Psalm 18:30: As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
God is the only one who needs no improvement for he has no imperfections, these only exist in man.
God standard of being perfect will never change. Never will he come down to our level but he is ever inviting us to come up to his level.
The origin of who we are as Born Again believers is revealed in:
– the first Adam as mortal sinners
– and the second Adam a sinner saved by grace
Our faith life line, is ordered as:
Imperfect
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Imperfect w/ grace
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Perfected by grace
Eph 2:8-10
For by (grace) you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Now grace it has no form or comeliness. But his grace is sufficient and manifest in multiple ways. This grace will even save you from yourself. Someone may say how is this possible.
Now in some instances it could seem extreme but God will do whatever it takes to position us for his good.
For example:
– He allowed Jonah to be swallowed (not killed) by a whale. Once Jonah agreed to his call he was released from the whales belly.
– He blinded Saul. After he acknowledge God, he allowed hands to be laid on him an sight
restored.
What about Lot? Cindy Rooy writes, he selfishly took the best pasture and settled next to Sodom. The city’s wicked reputation didn’t stop him from choosing more prosperity over religious purity.
Already blessed with wealth, Lot was willing to risk his conscience for more opportunity. Soon, Lot moved into the city and sat at its gateway where legal matters were discussed and prosecuted. Was he striving for acceptance from the ungodly people living there?
What are you willing to compromise in your spiritual life to attain worldly treasures? Lot’s temporary gain resulted in losing all of his possessions.
Sodom’s involvement in a political rebellion resulted in Lot and his family being taken captive. After Abram rescued him, Lot chose to continue living in Sodom. Did he outwardly condone the residents’ sins in the name of tolerance? Good thing God pricked his heart. In 2
Peter 2:7-8, we read that Lot “was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men.”
Lot’s secular choices had costly consequences. The first lesson from Lot’s life is not to compromise God’s standards to conform to the world or blend into it.
Instead, we’re to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and shine like stars in the universe. (Matthew 5:13-14; Philippians 2:15) God repeatedly commands us to “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16) Every person is accountable to Him.
Being imperfect we will now reflect, and examine how God applies grace, if we are:
– like Jonah, running from a calling, God will halt us
– like Paul persecuting the church, God may blind us to open our eyes
– like Lot making spiritual compromises, God may strip or relocate us
Times like these can be disgraceful. The
pressure makes us cry out to God. All the while his reservior of grace is available, those who benefit move to the next level by accepting: his call, his will and his way without spiritual compromise. These are the workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
