MAKING US PERFECT
Thursday – August 23, 2018, Elul 12, 5778
Greetings and welcome back to this stimulating Bible study of the Book of Hebrews partners and friends. If you are not a partner and this blog is providing you with vital spiritual food for growth then minister to this Ministry in the carnal things. Those of you who are partners and contributing of your substance thank you and understand that you are covered in prayer daily. You shall receive the reward of the righteous man, the reward of the Prophet. The featured picture today is of an open Bible, the Word of God, the only thing that can make us perfect. The Blood redeems us, and the Word perfects (brings wholeness in every area of life) us. We must be redeemed to be perfected by the Word of God. Now let’s move forward in our study but first let’s read our primary text aloud.
Hebrews 13:20-22 (KJV)
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
I am centering up on verse twenty-one from our primary text today. As we briefly look back at verse twenty we see that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. The Father’s legal authority to raise and restore Jesus was by the shedding of His innocent Blood and His testimony of the everlasting Covenant.
Revelation 12:11 (KJV)
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Jesus overcame sin, the curse, Satan and his demonic throngs by His own innocent Blood and His testimony, the Word of God (Everlasting Covenant). He certainly did not love His life and went to death on a Cross for our sakes. The same things apply to each and every one of us and all those which were held captive in Paradise (Bosom of Abraham) until the coming of Messiah. Let us look at little closer at the word “perfect” in our text which many routinely translate as becoming mature in Christ. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament this word means: to adjust, fit, finish, complete, to put a thing in its appropriate condition, to establish, set up, equip, arrange, prepare, and mend. Isn’t this wonderful?! The Blood of Jesus redeems and then the maturing, our finishing much like finishing a house, is to begin. There is a saying that one should not try to clean a fish until it is caught. This is getting at the idea of cleaning up our act before salvation, before coming to Church when the reality is that we will joyfully clean up when we come into a bona fide relationship with Christ.
Ephesians 5:25-26 (KJV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
We see in this passage that Christ, the husband of the Church, cleanses His bride with the Word. This passage is not talking about a husband in the natural cleansing his wife with the Word that is a decision each of us make individually male of female. But husbands are to approach their wives and visa versa I might say with Godly love which is unselfish, focused on the other not self. It is Covenant love, and always follows the Scripture. Jesus approaches the Church exactly the same way. In the natural the husband is set apart (sanctified) for the wife and the wife for the husband. Each are first set apart to God and each are cleansed by the Word of God. Let me be clear, this cleansing is to cast away the thoughts, words, and ways of the world in favor of the thoughts, words, and ways of God.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Let each of us now determine to not just read these Scriptures thinking how nice they are but thinking and making a quality decision to do these Scriptures. In this way we mature or are being made perfect in Him. This transformation is so that we know and do the will of God. Until we know the will of God we are unable to do it, and once we know the will of God we must discipline ourselves to do that will. No one, not even God will forcibly make us do His will.
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 3:14-17 (KJV)
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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