Maturing Into Perfection, or Pigs Can’t Fly [#6]

A pine tree seedling will never mature into a full-grown apple tree. A kitten will never mature into a full-grown dog. A ‘sinner’ will never mature into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

That’s why Jesus said we must be born again. It is not until you are born OF God… with His perfect nature… his DNA, that we can have even the slightest hope of growing up… maturing… to be like Jesus. Perfection, in the Bible definition, will be truly impossible to one who sees themselves as a ‘sinner saved by grace’. We WERE sinners, UNTIL we were saved by grace. Then we became SONS of God, saved by grace! A sinner can only mature to be an older sinner. Only a son of God can ever hope to be ‘perfect, as his Father which is in heaven is perfect’. (See Matthew 5:48)

You know those bumper stickers that say, “Christians aren’t perfect — just forgiven”? They are totally missing that a true Christian is MORE than forgiven. Yes, we have been 100% forgiven, but more importantly, we have been REBORN, with a brand new perfect nature. We have a new father!

If we’re not careful, this ‘just forgiven’ theology can creep in even to those who preach perfection, and believe that it’s possible… even commanded. Even they can fall into the mindset, that now that they’re saved, their PAST sins are forgiven, and the battle becomes trying not to sin again, and needing more forgiveness; or a step higher… TRYING to do what Jesus would do, and not to do what He wouldn’t do. They could even get bogged down, focused on what is and isn’t sin, and what’s forgiven and what isn’t, and trying not to LOSE their salvation, instead of GOING ON unto perfection. (See Hebrews 6:1)

The big fault of the old covenant law, is that it could not make anyone ‘perfect’. (See Hebrews 10:1-14) If we turn back, and try to pursue perfection by the law, or by new laws we make up, we will surely fail. BUT, if we understand the finished work of the cross, and who we become when we believe and receive Christ’s finished work; then ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ is what we will NATURALLY mature into!

Think about it like this: Pigs can’t fly, so they don’t try. But to a bird, it’s natural… just spread your wings and fly.

So who are you? A pig or a bird? Sinner, or son? 1 John 3:2 says, “NOW are we the SONS of God…”