“Forever made perfect”
Our Lord Jesus, through His work on the cross accomplished something for us that the old covenant failed to: He provided a way to be perfect before God. The drawback of the Levitical priesthood was that it failed to make a way for something that was God’s desire for us, our perfection; “So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended” (Hebrews 7:11; NLT). Even when our Lord Jesus was on the earth He admonished His disciples, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
There are three key areas in which we all need to grow in perfection.
Our Faith. However great our faith is at this point in our lives there will always be room for our faith to be perfected. One of the reasons Paul desired to go back and see the church at Thessalonica was to perfect that which was lacking in their faith: “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:10). As we grow in the knowledge of God we make room for our faith to be perfected.
Our Love. The Bible makes it clear that our faith is empowered by love: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6). There is one thing that corrupts pure love and renders it imperfect: the presence of fear in our lives; “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Let us not give any room for fear in our lives as fear will weaken our effectiveness in the kingdom of God.
Our Peace. You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3). Perfect peace is the outcome of an unwavering trust in what Christ has accomplished for us. Let us not give any room for doubt in our minds; doubt will always tamper with our peace.
Declaration: This week I will appropriate what Christ’s sacrifice has accomplished for me: to live from a place of perfection. I will press into a place of perfection in the areas of my faith, my love, and my peace.
Scripture: For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:19).