Growing Up Perfection

Growing Up

Perfection

Perfection, what is it?

Paul defines what would make him perfect he says it is: 

“The surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”

May our cry for perfection be…

“I want to know YOU (Christ) more”

Perfection, what is it?

What do you and I call perfect?

How many perfect things do we have in our lives?

Where do we get our definition of perfection? 

 The Apostle Paul realized he was not perfect

something most of us would say about our self.

Paul defines what would make him perfect, he says it is:

  

“The surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”

He realized there are and were a lot of things

he considered Right, Righteous, or Perfect.

Much of his personal belief system was based on the law.

Paul was a very learned man and had strong personal

convictions that he not only lived by but tried to

force others to live by.

 To the point of executing those who didn't see
perfection or righteousness like he did.

Paul’s conversion to Jesus changed everything.

He says…

“Whatever was to my profit I now

consider loss for the sake of Christ.”

Paul always believed in righteousness.

Paul always believed in perfection.

They were the goal of his life.

But Paul said…

“Whatever was to my profit I now

consider loss for the sake of Christ.”

Paul’s definition, his view of perfection all changed.

His sources of information that lead to his convictions

of righteous perfection and maturity and his

understanding from them he considered rubbish.

“I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

Paul’s understanding of perfection came

from the knowledge he gained from the law.

His interpretation of it,

he had a strong belief in God.

Yet, all this was not profitable to becoming perfect.

Paul’s revelation of perfection

came from “Knowing Christ”.

Paul was not saying I am perfect because I know Christ.

Just the opposite.

Knowing Christ revealed perfection that he wanted to obtain.

 

“That I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my

own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ —

the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

Paul realized perfection, maturing could

only come through knowing Christ.

Through this relationship Paul’s faith changed

from his interpretation of the law.

Paul’s faith, his belief system, was transformed as

he put faith in what he gained from his knowing Christ.

Paul’s conversion left him with one desire, one hope, one goal…

To Know Christ.

Perfection misses the mark by only knowing what Jesus said…

Perfection can only be obtained by knowing Christ.

Paul knew we can take anyone’s words

and make them what we want.

Paul was not about his personal interpretation

but about the heart and mind of Christ.

All scripture is God breathed.

Are you close enough to Christ to feel

His breath when you read His Word?

If so, you will agree with Paul…

     

 “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind

and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which

God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

God’s Word is living.

 You can’t get the life out of it

unless you get to know Christ.

May our cry for perfection be…

 “I want to know YOU (Christ) more”

Scripture Reading

Philippians 3:7-16 NIV

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers,

15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.