Let God Make You Perfect

Many times in children’s sports programs, competition is so intense only the best are allowed to play, even in practice sessions.  As a result those with the greatest skills get the most help and practice while those who need help the most get the least, sand eventually give up hope.  Those who make the team live under constant pressure to outperform the others in order to keep their place on the team.  Sadly, the same philosophy is common in the church.  There are a great many Christians who live in constant fear of or losing their salvation or doing something that will make God angry.  They feel they must do everything perfectly every time, and if they fail, they may give up. 

Paul had started several churches in the region known as Galatia.  Later, false teachers had come in, teaching that as Christians, they had to live by the Old Testament laws if they were to keep their salvation or receive his blessings.  In Galatians 3:1-3, Paul points out the error of such a belief.  “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”   If keeping the law could not save a person, how could it keep him saved?   Living under the law no one could please God as he explains in Galatians 3:11-12.  “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.”

The Jews had followed the law for centuries, yet many of them missed out on both salvation and God’s blessings. As Paul explains in Romans 9:30-10:4.  “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”  In many ways the Jews were like a skilled player who is trying so hard to show off his skills he won’t follow the coach’s instructions or play with the team.  His efforts may well cause the team to lose, which is the primary reason why none of the NFL teams have been willing to hire Colin Kaepernick despite his very high level of skill. 

In Ecclesiastes 7:16 Solomon warned about the danger of trying prove we are perfect.  “Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?”  Just as Colin Kaepernick has destroyed his football career by trying to prove he is better than other players, we can destroy our spiritual relationship trying to be better than other people instead of trusting God.   We don’t need to worry about losing our salvation or rewards, even though things don’t go exactly as we wanted.   I Peter 1:5-7 tells us we “…are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

At the same time, as Solomon warned, we mustn’t give up and turn to sin because we aren’t perfect.   Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns, “Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?”  While a person will not lose his salvation if he is truly saved, Hebrews 12:6 warns, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”  I John 5:16 warns that it is possible to sin to a point that results in death.  “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”

We need to quit worrying making ourselves perfect and let God do it.