Christian Living

Path to Complete Perfection

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
10/14/20
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“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

I was reading an article by Max Lucado awhile back, and he expressed an amazing thought about the heart that a Christian should have. I am not talking about the thumper but the core of your being. The heart that places its treasure in the Kingdom of God, the heart that Paul is telling the Corinthians not to lose.

Max Lucado’s thought was this, what if one day Jesus was to become you? For one day, Jesus woke up in your bed, He put on your shoes, and He assumed your itinerary. At your work, your boss would become Jesus’ boss, and the plans that you had become His plans. Nothing in your day changes, your health does not change, neither does your circumstances, and your schedule is not altered. Your trials of the day are still there to be faced.

You might be thinking about what would be the difference if none of these things changed. But there would be a difference. Instead of your heart dictating every reaction of your day, the heart would be led by Jesus. His priorities would govern your actions, His passions would drive your decisions, and His love would direct your behavior.

What do you think that would be like if Jesus was in control of your heart? Do you think people would notice a change in you? And how about those who are less fortunate than you? Would they be treated the same as you would have treated them? Would your friends detect more joy? And how about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy if Jesus was living in your body?

What would you be like? Would people notice a change? Your family, would they see something new? Your coworkers, would they sense a difference? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy? How about your enemies? Would they receive more forgiveness from Christ’s heart than from yours?

I think that this is a strong point that Max Lucado is making that if Jesus were living with us, we would be completely different people. We would be living in the image of God, as Jesus did nothing but the will of His Father. If Jesus were living in us, then we would be living in the image of Jesus. “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” (Romans 8:29) This heart Paul is telling us not to lose.

As we get older, the flesh tent that we live in wears out and eventually returns to the dust. Unfortunately, that means there will be sickness in our lives. We cannot escape that. We cannot all expect to die in our sleep without suffering along the way. We have to accept that, as death is a part of life. For the common sinner, this is the fear that he will always abide in, death.

For the Christian, who has Jesus living their life, their spirit is being renewed and strengthened each day. The Christian abides in Jesus and is led by His Spirit and does the good work they were created to do. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Our minds are transformed to know what is acceptable and perfect by our loving obedience to Jesus’ commandments. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

I always used to be amazed that I woke up in the morning. I never went to bed, thinking that I would survive the night. I used to be so afraid of dying that I rarely went to bed that I wasn’t three sheets to the wind. Then in 2010, the Lord showed me what the fear of death was. It is theft. It robs you of living freely, it robs you of the joy of faith in the Lord, and it shortens the abundance of the eternal perspective we all should have. The fear of death is a thief because it robs you of the courage to live with Jesus in control of your heart. None of us know what tomorrow may bring, but God knows. Rather life is good and perfect or filled with evil temptations; it will be brief because we are chained to time here in this world. With Jesus living in us, death is not an end but the beginning of the complete abundant life. The abundant life where we live in the freedom of God’s love and righteousness. “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)

Sin has weight, and it holds us in bondage. It separates us from the fellowship of God. Sin places guilt and shame in our heart that bears down on us. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He will give us rest from the weight of sin upon us by His forgiveness. He will give us rest by His words of truth that will free us from the weight of our sin. If sin has weight and holds us in bondage, then the weight of God’s glory will set us free. We are free because we allow Jesus to live our day, and we live in His freedom. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

The world will try as it might to distract you from the path that is set before you. There is nowhere we can go that we do not see the evil of this world. Ever since man rejected the truth of God and His Word, it has been spiraling closer to the Day of the Lord. I am not saying it is not good in this world but that the evil is so prominent and becoming more apparent. There is more and more visibility of the evil in this world as technology expands. These are things that are seen and shall pass with the world.

The Christian who allows Jesus to live in their life will not be distracted from the prize set before them. The eternal things and the riches that God has prepared for them. “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.” (Romans 9:23)

It is for Christians to stay on the path to the everlasting Kingdom of God. For the Christian that has Jesus living their life, they will not lose sight of the joy set before them, that joy set before Jesus, as He went to suffer the cross. As Jesus leads us, let us keep, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

All of the trials are a tool to test our faith and strengthen our walk in His Spirit. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, November 15, 2017