As believers we all have faced many a times the pain of sinning. The imperfections in our walk with Christ that happens day in and day out. At the least thats what happens to me. And how it leaves us with doubts, fear, anxiety and if not careful guilt and shame. This constant turmoil within led me to seek God’s guidance on this aspect.
And in that search I listened to a sermon by pastor John MacArthur that had this as a quote. “It’s not your perfection, it’s your direction”. ( https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/TM13-6/testing-the-spirits-john-macarthur ). He was speaking on Testing the Spirits and came to the same question we all ask. “How do you know when you’re a believer?” And the answer to that is the title of this topic.
But let us take a step back lest we misunderstand the Will of God and why perfection is all he is and wants in us. But thats God’s perfection. God’s Righteousness. Following is an extract from Jon Bloom’s post: “You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). But just before he launches into this “perfection” section of his sermon, Jesus gives us a clue to what he means: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus came to perfectly fulfil on our behalf God’s demand on us for perfection. That’s why the New Testament authors write things like, “by a single offering [Jesus] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). There is the key to what Jesus meant, and the key to our liberation from the tyranny of perfectionism. Because Jesus perfectly lived, died, and rose again for us, he has already purchased our perfection. The Bible nowhere encourages us toward perfectionism. It promises us perfection — imputed perfection now (2 Corinthians 5:21) and future perfection in the age to come (Revelation 21:3–4) — as a free gift of God’s grace, so that we will be free from perfectionism.
In God’s eyes, we have been perfected by virtue of being joined to Jesus by faith, which frees us from needing to earn his or anyone else’s approval through perfectionism. We are free to engage imperfectly in our sanctifying fight against sin! Perfectionism’s subtle, but great danger is its self-orientation. Since it is a fear- or pride-fuelled effort to win approval for the self, its primary focus is de facto on self, not God or others. In other words, perfectionism, even in the battle against sin, is not motivated by love or faith. And “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). But God wants us to be free — free from the tyranny of pride and fear. He wants us to live in the freedom of knowing that he has our past, present, and future perfection issues completely covered.
And hence the title of this post becomes important for us to embrace- It’s not your perfection, it’s your direction!!! that sets you free.
Borrowing again from John MacArthur he describes how you know you are in the direction of moving towards Christ even if you are full of imperfections. It is the experience that you have of the works of the Holy Spirit. “ What is He doing in us? I’ll just give you a quick list. He produces in us a desire for repentance, a hatred of sin. He produces in us a desire to seek salvation and forgiveness. He produces in us a belief in the gospel, a love for the Lord Jesus Christ, a desire to become a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging Him as Lord. He produces in us a delight in the Holy Scripture, a longing for obedience. He produces in us joy in trials and tribulations, love of other believers, desire for fellowship, understanding of the Bible, illumination of Scripture, inclination to prayer, holy affections, a desire for praise, a heart of thanksgiving, worship as a way of life, and increasing Christlikeness. That’s pretty encouraging stuff. And I used to say about that, “This is what the Holy Spirit’s doing in you whether you like it or not.” The day you heard the effectual call of Christ and put your belief in Him you were sealed with the Holy Spirit. And from that moment with or with out your knowledge your journey to be set apart began- the work of Sanctification by Grace.
If any or some or all of the above is in you, be confident and press on in the Direction of Christ. Perfection is HIS!
But lest we become lukewarm or take it for granted or put on a false perception of impossibility in seeking God the below verse from Deuteronomy should always remind us of the direction we choose while it is His Grace, is also our willingness to commit!
“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Deuteronomy 30:11-14, 19-20 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/deu.30.11-20.NIV
Reference:
I have borrowed heavily from these online posts to write this article:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lay-aside-the-weight-of-perfection
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/TM13-6/testing-the-spirits-john-macarthur
