November 12, 2003 Wednesday
Perfect Worship
"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made
perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3)
New life in Jesus Christ begins at only one place, the nail-pierced,
blood-stained cross of Mount Calvary - and new life in Jesus Christ only leads
to one place, the very throne from which He rules and reigns....but do these
thoughts suffice your passions for today? Have you become unaware of the
possibility of worshiping your Master every moment that He has given you in
your walk through this temporary pilgrimage? The genuine Christian life is one
that has only begun through the power of God's Spirit; all other "beginnings"
are merely deceptions straight from the fires of hell, striving to lure you
into eternal damnation. Many live in a state of total confusion as they vainly
struggle for perfection in themselves, never having begun in the Spirit...and,
sadly, many Christians who once began in the Spirit are now living in
their foolish attempts to please their Master through the power of their
own flesh.
It's an empty and depleted Christian life that abounds in defeat and finds only
rare victories...suffering "so many things in vain". (Galatians 3:4) Perfect
worship ascending up to God is only found in the life of the Christian who has
laid aside every right, dream, and desire he has ever craved so that God can
perfect him through the power of His Spirit and use him for the "greater works"
(See John 14:12). Yes, as His child you can have assurance that He WILL have
His way with you, but IS He having His way with you? Ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands about His throne declare with a loud voice
"Worthy is the Lamb". (Revelation 5:12) They worship around His throne for all
of eternity proclaiming, "Thou art worthy, O Lord..." (Revelation 4:11) Nowhere
in His Word do we find even a hint of worthiness in ourselves...so why do we
strive to prove otherwise through our lives? Every teaching and claim of wisdom
that leads us astray from death to self needs to be instantly wiped out from
our minds. Remember, "he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from
his own works". (Hebrews 4:10) God has NEVER been Glorified through the works
of our flesh, not when we were saved and not even when we serve Him. The
"greater works" are only those which God has been able to perform through us
because we've abolished all hope of self. Do you want to see Him glorified to
the extreme through your life? If so, don't be foolish in thinking that
perfection through your flesh is even a remote possibility; look to the Cross
and crucify the pride that is keeping you from totally surrendering to Jesus
Christ. If anything aside from your faith in Him is controlling you then your
worship has become anything but perfect.