PERSECUTIONS AND PROMISES ON THE

ROAD TO PERFECTION

Today there are many behind pulpits of churches throughout America that preach a partial truth. People are told that when they accept Jesus as their Savior, all of their problems are over. Certainly in the spirit realm, there is some truth in that message, but there seldom seems to be any word of caution to the new convert.... Warning him of the war that begins when he steps over the line and joins forces with the army of God. He is seldom, if ever, told that the devil hates his guts and will do all within his power to stop this baby’s spiritual growth and prevent him, any way he can, from receiving the promises of God.... And putting up every possible roadblock to hinder this new Christian from walking toward the perfection that is not only promised, but commanded:

Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48)

In the book of Genesis, we see perfection spoken of concerning the only man and his family that was saved from the destruction God brought upon the earth:

Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. (Gen: 6:9)

This comment concerning Noah was taken from the King James translation, but many other translations speak of Noah as:

We are told further on in that same chapter that Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Sounds like obedience is a very necessary ingredient in moving in perfection. Adam was also said to have walked with God, yet he was cast out of the place of perfection that God had created for him - why? Disobedience!

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. (Gen. 17:1)

Following this command to Abram, what did God do? He made an everlasting covenant with Abram and He has made an eternal covenant with us as well, as children of God - joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Jesus became the final sacrifice. Hebrews 9:11-19 tells of this sacrifice that made the way for us to be redeemed. But verse 14 particularly speaks of him being the perfect sacrifice:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God.... Romans give us a specific directive concerning being a sacrifice:

Is God talking about "somewhere over yonder in the sweet by and by" in this scripture? Certainly not. Paul was speaking of a "here and now" event in a believer’s earth walk.

In verse 26 of Hebrews 9 we see that :

Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

There is much spoken in today’s church concerning an imminent rapture of the believers. This scripture talks about a second coming, but it speaks of Jesus coming to bring salvation to unbelievers, not coming to snatch anyone away. Is it possible that his coming or appearing is to the individual as that one surrenders his life and accepts the sacrifice that Jesus made for him and becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus?

In Deuteronomy 18:9-14 God cautions the Israelites that when they come into the land He has promised them, they will encounter peoples that have strange practices and commands them not to participate in any of these forbidden pagan practices. In verse 13, he commands them:

Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

Deuteronomy 32:4 speaks of the Lord and His perfection:

He is the rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.

In 1 Kings 8, Solomon has just prayed over the entire nation of Israel. He then rises from before the altar where he was kneeling before the Lord and he stood and blessed all of the congregation of Israel. In verse 61 he spoke:

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 1:8 and also Job 2:3 relate how God referred to Job concerning a request Satan made of God to attack Job. God referred to him in the same terms as Job 1:1.

In Psalms 18:32, David recognized:

David further expounds on the ways that God goes about his perfecting in man in Psalms 19:7-9

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul

In Psalms 138:8 David tells us:

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.

PROMISES: