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An excellent breakdown on the essential value and application of Christian Perfection

Aligned to Righteousness

Every so many miles our vehicle needs an alignment. The wear and tear, bumps, twists and turns of the road have a way of throwing things out of alignment. The same can be said of our lives. If we don’t take the time to realign ourselves to the standards of God’s Word, we will bring needless suffering and frustration into our lives and potentially the lives of others.

Breaking Addiction

Almost fifteen years ago I was delivered from the bondage of drug and alcoholic addiction. And while I wish I could say the LORD took it from me without any measure of difficulty, the fact is that addiction is a condition of weakness that is often transferred from one area of our lives to another if we are not determined to replace them with constructive life-forming habits. In my deliverance from addiction, my time and energy shifted toward spiritual disciplines such as prayer, reading and studying Scripture and other writings which helped inspire my faith to grow. I fasted regularly so as to deny my flesh it’s sinful cravings and I took good care of my health with daily exercise. My passion for the LORD and holiness grew tremendously in the beginning after I committed my life to the LORD. I was very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit during this time and the LORD directed me into my calling of full-time ministry. But slowly over time I began to slack off in these disciplines when I made achievements in my life; replacing them with carnal habits of socialization and entertainment. Instead of devoting my time to the spiritual disciplines which had brought about a great deal of spiritual maturity in my life, I began drifting back into the habits of my former life. And all the while I reasoned that so long as I did not give myself back over to drugs and alcohol, I was not far off from where I needed to be. This was a lie that made excuses for sin taking root in my life. While my habits may not have been drugs and alcohol, they were undeniably destructive to me. Movies and video games replaced drugs. Pornography replaced the alcohol. A new addiction to food came in and began effecting my health in a way I never struggled with before. And yet, I was going to church and pursuing an education in the field of ministry! Religion had become a cover for the reckless addiction that had returned to my life in a different form - and it cost me dearly! Within a year I was forced to resign from my platform of public ministry and pursue counseling for my marriage which was in shambles. I needed rescued again from the dreadful disease of addiction in my life. I began praying and reading the Scriptures with voracity - devoting large volumes of time to the reconstruction of my spiritual life. I knew there was only one way to overcome addiction and that was through complete and utter devotion to the Lord and His ways. Some have argued that we never really break free from addiction; that we simply trade one addiction for another. I do not believe this is entirely true. While I would agree that addictions can be replaced with other addictions in our lives, I have experienced first-hand that you can break free from addiction if you devote yourself to the LORD and fill your life with spiritual disciplines. There is great peace and power that comes through these life-forming habits. The key is to avoid the temptation to slack off in them. Be mindful of your leisure. Too much time spent consuming vanity will invite addiction back into your life in ways that are even more destructive than they were before.

We must be careful not to fill our lives with so many trivial things. Oftentimes the most important things in life are so cluttered with unimportant things that it becomes difficult to make time for what really matters most in life.

Those who do not recognize the world as a dark and destructive place are blind to the truth and unfamiliar with the standards of righteousness; neither can they rightly claim to know God for that matter because they are unable to identify His nature. If they did, they would never presume to think humanity is inherently good - but rather desperately wicked as the Word of God has revealed. We need a savior and Christ is our only hope!

Preaching Another Gospel

There are many who profess a faith in Christ; many who go to church, who read the Bible and pray to God. Some have even prayed over the sick and they have been healed in Jesus’ name - but the gospel they preach is not the one they received from our Lord.

Some would object, “how can this be? If these people are praying for the sick and seeing them made well in the name of Christ, how can they believe in a Gospel other than the one given us by our Lord?” Paul confronts this issue in his letter to the Galatians. He says, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” He goes on to say that such individuals should be “accursed” by the fellowship of Christ because they are advancing darkness rather than light; deceiving people with a lie rather than liberating captives with the truth.

“But what about the miracles?” Some might ask. “Certainly God would not answer the prayers of such deceivers would He?” Well, if we look at what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 7 we will understand that prophecy and miracles are no litmus rest for authentic Christian faith. Jesus said, “"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'”

We must be careful in our assumptions of who belong to Christ and who do not. If those who profess faith in Christ, who study and proclaim His Gospel are healing the sick and casting our demons in His name have nothing inconsistent in their faith and witness in comparison to the gospel they have received, then and only then can we be certain they are children of God and true followers of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We live in an age where far too many churches are putting too much stock in false teachers and impostors of the Christian faith. These blind guides teach perverted doctrines of universalism and naturalism, championing the cause of godlessness and the spirit of the age. They lead people to believe truth is relative and that God has made His Salvation accessible through any religion. But this deception is luring the masses into a bondage of the will to a destiny of eternal destruction. There is only one way Christ has made possible the way of redemption for humanity: the gospel that calls sinners to repentance and faithful obedience to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All other ways are counterfeit and imitations that poison our souls with corruption and chaos. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

David’s Reverence for Authority

David had to learn how to respect the authority God placed over him - even though the king was clearly trying to kill him. This is significant because the authority in this case was a man who had grossly offended God with his rebellion and cruelty. Nevertheless, David recognized him as the LORD’s anointed which meant it was not up to men to deal with Saul, but God Himself. There is something powerful for us to learn here from David’s convictions. Just because we do not agree with the authority over us does not mean we have the right to remove them or take justice into our own hands - especially if God has anointed them with a position of leadership over His people. We must be patient and humble and wait for the LORD to deal with His own in His own time. We need only watch and pray for those whom God has appointed over His people. God will take care of the details.

Offending with Fire

It seems there is a growing concern with not what I say, but how I say it - as if somehow the firm and unfiltered delivery of truth makes it less credible. Someone I admire greatly shared some insight with me today that made me look at him much differently than before. He told me that I need to work at delivering the truth in a way that makes it receptive to others; implying that the reason why people are not receiving what I say has much to do with how I present it. But is it my delivery? I care about the salvation of souls and I can sympathize with even the most rebellious of men because I’ve been there and I’ve known what it’s like to prefer living in darkness rather than the light.

But it wasn’t a passive and sensitive approach of evangelism that brought me to the place where I realized the gravity of my rebel heart - it was a fiery storm of truth that broke through my barriers of stubbornness and arrogance. It was a deafening blow of righteous passion that enabled me to see the Gospel is not just religion - it’s the truth and there are actually people in the world who genuinely believe the truth - that my soul was in danger of hellfire!

You see - the problem we have today isn’t that we are too harsh in our delivery of the Gospel. It’s that we have become too passive. It’s not about how we deliver the truth - it’s a matter of if we believe it enough to tell people about it without filtering out its offensive nature. The truth, by nature, will offend people (especially sinners who have no regard for the things of God) - this is not because the truth is so raw that it won’t work without a padded delivery. Rather, it offends people because their hearts are wicked and their hearts are far from the Lord and truth is an offense to those whose hearts are so deceived that they believe Good is evil and evil is good.

I would rather offend with fire than to offend souls seeking salvation with a watered down Gospel. I would rather drive people to see the flames of Hell and feel their blisters begin to bubble over from the heat of pending judgment than to make them believe they are safe in the path of God’s holy justice. How much does one have to hate someone to not warn them of the coming Great White Throne of Judgment and the possibility that their unregenerate soul might be cast into outer darkness, cut off from the presence of the Lord, made to suffer an everlasting punishment for having rejected the Eternal One?

Give me the consequences for having preached too hard against sin than the consequences for having preached too lightly against it. I often wonder that I do not preach nearly with enough passion to see souls delivered from sin and death. Has the Lord not warned the watchman that the sinners blood will be on his own head if he does not warn him of the coming judgment. Has God not revealed all throughout His Word that sin grieves the Lord and that men should repent of their sins and humble themselves before the Lord of Hosts?

These passive preachers must beware. If they do not lead sinners away from sin and call them to repentance, they may be just as guilty of offending the Lord as those who have no regard for Him at all. Woe to the preacher who makes sinners comfortable in their sins and makes no effort to help them see the truth for what they are.

The Wicked Will Perish

There are at least two degrees (or spheres) of evil when it comes to the human experience. The first is largely based on blissful ignorance and indulgence; a natural evil with which men are born into as a result of the curse. However, while this evil is an offense to God, when men do what they will with no mind of what God desires, it might as well be counted as good compared to the second degree; that is, if it were not held in contrast with righteousness.

The second degree of evil comes in spite of the knowledge of God and His decrees; that detestable practice of willfully rebelling against God when men know what good they ought to do; even presenting themselves as righteous to others while at the same time living in secret sin. This kind of evil is a woeful offense to God.

Both degrees (spheres) of wickedness will be dealt with in due time. Those who continue to do evil in God’s eyes will one day reap the whirlwind whether they sin in ignorance or in blatant hypocrisy. However, those who pretend to be righteous while they remain blinded by their sins will one day learn just how wretched they are when the LORD comes to judge them.

Putting one’s trust/hope/faith/confidence in the LORD (Adonai - Master, Governor) is surely an inheritance of blessings/privileges/joys/treasures. Only those who have come to put their hope in the LORD will truly understand the incredible significance of this confession.

Tuning Out Judgment

The Christian religious fanatics are only trying to make people miserable by constantly telling them they’re living in sin and going to burn in Hell if they don’t stop.

They aren’t happy themselves so their only joy in life is to suck as much pleasure as they can out of the lives of others.

They are arrogant and self-righteous in their belief that there is only one God and that all of humanity must believe and live a certain way in order to inherit “eternal life.”

These religious fanatics are fools to believe the grand fantasies written in the Bible; stories of angels and demons, giants and dragons, miracles and wonders recorded by an incredibly unscientific and superstitious community of “faith.”

Some of the most hypocritical and disillusioned people in the world are these “Christians” or followers of Jesus; claiming to follow a sinless man all the while living in rebellion and denial of his very teachings.

Have you heard objections like these? Have you considered the implications of these claims and their impact on the world around you as a Christian? Do you realize how much impact your witness has on your faith; the weight of your actions against the power of your words? Is there any wonder why so many reject the Bible and the Church? Could it be that they refuse to accept the truth and simply believe what they want to believe? Perhaps. Then again, how often are their objections a result of the impressions Christians have left on them?

After all, why would people care what Christians have to say when they don’t even live their own lives consistently with these convictions? It’s no wonder why so many sinners would prefer to remain in their sins rather than repent and turn to Christ and belong to the kingdom of God. It’s likely they haven’t yet seen the true Kingdom because they haven’t met true citizens of that Kingdom.

If we so desire the change in our lives to be healthy and holy, then we must stop making excuses and get on with the disciplines that will bring about that change.

Offense has a way of tormenting the soul. Imagine the unrelenting torment of offense. Could it be that the infection of offense that grows in the world today is a premonition of what eternal damnation might be like? A world where souls are so emotionally damaged that everything is poised to torment them through offense. Offense, dear friends, is a taste of Hell.

When ministry is run like a business it will be a ministry of money - not of God.

Importance of Godly Leadership

Some may be led to think I am against leadership in the Church on account of my railing against it on so many fronts. But this is merely a misunderstanding of where I stand on the issue of leadership for the Church. So let me make it absolutely clear:

I am not against leadership in the Church. I am 100% in full favor and support of Godly Leadership - those who live by the Word of God and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps we can consider something Paul wrote to Titus regarding leadership among God’s people. He wrote, “...an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:7-9)

Do we recognize the criteria here for godly leadership? Those who are given the high and holy calling to lead are those who do what is right; who are self-controlled and temperate; disciplined and hold firm to sound doctrine. This is no casual list of qualifications here, these are serious and sacred if ever there was! Yet how often does the church fill these roles with people who barely if at all meet these criteria?

Leaders determine the health status of the local church. If they are godly, they will inspire godliness in the fellowship. But if they are carnal-minded and ignorant of Scripture and void of the Holy Spirit, they will injure and maim the reputation of Christ in the world and scatter the flock rather than unify it.

Desensitized by the Culture

If we are not careful to consider our convictions as they have been passed down to us from God’s Word, we will trade them for the godless standards of the world. That is, we must first know and accept righteousness as the high and holy calling for God’s people and do everything in our power to uphold these standards throughout the shifting sands of time. Time and culture do not dictate our values, but God alone and His Word shall not pass away as the standards of men.

But some have gone the way of Baalam in recent days, calling to the Lord with requests that He should change His mind concerning His people and their inheritance. As the world tempts them with mammon, they are ever-considering that God might change His mind regarding the timeless decrees of holiness. They look at the Scriptures and scramble them in order to come up with new interpretations in order to satisfy the cravings of their corrupted flesh. They do not revere what is sacred. They do not care for what is Holy and just and true. They would rather assume the throne of heaven for themselves and write their own laws.

They have become desensitized to evil because they have entertained the world for far too long. They are no longer able, if they were ever at all, to know the way of righteousness in order that they might avoid that broad road that leads to their destruction. They have adopted a new gospel - one that promises salvation while denying the demands for repentance and righteousness. They are nothing more than blind guides leading the blind to their demise.

When Leaders Mislead

Be careful not to fall into the trap of complaining against those in leadership. Even if they may be in the wrong, to complain against them is to invite needless trouble into your life. Rather, take what concerns you and make it a matter of prayer. Intercede on behalf of those who may be straying away from the Lord and leading others astray. Pray and ask God to give you the wisdom and words to confront them in love. But even so, if they are unwilling to accept your rebuke, you must be prepared to accept whatever consequences ensue for this is God’s testing of your faith and obedience to Him.

If we look at some of the consequences God’s children had to face in Scripture, we will have a better understanding of how God can use these apparent setbacks for His glory in the days to come.

The Scriptures tell us that “Noah was a righteous man who was blameless among the people of his time” (Gen 6:9) and it is believed he preached to the people concerning the coming judgment for more than 100 years! Nevertheless they did not listen and they were swept away by the great flood to their destruction.

Consider Moses and the numerous times he stood before Pharaoh only to be denied request after request to let the Israelites go from their bondage. Yet he remained persistent and obedient to the Lord and eventually saw the day when Pharaoh finally released Israel. In the days to follow, the LORD brought down judgment on Pharaoh and the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

Or perhaps we could look at Daniel and his faithfulness to the LORD even after a law was made forbidding him from praying to anyone other than the king (Dan 6). Daniel had to face the consequence for his faithfulness to God - but God was with Him. Eventually those wicked men who plotted against him were thrown into the very lions den they had Daniel thrown in and they were torn to pieces.

The point is, if we are faithful to the LORD, He will do great things in spite of the evil things wicked men (and women) do. Even when leaders mislead, God can use His children set things right in due time; only they must patiently endure the trials to the end.

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