Going on to Perfection

Go To Meeting

Lyall Johnston—2021

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Greetings, everyone! Let's ask some questions. We're going through a series in 2-Peter. As a way of introduction, we want to have a look at something that Paul said, which is directly related to what we're going to cover.

• Why did the Apostle Paul write that Christians—that is the saints; you and me—need to be going on to perfection?
• What did he mean when he wrote those words?
• What was the perfection that Paul had in mind for you and me and all of the saints down through the ages?
• Was it to know all the doctrines of the Bible?
• Was it, in fact, to understand all prophecy that is in the Bible?
• Was it to understand that doing good works, and many, many other such actions?

Paul has something very interesting to teach us! As we know, everything that is in the Word of God, in the Scripture, was written for:

• our admonition
• our learning
• our teaching
• our correction

We all love to hear pleasant words from the Word of God. But God also has some hard words to say, for us!

Most of the time when we're staying close to God, we're in daily contact with Him, daily confessing our sins. We can say that 'I don't know that I sinned today.' But if we have human nature, the sin that lies within, there are sins that I am aware of that I commit, but:

• Is it possible that there could be some sins that I'm not aware of?
• Do I need to examine myself, virtually on a daily basis, before God's Throne ?
• Does He have some hard words for me, something that I don't understand?
• Why did Jesus say that we should pray every day, 'Father, forgive us our trespasses, or the sins that we do against You'? Also, to forgive those who trespass or sin against us!

Since we have human nature, we have to understand what God says about that nature (Gen. 6:5 & Gen. 8). When God looked down from heaven above, He looked at man—like a bunch of grasshoppers moving across the face of the earth—He saw

Genesis 6:5: "…every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

That nature—although we've been delivered from it by the love and mercy of God, and by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ—it remains within us! It's by learning to control that nature that is within our heart and mind—and our memories—that we're actually qualify  to become the sons and daughters of God.

Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"

Unless God reveals it to us, which He did at baptism, that there are some things within us that He was not able to reveal to us at the time of our repentance and initial conversion. We were like babes, children that w couldn't comprehend yet.

Our lives are a continual process of coming to understand how deep and desperately evil and wicked that nature within us is. For our need to cry out to God for His thought, for His mighty power to be working within us so that we can have the self-control over that nature that is within us.

Our mind is still there, but by the power of God's Spirit, and the blood of Jesus Christ, we are able to remain in self-control of our lives as much as God has revealed to us at this time.

It's interesting, because Paul is writing to the Hebrews, the Hebrew Church, so this would be Jews and probably a number of the Israelites who had been part of the lost tribes of the house of Israel. That is a possibility!

Let's hear what God has to say in Heb. 5 as an introduction to 1-Peter 1:5-11. In Heb. 5 Paul is talking about Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 5:7: "Who, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with strong crying…"

Here's Jesus, the Son of the living God, our Savior and this is how He approaches His Father, because He had that human nature within Him from His mother Mary; right back to David and even before that. The genes and nature were all there. In fact, do we not all bear the genes of Adam and Eve? We're their descendants regardless of race, color or creed!

God is calling all of those into one Body, the Body of His Church!

• The Church of the Living God!
• The Church of the Firstborn!

That's who we are! We're not there, yet, but in God's mind we are, because of what He has done, because of His sacrifice!

Here's Jesus with strong cryings and tears! We know that in the garden that His tears and crying came like 'great drops of blood' pouring out of Him as He was praying to His Father:

Father, if there's another way that is can be done, then please provide it for me. I don't want to die; I'm human and I understand what it's like to be a human being. But Your will be done and not mine!

A great teaching there from our High Priest, sitting at the right hand of God the Father!

"…and tears to Him… [His Father] …Who was able to save Him from death… (v 7).

Because the Father and Jesus Christ are in us, we know that God is able to save us from death, the second death! We're all going to die one day, some of us sooner than others.

"…and was heard… [Why?] …because He feared God…. [Do we fear God?] …Although He was a Son… [although He had been God the Father before] …yet, He learned obedience from the things that He suffered" (vs 7-8).

Jesus knew everything, but He didn't know what it was like to be in the flesh as a human being, as a man. It was as a man with human nature within Him just like you and me, but never sinning once!

Can't we thank our God and Father that that is so, because in those words we have eternal life. We have the promise and the hope of immortality. We're not immortal right now; we're finites and in our very best state without God, David said, 'we are altogether vanity' (Psa. 39). There's the key; that's our battle, because the nature of Satan was vanity! That's the sin that was found within him; that was the basis of it.

So it is for us! That vanity is within and by conquering that vanity and putting on the love of God—through the shed blood of Jesus Christ—that we're going to one day wake up in the resurrection and we're going to look at Jesus Christ, see Him face-to-face. We're going to be exactly like Him!

Therefore, as Peter says, 'Let's make our calling and election sure!'

Going on with Paul, 9: "And having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all… [we're included in this] …those who obey Him."

Is obedience to the Lord God necessary? Of course! Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

Verse 10: "After He had been designated by God as High Priest… [He didn't select to be High Priest; God the Father chose Jesus Christ to be High Priest] …according to the order of Melchisedec."

I can remember many years ago saying to a friend that Melchisedec was Jesus, and he just could not accept that factor.

These are hard words! Imagine yourself sitting in the congregation and listening to the Apostle Paul—although this is written—saying these words:

Verse 11: "Concerning Whom we have much to say and hard to explain… [Why?] …since you have become dull of hearing."

Again, this is written for our admonition. These things we keep in mind day by day.

Verse 12: "For truly, by this time you ought to be teachers…"

What does this tell us? These saints had been in the Church for some time! Paul actually explains what he mean in the very next chapter, which we'll come to shortly.

"…but instead you… [Paul is speaking to you and me] …need to have someone teach you again what are the beginning principles of the oracles of God…" ( v 12).

Paul says in another place, 'Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.' Not one of us can ignore those words day-by-day! Why? Because Satan is there roaming around 'like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour'!

Unfortunately, some brethren have allowed themselves to be devoured by Satan. If they have gone too far, to a certain point, Paul says that 'it's impossible to renew them to repentance again.' These are hard words! Why are they written? For:

• our admonition
• our encouragement
• our direction

in the way that God has given to us through His

• laws
• commandments
• statutes
• judgments
• ordinances
• precepts

Sidebar: Psa. 119—go through and see each of those words that Paul uses, basically often times interchangeable for the laws and commandments of God. In every verse one of those concepts David makes a comment any one of those laws, commandments, etc. He addresses himself to them in his own shortcomings. He cries out to God to help him with each one of those. An interesting study there.

Verse 12: "For truly, by this time you ought to be teachers, but instead you need to have someone teach you again what are the beginning principles of the oracles of God…"—talking about the teachings of the Bible, which is graduated.

The Bible has milk for those of us who are infants, children in the faith. There's nothing wrong with being a child in the faith. We were all there once. What's not good is if we remain as children. Children have a lot of learning to do, and they're keen to learn. We're to teach them in the ways that God has given to us. Those things that God says are good in His sight.

"…and have become those in need of milk…" (v 12).

Remember that Paul is speaking to Christians; saints who have been part of the Body of Christ for some period of time

"…and not of solid food" (v 12).

What's the difference between milk and solid food? Solid food is for those who are fully grown! In other words:

• been in the Church
• been a part of the Body of Christ
• been in a relationship with God for many years

repeat and practice the

• Word of God
• the laws of God
• the commandments of God

Sometimes falling and stumbling! Sometimes even 'kicking at the pricks'!

Have you ever been in a position where you've been 'kicking against the pricks.' You've been fighting the Word of God because you really don't want to give up this particular action or this particular way of thinking.

Yet, because of that, you flip over into a carnal mode: you may get angry, have an outburst. Anger is not part of God's Word; not part of the Scriptures. We've all been there and we've all done it. We have to repent of it on our knees.

Verse 13: "For everyone who is partaking of milk is unskilled in the Word of Righteousness because he is an infant. But solid food is for those who are fully grown, who through repeated practice have had their senses trained to discern between good and evil" (vs 13-14).

If we remain in the state of being children, if we don't go on to perfection, are we going to be able to discern between what is good and what is evil. Not as man puts it to us, but as God Himself, in His precious Word!

We can never repeat too often the statement that Jesus said, 'The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are Life!' so, every word that's written on the pages of the Bible are Spirit. If we read them and take them on board, if we memorize and continue to read over them, and we do as David says, and hide them…

How is a young man going to overcome his sins? This is true for young and old alike; 'by taking heed according to Your words'

Psa. 119:11[transcriber's correction]: "Your Word I have laid up in my heart, so that I might not sin against You." Powerful words!

The power that God has placed within you and me is sufficient to cope with all the issues that we may face as human beings.

Let's see that Paul is still talking to us, addressing us here wherever we are:

Hebrews 6:1: "Therefore, advancing beyond the beginning principles of the doctrines of Christ…"

What Paul is saying here is that there are principles in the doctrines that are basic, rudimentary, for us as babes and children of Christ. But we grow and develop in our knowledge of the doctrines to a deeper and deeper level as we grow with the mind of Christ within us. We develop a little day-by-day and look at these same doctrines over and over again and see them deeper and deeper.

Like David, we're able to cry out in praise and thanksgiving to God because of His wisdom, knowledge and everything; all things that He has given to us that we might be a part of His Family.

 "…we should go on to perfection… [then more teaching] …not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God" (v 1).

In other words, these are basic doctrines that are the foundation of our faith that we are to build on; those things that help us to go onto perfection! So, we can never do away with them.

Then Paul talks about the principles of the doctrines' v 2: "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And we will do this… [going on to perfection] …if indeed God permits."

Here encouragement for the Church; 'Look, you haven't gone beyond these doctrines. You're still studying doctrines—which are absolutely necessary and the foundation—but now you have to understand the teaching of what the heart and mind is in these doctrines.

Verse 4: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened…"

It seems that the brethren were percolating over and over again, not sure about baptism or had God's Spirit, which means: Did they really have faith that the Word of God means what it says? Which it surely does! So, they were still struggling with this question, when they should have been going on knowing enough Scripture, that with new people coming into the Body of Christ, that they could sit down with them and go through the Scriptures with them and show them the rudiments and basic elements of the Church and helping them to go on to perfection.

"…and who personally obtained the heavenly gift… [God's Spirit, the mind of Christ, which has all the fruits of God's Spirit with it] …and became partakers of the Holy Spirit" (v 4).

What is the Holy Spirit? The mind, the source of God Himself! The whole Word of God, the Bible, is part of that Spirit of God. Those words were breathed and spoken by the Holy Spirit. Originally by the Prophets, as God gave them, and then by Jesus Christ Himself!

• Do we have confidence in the Bible?
• That every word comes from the mind of God the Father through Jesus Christ?

We can all put there, 'Yes, absolutely, I will put my life on that particular fact, on that Truth! God may call upon us one day to do just exactly that, as He has for many of the saints in the past.

Verse 5: "And who have tasted the good Word of God…"

It's like a meal, like a beautiful, fabulous banquet, a feast, where everything is just so delightful and pleasing to the taste. All those gifts that God has given to us.

"…and the powers of the world to come" (v 5).

Yes, God has exposed us to the powers of the world to come! There's a place in Jer. 23 where God say, 'Am I not a God Who is near?' God's says that He's near to you! How near? He says,

I'm not a god that is far off! Can anyone hide himself from Me, in a secret place that I can't see him/her. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?

• Where do the heavens and earth come from?
• Where does every particle, every atom, every gene in your body come from?
• How is it sustained?

God just told us! Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?

He's not saying that He's in everything. What He's saying is that everything exists by the power of His Word! Every nuance of our lives, our being and the creation around us—space, the billions and billions of galaxies with the billions and billions of stars—exists by God's power!

That's the power that's available to you and me to go on to perfection! That's what He makes available to us; we just have to claim it!

Verse 6: "If they have fallen away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing that they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves, and are publicly holding Him in contempt." What we can draw out of this is that Paul is saying:

Look, you need to believe the Word of God.' When God says He will forgive your sins—if you have truly repented and have come before him—and have the fruits meet for repentance.

Remember what John the Baptist said to the scribes and Pharisees that came to him and wanted to be baptized:

Who warned you, hypocrites? Our words! To flee from the wrath to come!

He knew they weren't repentant! But they wanted to be like everyone else. They didn't want to be missing out. John the Baptist said, 'You go and bring forth fruits worthy for repentance. Then you can be baptized.'

Isn't it interesting that Jesus came along and submitted Himself to baptism? Our baptism, the old man, we buried him/her under the waters of baptism. Had the elder had not lifted us out of the water again, we truly would have been dead. We would have drown and life would have ceased.

But we know that that is a picture of the fact that we have decided before God's Throne that we have made that commitment and covenant with Him, that we are prepared and going with all the help that God will give us. With the self-control and all the fruits of the Spirit that God gives us, that we are going to make sure that we keep that old man's head, body and life under the water. That he's dead; all those pulls of the flesh pulling us back into sin. Satan coming around tempting us. We resist that, and every time we resist that, we're demonstrating to God that the old man/woman is dead. Do you think that's pleasing to God our Father when He sees that?

Now, here's where we want to pick up how we can go onto perfection! I have difficulty reading 2-Pet. 1, because every time I start to read it I find nuggets of spiritual gold and the brilliant spiritual diamonds that are so precious; it's hard to go on. Why go on, I tell myself, when there are so many riches here in these words. But we do eventually have to go on.

2-Peter 1:1: "Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained the same precious faith…"

Do you appreciate that you have the same precious faith that Peter and the other apostles had?

"…as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ…. [that's where it comes from] …Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (vs 1-2).

• 'epignosis'—the full knowledge
• 'gnosis—knowledge

What Peter is fighting against here is the 'gnosis' or the knowledge of the Gnostics of his time. The Bible used the term 'epignosis, which is knowledge that is not available to the gnostics or any other human being. This is knowledge that comes directly through:

• the Spirit of God
• the power of God
• the Scriptures

Full knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord!

What did Jesus say to what Life is?

John 17:3: "For this is eternal life, that they may know You…"—knowledge from God!

God has given us this knowledge; He hasn't given it to the world. Paul explains this to the Church in Corinth (1-Cor. 2)

2-Peter 1:3: "According as His Divine power…" His presence is everywhere!

There is no way we can go out of His sight. That is encouraging. God is always aware of you.

• He knows where you are
• He knows your circumstances
• He knows your troubles
• He knows your oppressions
• He knows when you're being rebellious
• He knows when you're 'kicking against the pricks' like He did with Paul

He said to Paul, 'Why are You kicking against the pricks?' Paul said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Maybe that's what we need to say when we find ourselves 'kicking against the pricks' and wondering why everything seems to be going wrong around us.

• Do we have self-generated hostility?
• Are we always justifying ourselves?
• Are we always 'woe is me, Father'?
• Are we always 'woe is me, Lord Jesus'? I'm always in these difficult situations!

Do we stop to ask like David did; 'Show me why I'm suffering. I'm blaming all these other people for all these terrible situations I'm in when I'm not looking at myself.'

That's why Paul says, Hebrews 4:12: "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…" Have you ever had that happen in your life?

God the Father, I feel that my relationship with You is not as it should be. Please use Your Word, which is like that sharp two-edged sword cutting both ways right to the center of my being, to the very marrow of the bone.

Hitting right to the heart and crux of the matter! We all need to come to that place and remain there constantly so that we can have the good pleasure of God our Father and Jesus Christ.

David prayed, 'Please keep me from presumptuous sins!' He asked God for the correction, because he knew that even though God had appointed him as king, that his very best state was 'altogether vanity' (Psa. 59).

That's where repentance for us really started. We came to realize how vain we were! What did that do? That caused us to look to God the Father through Jesus Christ our High Priest Who takes our prayers before the Father and says:

Father, I understand what this person is going through, and here's exactly what this person needs in order to over come, or to be on top of this difficulty.

Jesus understands every one of those aspects. So, when we come to that place, to rock bottom, and we cried out to God in repentance, maybe even faster than praying, He gave us the gift of repentance. That gift is there daily. We recognize that without Him we are nothing!

But with repentance, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and the taking in of His Word, hiding His Word in our heart and living by His Word, we have that promise of eternal life!

2-Peter 1:4: "Through which He has given to us the greatest and most precious promises, that through these you may become partakers of the Divine nature…"

What is the Divine nature? The very heart, mind and power of God given to us in abundance to go onto perfection!

"…having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (v 4).

It's becoming even more of a difficulty for many people when we look at the world around us. The corruption that in the world through lust.

Here is the solution to all these things that we've been talking about, about the Hebrews who were struggling with the basic doctrines and were not going onto perfection. Here Peter begins to show us what that perfection is.

We can go back to Paul, and he shows us that though we have all these spiritual gifts, that we're able to move mountains through faith, and he talks about spiritual gifts, but he says he's going show you a more perfect way! That all these things that we're able to do… That love is the more perfect way (1-Cor. 13).

• Are doctrines important? Absolutely!
• Is prophecy important? Absolutely, for us today!

But many of these things, as Paul says—knowledge, languages and prophecy—they're all going to cease.

1-Corinthians 13:13: "And now, these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love."

Everything about prophecy and doctrine is about the love of God, which is all outlined in the Ten Commandments: loving God, loving neighbor.

Because of this situation and all these Divine promises, and because of what's going on… Let me just interject here that in 2-Pet. 2, Peter comes down to some very hard words.

Here is the way to move onto perfection; this is how it's done:

2-Peter 1:5: "And for this very reason also, having applied all diligence…"

Don't let that word pass you by, because diligence is something that God really desires to see within us.

"…besides, add to your [#1]faith… [Peter says that we have the same faith that he had] …[#2virtue…"—moral uprightness! We become moral according the Law and Word of God.

These are a study within themselves. Take each of these eight words and do a study on them. This is going onto perfection! If we're just sitting back and all we're doing is studying the doctrines of the Church and we're studying prophecy, those are things that we ought to take care of, but we certainly, as Jesus said, should not be neglecting these aspects of spiritual character.

These, in fact, are Paul's correction; these are Peter's explanation of the fruits of God's Spirit. Peter understands that we have the down payment, the earnest, a little portion of each of these spiritual aspects, but we've got to be adding to them. We've got to be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

If all we're ever doing is gaining knowledge, knowledge is not going to take us anywhere. It's the application of that knowledge. So, we have to be diligent.

"…and to virtue, [#3]knowledge" (v 5).

That's not talking about the knowledge of this world. We're going to appear like that anyway; we have to in order to process our lives, to live and function as human beings.

This knowledge, as Jesus said,  (that Peter is talking about) is eternal life! So that you may know the Father and Jesus Christ. That's the knowledge of God and the Scriptures that come to us that shows us how we are to live our lives!

Verse 6: "And to knowledge, [#4]self-control…"

We have seen so many people who have lost self-control. They generate hostility to the point that they become implacable, they won't listen. All you hear is self-justification. Is that pleasing to God? I don't think so! Self-control requires humility.

Proverbs 16:32: "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty…"—like some great general of field marshal!

A man of high standing with great power. He comes in and takes a city like some monarchs of old, taking hold of whole countries.

"…and he… [man or woman] …who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city" (v 12).

See how important self-control is to God! It's to be part of our very nature!

2-Peter 1:6: "…and to self-control, [#5]endurance…"

The endurance that God wants is patient endurance! We know that some of our members suffer from some very serious health problems. Recently, one of our members on this program—Go to Meeting—died. But I think we all know that he died with patient endurance! He died knowing that his life was hidden in God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Isaiah wrote that mankind generally doesn't acknowledge the fact that the saints who have died are ones who have been delivered from the troubles that lie ahead! If you or I happen to died between now and the time of Tribulation, that in one sense is a blessing from God, because we're not going to have to endure that same persecution and even martyrdom that many of us will have to face.

"…and to endurance, [#6]Godliness" (v 6).

What would you say is Godliness? To have the mind of Christ!

Philippians 2:5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

Colossians 3:2: "Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth."

About God's Throne, God's Family, God Himself coming to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to setup the Kingdom of God on earth. This seventh-day reminds of this every week, every seventh day. We're reminded of this, just in case we lose sight of the fact. That's Godliness; to be like Jesus Christ! We could add much more to that!

2-Peter 1:7: "And to Godliness, [#7]brotherly love…"

In that we have the Commandments--#s 5-10—that teach us about the basics of brotherly love. But apply to those who are in the Church, because the Ten Commandments are for all mankind, including those who are in the Body of Christ. Brotherly love, 'bowels of mercies'!

• Do you and I have bowels of mercy for every brother and sister?
  • regardless of who they are?
  • regardless of what they are?
• Are we prepared to die for our brother or sister if that became an option so that the life of a brother or sister might be spared? Brotherly love!
• Do we go around slandering?
• Do we go around telling stories about a brother or sister?

Prov, 6 says that when we do that then we're not in favor with God. God hates slander, those who sow discord amongst the brethren.

There comes a time, as we've seen in the past, where either they have to be removed from the Body, not as a tear, but in that sense a false teacher (2-Pet. 2). It identifies that these are people that are in the Body of Christ, who had once known the Truth, they departed from it and are creating great problems within the Church.

There comes a time when those people have to be removed. Paul says to the Corinthian Church, when the man was known to be committing adultery with his step-mother, that 'such a one should be put out of the Church.' Why? Because a little leaven leavens the whole lump! The man was sinning, and 'we'll be kind to him and tolerate him.'

The whole church became puffed up with vanity! Paul had some very hard words (1-Cor.). But the beautiful story there is that the Church heard the hard words of Paul and they repented to the point where Paul was able to rejoice, which he brings in 2-Cor.

If we don't love our brother/sister, can we love God? You can talk about any one brother/sister in the church:

• if I cannot have bowels of compassion for that person
• if I can't love that person
• if I can't repent and give my life for that person

Can I have the love of God?

God is looking down from heaven above, and when you and I demonstrate love to a brother or sister, God takes that personally! God says that this man or woman has shown 'bowels of mercy' and helped this person. Jesus said, 'In as much as you have done it to that person, you have done it to Me.'

• we need to think on those things
• we need to live by those things

We're all learning these things day-by-day, and hopefully the older we are as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, we're learning these lessons. It's the fruits of the spirit and developing the fruits of the spirit that we have each of the components, and we've got to add to those components. We've got to be working on that. It's not that we're working on that altogether. Some days we may say:

I've got this problem and the main thing I've got to focus on is endurance. I've got this cancer, I don't know where it's going to. I don't know if I'm in the last days of my life. But, Father, I'm putting my life in Your hands!

Job said, 'The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord God.'

Job also said, 'I have heard of you by the hearing of my ears. I've got the knowledge, God, I know You exist! But now my eyes see You!' It was the eyes of his mind and heart! It was by the Spirit of God that he was able to see Who God really was.

So, instead of just talking about God, He knew God! Job could talk from the Spirit of God, which means the Father and Christ within Him. He could talk about it from personal experience! God wants us to go onto perfection!

2-Peter 1:7: "And to Godliness, [#7brotherly love…

We have to add it. If we don't have it, if we have a problem with it, we need to get to it and work on it. We need to forgive our brother/sister, and he/she needs to forgive us.

"…and to brotherly love, [#8]the love of God" (v 7).

Isn't it interesting that the love of God is put last? All these other aspects, character traits, culminate in the love of God! Paul does it in reverse fashion. He starts with the love of God.

There we have the complete picture. Brethren, God has given us a great calling! He wants us to make our election sure!

• by going onto being perfect
• by making that commitment
• by making that decision

we have all power as partakers of the Divine nature to put on the mind of Christ!

Then we'll all awaken or be raised into the air to the Sea of Glass looking eye-to-eye with Jesus Christ and God the Father. Paul says that when that happens, 'I will know everything, and that which was imperfect, I will see it perfectly.' Right now we just see things in part.

God wants us to see everything in full!That's the challenge!

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, servants of the Most High God, let us be about the business of going onto perfection in Christ Jesus to God our Father!

Scriptural References:

• Genesis 6:5
• Jeremiah 17:9
• Hebrews 5:7-14
• Psalm 119:11
• Hebrews 6:1-6
• 2 Peter 1:1-2
• John 17:3
• 2 Peter 1:3
• Hebrews 4:12
• 2 Peter 1:4
• 1 Corinthians 13:13
• 2 Peter 1:5-6
• Proverbs 16:32
• 2 Peter 1:6
• Philippians 2:5
• Colossians 3:2
• 2 Peter 1:7

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Genesis 8
• Psalm 39
• Jeremiah 23
• 1 Corinthians 2
• Psalm 59
• Proverbs 6
• 2 Peter 2

LJ:bo
Transcribed: 8/29/21

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