Pressing On Unto Perfection
Conforming To Christ’s Image
Introduction
1. Consider what it means to be ‘in Christ’:
a. Those baptized into Christ have put on Christ:
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)
b. Those in Christ have no condemnation to fear:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)
c. Those in Christ have received every spiritual blessing:
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:1-3)
2. We were guilty but have now been justified:
a. Justified in His name:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
b. Justified by His blood and saved from wrath:
"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:9)
3. Having been immersed, forgiven, and justified in His name, are we now perfect?
I. Witnesses Of Imperfection
A. One step forward, two steps back!
1. The brethren at Corinth were acting like mere men:
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
2. The brethren in Galatia were in danger of falling from grace:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:1-4)
B. Down and out:
1. Demas was a fellow laborer with Paul (Philemon 1:24) but his love of the world was his undoing:
"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." (2 Timothy 4:10)
2. Peter mentioned certain brethren who had been overcome by the corruption that is in the world:
"For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning" (2 Peter 2:18-20)
C. Any honest person will confess that they are not perfect:
1. James gives witness to man’s imperfection:
"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2)
"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:6)
"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:8)
2. John is even more direct:
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:8-10)
[Yes, we were cleansed from our past sins and justified in His name. Yet this, by no means, implies that we are perfect in all our ways. In fact, there is still a long way to go before we even come close to conforming to the image of Christ. We shall now consider two questions: in what areas do we need to strive for perfection? What will aid us as we strive toward that goal?]
II. Pressing On Unto Perfection
A. Conduct:
1. Commands to watch our conduct:
a. Though specifically written to Timothy, Paul’s instruction is applicable to all Christians:
"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in speech, in conduct, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)
b. Specifically for all Christians:
"Only let your conduct be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" (Philippians 1:27)
2. There are basically two realms in which we need to watch our conduct:
a. In the House of God:
"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)
b. Toward outsiders:
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity." (Colossians 4:5)
3. Our conduct must be grounded and shaped on our fear and reverence for God:
"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:" (1 Peter 1:17)
B. Speech:
1. Our speech should always be governed by the principles of religion:
"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6)
2. For the benefit of hearers:
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)
3. The mark of the wise:
"The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. The Heart Of The Wise Teacheth His Mouth, And Addeth Learning To His Lips. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones" (Proverbs 16:21-24)
[Having shown that we must continually strive to improve our conduct and speech, we will now consider the aids that are in place unto that end.]
III. Aids Unto Perfection
A. Teachers:
"Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:" (Colossians 1:28)
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:" (Ephesians 4:13)
B. Study:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
C. The example of others:
"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample" (Philippians 3:15-17)
"Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Philippians 4:9)
"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." (Hebrews 13:7)
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Conclusion
1. When we first believed, we repented of our sins and were washed and justified in Jesus name.
2. Yet we ought not to suppose that we are perfect! We have seen how the Corinthians were acting like mere men, and how the Galatians were in danger of falling from grace. James and John also demonstrate that we are by no means perfect and need the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins each day.
3. But God has provided aids to bring to perfection: teachers, the word, and the example of others.
4. The greatest example is Jesus. In all that we do or say, let us ask, "What would Jesus do?" or "What would Jesus say?"
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:1-10)
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