my focus off Jesus.

Today’s devotional reading echoed some of the low points of the previous twenty-four hours. It speaks of self-centeredness saying again that the great sin that plagues us is our focus on me, myself, and I. To be calmer, more level, I needed to focus on Jesus, not think about me.

However, the Bible does say to examine ourselves. Like emotions, this can also get out of hand. Too much looking at me is not good either. Those emotions did that while biblical self-examination should be motivated by a desire to find and root out sin. Yet today’s reading warned that too much of it, or having a me-focus can lead to making excuses, feeling sorry for me, comparing myself to others less fortunate, or even pride that I am better than so-and-so.

(Jesus) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)

Even reading this story and thinking I am humble can turn into pride that thinks, “At least I am not like that self-righteous Pharisee.” While emotions can put my focus on me, so can pride. I’m supposed to view life in humility.

Not easy. Rare is the truly humble person. Today’s devotional offers this spiritual discipline to push out those sneaky personal pronouns: “The commands to look to Jesus, to behold His glory, to have our eyes ever toward Him, are literal. When we are looking to Jesus, we cannot see ourselves, for if our faces are to Him, our backs will necessarily be to one another.” The Bible says:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Looking at Jesus not only takes my eyes off myself, my emotions, and my performance, but as this verse says, it is a transforming process. We are affected by what captures our attention. For instance, our family spent a couple years in a southern state around people with a drawl that produced a ‘you all’ accent in our children. What is fed into our minds does have an effect  on our lives. No wonder Jesus said,

I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:48–51)

He was illustrating the importance of relying on Him as sustenance for life. Relying on me only leads to more hunger and even starvation. Focus on Jesus feeds me well.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, looking at You instead of at myself changes my days and my dreams. Your will and responses affect me, even bring great joy at the good ideas of others instead of envy, and glad for fair play instead of being a sore loser fan, also upset at violence instead of thinking a victim gets what they deserve (as some do), and make me upset with false teaching and the harm it does rather than dismissing a dream as only a dream. Keep my eyes and thoughts on You. Only You can transform my selfishness into clear thinking — and help me with humility.

It takes a long time to grow up…

Becoming mature as a Christian does not happen instantly. Salvation, forgiveness, justification adoption into His family and many aspects of the Christian experience happens in a blink of an eye but the goal to be transformed into the image or reflection of Jesus Christ does not happen overnight. Like a mighty sculpture, there is much to be chipped away that is not like Jesus.

Today’s devotional likens it to the growth of a baby or the maturing of an apple. Both are what they should be from beginning to end, yet the baby cannot do what a grown person can do. Nor can the beginning of an apple mean it is fit to put in a pie.

Babies and apples, like Christians, cannot make themselves grow. We do have a part to play — that is, I need to be willing and cooperate with the Holy Spirit who feeds and nurtures me through the Word of God and fellowship with other Christians. Growth is enhanced through obedience as well, just as a child who runs and plays becomes stronger. If the assignments from God increase in difficulty, this is like graduating to the gym, working harder and increasing in wisdom as well as in understanding the perfection of God’s will.

Yet I know that age and experience must not underestimate the power of the world, the flesh, and the enemy to tip me over in my desire and effort to be mature.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2–3)

The goal is reached only as Jesus appears to me and I see Him as He is. Until then, I cannot see Him clearly, even at my age and with years of experience living as His child:

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:11–12)

When that day comes, all that is not like Jesus will be gone, but more and more I realize how much of me is not like Jesus. As the Spirit works, the Bible tells me that my understanding of what that means have often been off base. I once thought that maturity meant things like always knowing the answers to perplexities, always praising God publicly, praying with great fervor, being a leader of others, etc. but the Lord keeps reminding me of this passage:

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Psalm 131:1–2)

Doing good works is not as lofty as I once thought. It is simple, like being “submissive to rulers and authorities” (Titus 3:1) or raising children, or showing hospitality, or washing the feet of God’s people, or caring for the afflicted (1 Timothy 5:9–10).

The focus is not what I do, but the purity of heart in which it is done. That means none of it is for personal glory, or to pat myself on the back, or to draw attention to me, or feed my ego in any way. Jesus did not come to earth for any of that. He came to save the lost, even to die so we could live. No self-gratification but only to obey the Father and He endured “for the joy set before Him” when He would be seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

His works were perfect in every stage of the occurrence, but not complete until He declared as He died, “It is finished.” Even on my death bed, I will never be able to make the same claim unless I am perfectly mature. By an act of faith, I can put myself into the hands of the Lord, and then, by a continuous exercise of faith, keep myself there, even be made “fit for every good work” yet that total purity of Christlikeness will not be mine until I see Him face to face.

PRAY: Lord, this is why I long to see You. I know that it is in seeing You I will be perfected, and all that me-stuff will no longer be my worst enemy. Such a wonderful hope. Thank You.