For in Him the entire compliment of the Deity is dwelling bodily. And you are complete in Him, Who is the head of every sovereignty and authority.
Paul To The Colossians 2: 9-10, Concordant New Testament
The scriptures tell us that there is none perfect but for the Lord {Paul To The Romans 3:10, 3:23}. Indeed, each and every one of us may struggle for a lifetime without ever gaining the perfection of the Lord. Or can we? Traditional Christian wisdom and teaching tells us that all have sinned and fallen away from the Lord, we're not perfect. We're told that the closest we can be is to be "close" to Jesus or to "Be like" Him. Even traditional Christian music calls for Jesus to "Come closer" to us. The entire paradigm is one of the distance between ourselves and the God. Between the perfect and the sinners. The apostle Paul spoke to the truth of Christ Jesus in him in his letter to the Galatians {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}. I remember that when I first read this passage that it upset the apple cart of beliefs I had been carrying around for so many years. Jesus...in me? Actually, it is myself in Him. But how is it that a sinner like myself could be in Jesus? These are the elementary questions which come up whenever the truth of Christ in us is spoken to those who follow the traditional mainstream church teaching. Understand, that without the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, there would be NO indwelling Christ within us. For Jesus Himself became sin on the cross that it be put to death {Paul To The Corinthians (2) 5:21}. Paul proclaims that it is Christ Jesus who has defeated sin once for ALL {Paul To The Romans 6:10}. It is Jesus who declared that all He had set out to accomplish had been completed {Johns Account 28:30}. The sin issue that far too many believers continue to cling to is no more. What remains is Christ. Knowing this, we can say with confidence that we are indeed perfect in Christ Jesus. Paul proclaims that we are complete in God {Paul To The Colossians 2:9-10}. We are perfect in Him.
I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in one, and that the world may know that Thou dost commission Me and dost love them according as Thou dost love Me.
Johns Account 17: 23, Concordant New Testament
If I were to walk into any mainstream church and declare that I was indeed perfect I'm sure that I would be scrutinized to the max. But I would never think of doing that. What I WOULD proclaim is that I am indeed perfect IN HIM. For to speak that I am perfect speaks to the false idea that I am my own individual. Understand, it has nothing to do with my own accomplishments that I am now in union with the Lord {Paul To The Ephesians 2:8-9}. It is through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus that I remain in Him {Johns Account 14:20}. Therefore, I am perfect in the Father. I lack nothing of Him in my life. I can already see the mainstream church followers scratching their heads as they attempt to contemplate such heresy. When Jesus proclaimed that He and the Father were one, the Jewish authorities took up stones to hurl against Him {Johns Account 10:31}. The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy and for "Making yourself God" {Johns Account 10:33}. I have no doubt that were I to proclaim that I am perfect in God that I may receive a similar reaction. But Jesus wasn't wrong. He and the Father ARE one just as I am one in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}. I have had a few conversations with a good friend who adheres to the Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and he has vehemently argued against this idea despite the truth we find in scripture. I have never claimed to be perfect. What I do proclaim is that I am perfect in the Lord.
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment