It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life.

How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection.

Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life.

In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.

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December 2, 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

 

Good morning Lord and thank You for this day, this lesson and the Holy Spirit that guided our study and surrender. David and I believe that we got the message; that You do not desire our personal perfection, or service? In fact, You say that our Christian perfection it is not even possible this side of heaven; but that we become perfect only as we are surrendered and connected to Jesus. Is this the lesson God? That we are not to even concern ourselves with better outcomes from our prayers and Christian activity? That we are not to be concerned with becoming better Christians? That we are to only be concerned with our relationship with Jesus?

And God says…”Whenever you come to Me with an outcome already in mind, you become your own God. When you surrender yourself and your ideas and thoughts….and desired outcomes to Jesus, I can meet all your needs. Do you need to grow as a believer? Does your neighborhood church need to grow? Do your children need to come back from their prodigal journeys very soon? Perhaps. These are righteous, wonderful and honorable outcomes, but surrender means that you let go of them. You let go of your need to control the outcomes, regardless of how “right” they might seem. You let go of your wants and needs regardless of how lofty or “spiritual” they might seem. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will meet all your needs, including the need for the “right outcomes”. Just seek Jesus and an intimate surrendered relationship with Him.

Remember that all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. And when you acknowledge Me in all your ways I can make your paths straight. Let go of your own ideas about what would make yours a better, more “spiritual” or “Christian” world. In your daily life of surrender, let go of what you believe would make you and yours happy and let Me be God. I gave My Son for you, how would I withhold any good thing?”