MESSAGES AND SERMONS CONT'D
BE THOU PERFECT:
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1 KJV)
Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. (Deuteronomy 18:13 KJV). God almighty demands that for anyone to walk with Him, the person must be perfect. This was the commandment that He gave to Abram at the beginning of his walk with God. It was the obedience of Abram in keeping this commandment that made him to become the friend of God and father of faith.
Many people think it is impossible to be perfect because we are human in the flesh full of corruption. But God knows that it is possible for humans to be perfect that is why He calls us to be perfect. And that was what Abram exhibited in his life even when there was no example to quote as we do have a catalogue of examples today.
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. (1 Kings 8:61 KJV). It is basically the perfection of the heart with the Lord, walking in His statutes and keeping His commandments at all times that God demands. You cannot claim to be walking with God and you do things contrary to God’s statutes, opposed to His commandments and still profess to be going to heaven?
Nay, it will be impossible as you will not even see the strait gate that leads to heaven.
I have heard it more than a thousand times from people that serving God is in my mind not what people see me do. They use that to defend their way of careless dressing or actions that are questionable that one begins to question if these people know God and believe in Jesus at all? Yet they claim they are born again, they speak in tongues, they prophesy to people. It is possible to do all these even when the heart is not perfect but such speaking in tongues or performing of miracles or speaking in tongues are not of God because their hearts are far from God.
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. (1 Chronicles 28:9 KJV).
God searches the innermost part of the heart and He knows the imagination of every man. The Bible even tells us that we cannot tell what is in our hearts, only God knows. Many people believe that they are born again yet they murmur, have hatred and bitterness in their hearts, intolerant with other fellow brethren, nurse jealousy and envy in their hearts.
Many have unforgiving spirit but present it through avoidance. So if there is an occasion that will bring them close to the person they don’t want to forgive or tolerate, they will prefer to avoid the person. So when they arrive the Church and see the person sitting on a particular bench they will choose to go about 3 to 5 rows away from that individual. This unforgiving spirit is very deadly that it will blind your mind and consequently blind your spirit. God sees your heart if you are one who does this. You must go down on your knees and pray to God for forgiveness and deliverance from the spirit of unforgiveness.
In many instances, the spirit of unforgiveness clothes itself with the garment of pride and arrogance that the person will look at himself/herself as being too big to come down to the level of the other person and then will not see anything wrong they have done to warrant praying to God for deliverance from it. In fact, the person could be a Pastor or a leader who does deliverance to other people. God is no respecter of anybody. If your heart is not perfect, you cannot walk with God or work for God no matter how zealous you tend to be in your work for God. .../Continue ===>
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48 KJV). Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (Matthew 19:21 KJV).
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. (Luke 6:40 KJV). So as a disciple of Christ we are called Christians. We can only truly be Christians if we are like Christ, the perfect one.
PRAYER FOR PERFECTION:
Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed for the perfection of the disciples who later became the apostles and all of us today who are followers of Jesus Christ.
Jesus prayed, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me”. (John 17:23 KJV).
And Paul also wrote, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you”. (Philippians 3:15 KJV). God Himself shall reveal to us anything that is contrary to the perfect heart required to walking with God that may be lurking somewhere in our hearts.
PREPAREDNESS FOR PERFECTION:
Although it is God who commands us to be perfect, it is not by our power or strength or goodness. It is Him who makes us to be perfect. It is only our willingness, submission and preparedness to be perfect that God looks in our heart and He does the rest. He is the only surgeon that operates our hearts without any cut anywhere. He is the perfect doctor !
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:21 KJV).
POSSESSION OF PERFECTION:
We can possess this perfection required of us to walk with God by making up our minds to obtain this gift from God. We only need to surrender to Him and keep ourselves under checks constantly so that we do not fall out of the grace. We must constantly examine ourselves as we are gathered together gazing and waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ that is very imminent.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2 KJV).
Again, let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:15 KJV).
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (1 Corinthians 13:10 KJV). You cannot claim to be perfect today and tomorrow fall back to who you used to be. That is like making a mockery of God. You know what that entails: everlasting punishment. May that not be our portion in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen. Rather, God will give us perfect hearts to serve and do His will now and for ever more in Jesus' name. Amen.
Bro Shadie Okpako.
(13 Sept 2017).
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