God Make Us Perfect

Q: What does the Bible say about believers being perfect?

Believers are perfect in Christ, judicially righteous and holy due to His imputed righteousness. The Bible teaches that believers are perfect in Christ, meaning they are viewed as righteous and holy in the eyes of God. This perfection is not based on our own merits but is because Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. In 1 Peter 5:10, it emphasizes that God will make believers perfect after they have suffered for a while, highlighting the process of spiritual maturity through trials. This perfection means that believers are complete in Christ, possessing His righteousness, and are accepted before God.

Q: Why is grace important for Christians?

Grace is essential for salvation and daily living, as it empowers believers to grow in faith and be transformed. Grace is fundamental to the Christian faith because it is through grace that we are saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. This sovereign grace enables believers to grow in their faith and character, as indicated in 1 Peter 5:10, where it describes God as the source of all grace who perfects and strengthens His people. Grace is not just a one-time act but is continually needed in a believer's life for growth and endurance in trials.

Q: How do we know that suffering is part of God's plan for believers?

Suffering is part of God's plan to mature and perfect believers in their faith. The scriptures affirm that suffering is an integral part of the Christian life. 1 Peter 4:12-13 encourages believers not to be surprised by fiery trials but to rejoice, as they share in Christ's sufferings. This aligns with God's purpose, as highlighted in 1 Peter 5:10, where it states that after believers have suffered for a while, God will make them perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle them. Suffering serves to refine believers, helping them grow closer to Christ and become more like Him.

Q: How does God perfect believers according to the Bible?

God perfects believers through grace, trials, and the ministry of His Word. God's perfecting work in believers is encapsulated in His grace and the transformative power of His Word. 1 Peter 5:10 outlines how the God of all grace, after believers have suffered for a while, will make them perfect. This perfection involves a process that includes establishing, strengthening, and settling them. The Word of God plays a crucial role in this process as it instructs, corrects, and builds up believers, as seen in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Through trials and the nurturing of faith via the scripture, God shapes believers into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Q: What does it mean to be established in faith?

To be established in faith means to be firmly rooted and unwavering in belief and trust in God. Being established in faith refers to a state of spiritual stability and strength in one's relationship with God. Romans 16:25 explains that the preaching of the gospel is what establishes believers in their faith, enabling them to stand firm against challenges. This establishment comes from a deep understanding of God's grace and truth. In 1 Peter 5:10, the assurance is given that God Himself will establish believers, helping them to become stable and consistent in their walk, reflecting Christ's character through their lives.

All right, let's read the scriptures
now. 1 Peter chapter 4. We'll read a good portion of Scripture here,
and then ask the Lord's blessings upon it, and then get right into
the message. 1 Peter chapter 4, beginning with verse 12, and
read through 1 Peter 5, verse 11. 1 Peter 4, 12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
happened unto you, but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers
of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed,
you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for
the name of Christ, happy are you, for the spirits of glory
and of God rested upon you. On their part he is evil spoken
of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as
a murderer, as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody
in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed. Let him glorify God on his behalf.
When time has come, the judgment must begin at the house of God.
And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them
that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely
be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore,
let them that suffer according to the will of God Commit the
keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing as unto a faithful
Creator. The elders which are among you
I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings
of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
Feed the flock of God which is among you. Take in the oversight
thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre,
but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage,
but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Likewise, ye younger Submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you
be subject one to another and be clothed with humility. For
God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves,
therefore, unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you
in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth
for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because
your adversary, the devil, has a roaring lion, walketh about
seeking whom he may devour, whom resist, steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren
that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who
hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish,
strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray together. Our Heavenly Father, that we
are met together in The name of your only begotten
well-beloved son, the son of your love, the man approved of God, the
one you're well pleased with, the one we come to you through faith in, his person
and his word, Jesus Christ our Lord. who earned that right by
living, dying, rising again. Lord of heaven and earth, living
in the dead. It's in his name and because
of his work, through his person, our mediator, our intercessor,
the head of the covenant, our advocate. It's in his name, through
his person, his work, We approach the Christ Holy God. Sinners
such as we are can come boldly, having free access to this throne
that is now a throne of grace, because you've been gracious
to us. You've called us with a holy calling, a heavenly calling,
a high calling, an honorable calling. through Jesus Christ,
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we come to
you in his name. It's more than a creed, more
than a doctrine. It's the very hope of our hearts and souls.
We come to you, Lord, in Christ, faith in Christ, pleading the
blood to make propitiation on the mercy seat of God for sinners,
for our sins, sinners like we are. And we know and are confident
and are sure that you accept us in the blood, in his blood,
in his righteousness. We dare not come to you any other
way. We know this, we believe this,
we're convinced of it. We don't bring anything in our
hands, in our hands no price we bring. Simply to the cross,
to the Christ of the cross that we claim. And we know we're accepted
in Him. Lord, we have this confidence,
we have this assurance that we're accepted in Him. Lord, we ask
one thing now, one thing needful, that is, and that is that You
would open Your Word to us and make it effectual. Effectual
to reprove, rebuke, correct, instruct, and all the things
that you said your inspired word would do, the man of God would
be truly finished, thoroughly finished, in all good work. Perfect this, Lord, through thy
word. Have thy perfect work, O Lord, through thy word. Hold us up by the word of your
power, and right now, use this word, sexually, for changing,
molding, shaping, and making for people like your Son, our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose image we are predestinated
to be. And we come in his name, and we ask you, Saint, in his
name, for his glory and honor, and for our good, the good of
the church, the glory of the Father, and the name of the Son,
in hopes of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, let's look at
one more verse. once more. 1 Peter 5 verse 10
is our text. We're going to take a break from
our study in Genesis. I've had this verse running through
my mind for several days, so I thought we'd look at it. The
God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by
Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered
a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. The God of all grace make you
perfect and His other things. Let me ask you a question. Is the believer If you answer in Christ. Yes. Judicially. Yes in the eyes of. God's justice Yes, complete in
Christ, righteous, holy, justified, just as if I'd never sinned,
because Jesus Christ never sinned. And we have charged, reckoned,
or imputed to our account his perfect righteousness. Therefore,
we are perfect in that sense without sin, because he is able
to present us faultless before the presence of God's throne,
holy, unblameable, and unapprovable in God's sight because of Jesus
Christ. The believer has that holiness
that Paul talks about in Hebrews 12, verse 14. without which no
man shall see the Lord. He has that holiness. She has
that holiness. Every believer has that holiness. Period. We are accepted in the
blood. We are holy, and that's perfect
in that sense, without fault before God. All right, now turn
back and we'll go through a few verses. Turn to Philippians chapter
three. With that in mind let's read
some scriptures as seen to contradict that Philippians chapter three. They do not contradict what I've
just said what I've just quoted rather. That in some people some
people are confused but let's let's look at Philippians three.
Look at what Paul says in verse twelve you got it. Philippians
three, verse twelve, Paul says, Not as though I had already attained,
either were already perfect. Well, wait a minute. He just
said we were. Well, read on. But I follow after,
if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended
of crime. Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended. But this is one thing I do. forget
things that are behind and reach forth unto those things which
are before, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us, therefore, as many as
be perfect." Wait a minute, Paul. You've gotten me confused. I
don't believe so. I'm not the believer. All right,
1 Thessalonians 3. Turn over there. sort of chronologically
through some passages. 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul writing
again, 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 10. Verse 9, Paul says, What thanks
can we render to God again for you, and I feel the same way
as this Paul, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes
before our God. that you are accepted. That you
have that faith and given to you night and day praying exceedingly
that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking
in your faith. All right second Timothy second
Timothy chapter three turn over there also something is lacking
And we're here to protect it. That's what. He said in Ephesians
said the same thing the Christ gave some. Apostles and prophets
and apostles evangelists pastors and teachers for the perfecting
of the same as the second Timothy three verse sixteen says all
scripture is given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine
or approved, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect or perfected, throughly furnished
unto all good work." Keep reading. Hebrews chapter thirteen. Hebrews
chapter thirteen. We'll go through a couple more
and then we'll camp in 1 Peter. Hebrews thirteen. Hebrews thirteen twenty. Now
the God of peace. Hebrews thirteen twenty. 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 make you perfect in every good work
to do his will. Working in you that which is
well pleasing in his sight through Christ Jesus Christ to whom be
glory forever and ever one more James chapter one. James chapter
one over that one page or down at the bottom James chapter one
verse four. James one verse four let patience
have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire walking
or lacking nothing now is a believer perfect. Yes in Christ. But there's a lot of lacking
right. All right let me see if I can
illustrate this it seems to be a contradiction that. The word
is not confused we are by nature. Here's an illustration. As soon
as a baby. Now one of our ladies getting
ready to have a baby. She went. She wishes it were now. She's getting ready to have a
child. Now male or female whichever it may be. As soon as that child is born
it will have all its. It has all now. that is necessary
to make it a human being. Everything about that child,
it will have everything to make it a human being. All it will ever need to be a
person. Right? All it ever needs to be
a person. That child will be mankind. But if it's a boy or If it's
a boy, it will hardly be a man, will it? A long ways from that. A long ways from being a man. Now, it has that principle and
everything in it to make in a man. But it does not yet appear what
it shall be, you see. It will be a baby. It will be
just a little, you know, inkling of a man or a woman. for that matter. It must grow. It must mature into a man by
various means. You'll begin feeding it and it
will begin to grow. Growth is proof of life. And it's the same with a believer.
Same way. When a believer is born again
by the Spirit of God, born again by the blood of Christ, by the
righteousness of Christ, born again by the Spirit of God. He
is justified, sanctified, and saved. He is a Christian, a son
of the Most High God. He is complete in Christ. But he's a baby. She is a baby,
and hardly at all like Christ, are they? It's when that young
believer is born again, they don't much resemble Christ yet,
do they? Not much. A little bit. Things have begun already, begun
to change. Old things pass away, old things
become new. But he or she must mature in
the faith, mature in love and other areas. unto a perfect man,"
this is what Ephesians said, "...unto a perfect man, the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ." That's what
Ephesians 4 talks about. And we need various means to
make us grow, to make us mature in the faith, mature in love,
mature in Christlikeness, in character. Now, this is the sense
here in our text in 1 Peter. And this is what we shoot at
in 1 Peter, that we may be perfect. That's the sense of the word
perfect. To mature as believers, right? Mature, be more like Christ. Here's what every believer really
shoots for, OK? This is our faith and our goal
in one verse of Scripture, Psalm 17, verse 15. I quote this all
the time. This is the believer's faith
and the believer's goal. David says in Psalm 1715, As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. Whose? Not my own. Not by works of righteousness,
which were in Christ's righteousness. As for me, I'm going to get to
God. This is what every believer,
every son of God, son of David, man of the earth, said. As for
me, I will behold thy face. I'm going to see God someday.
How? I'm going to be righteous like Christ, holy, in the righteousness
of Christ. As for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness and, can you quote the rest of it? I know
you can, John. It's one of our favorites. I
will be satisfied when I awake with his likeness. You see, that's
the believer's hope. I'm going to see him. How? I'm
going to have that holiness of Christ, without which no man
shall see the Lord. I have it now. As soon as I die,
I'm going to be with the Lord. But I hope, and I want, and I'll
be satisfied only when I awake with his likeness. And I think
I've used this before. That can mean tomorrow morning.
Not just in death. Oh yeah, we'll be just exactly
like Christ in death after we awake over the yonder. But I'd
like to wake up in the morning looking a little more like Christ.
Wouldn't you? And that's the reason we're never
going to be satisfied with ourselves. Just the minute we look in the
mirror, we see. The minute we open this mouth, we hear ourselves
and so forth. But you see, that's the believer's
faith and that's the believer's goal. We have his righteousness
and we want to be like him. We want to look like him. I'll
be satisfied, and not until then. when I wake with his love. I'm
satisfied with Christ. I'm satisfied that I'm in Christ. I'm satisfied that I shall be
saved by him. I'm satisfied. Aren't you? You satisfied with this gospel?
I'm satisfied. I'm just content as I can be. I'm just resting. Like Brother
James, I want to put a sign on my door and tell all the legalists
and all the world, do not disturb. I'm resting. I'm just satisfied with pride,
but with myself, I'm totally dissatisfied with everything
about me. How about you? Totally dissatisfied. I need some work. God, work on
me. Dung me a little bit. All right,
let's look at the text here. In 1 Peter 5, 10, he says, well,
the God of all grace who have called us. And another place that Paul says
faithful is he that calleth you. 1 Thessalonians 5. Right John? Faithful is he that calleth you. He'll do it. That's what it said. Whoever he calls, see the gifts
and calling of God are without repentance. And he that calleth
you, and we studied that in Philippians didn't we already? that he hath
begun a good work in you. And where's the good work begun?
The call. That's where it starts. The call.
And that's the gospel, isn't it? The God of all grace, now,
who hath called us unto, what's he called us to? Eternal glory. Man, I'd like to be able to preach
on that. Eternal glory. Can't. I hadn't seen, ne'er had
I heard. who have called us the God who
have called us on the eternal glory by Christ Jesus or that
is by the gospel of Christ Jesus or by or through or because of
Christ Jesus through his person and work. After you have suffered
a while this God make you perfect. This is now what I wanted you
to say here is this is God's work. This perfecting of the
Saints I know I quoted to you there from Ephesians where it
says that he in chapter four says that he sent some. Prophets
and some apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers for the
perfecting of the Saints. Well it is God's word through
them but it's God that does not these men that perfect it's God
you see that's what our text says God's work it's God that
work within us it's God. That's what we read in Philippians,
that it is God which worketh in us, both to will and to do
of his good pleasure. Faithful is he that calleth you,
he'll do it. Ephesians 2, we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good work. See, it's God's work.
It's the God of all grace who called you, so he's the author.
And he's a finisher up you don't begin in the spirit by the spirit
of God and he leaves you alone to hope you make it. No he's
an author. He's a finisher. And all in between. We're his workmanship. You see
because Christ said without me you can't do anything. You can
do nothing. You've tried and can't do the
simplest of things. We can't sit here for five minutes
attentive to the word without God's spirit. not five not one
minute. Even the reading of God's holy
word even the expounding of the prayer we can't do it for sixty
seconds without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Without me you can
do nothing. But he also gave this promise
that I can do all things through Christ which strengthens the
God of all grace. All right. The God of all grace,
listen to this, the God of all grace, that means that all grace,
or all the bestowing of grace, is God's to give. He's the one
grace. Paul said, I am what I am by
the grace of God. Right? I am what I am. Are you a believer? It's the
grace of God, isn't it? You sit and close in your right
mind trusting that all the grace of God is all it is what makes
you who makes you to differ the grace of God who makes you to
differ the God of all grace you see salvation is by grace and
it's God's grace to give and it's sovereign grace the God
of all great he's the one who decides who gets it when they
get it and so forth. Listen to Ephesians four it says
under every one of us is given grace. According to the measure
of the gift of Christ. In other words we get the measure
of grace according as he's pleased to give it. So he's a God of
all grace it's like Joseph right John he's like Joseph who was
in charge of the storehouses and he's got all the corn he
decided who gets how much We and so forth. God's the God of
all right. All right. He is to bestow. All
right. All of grace. It's not of works
lest any man should vote. So then what are we supposed
to do? Well, let's just lay back. Hope God. Hope God gives us grace. What you said is sovereign. You
said it was sovereign. No, James says you have not. because you ask. The scripture
says he giveth more grace. He giveth more grace. Now I need
more grace, don't you? Oh, my. I need more grace in
every aspect of my life. You see, it's grace, all of grace.
I am what I am by the grace of God. I do what I can do by the
grace of God. It's all of grace, constraining
grace, restraining grace. It's all of grace, enabling grace,
keeping grace. I need grace to believe. I need grace to believe. I need
grace to endure, to endure the things that are going to come
upon me, trials, afflictions, and so forth and so on, because
they will come. I'm going to need grace to endure them, aren't
I? I need that. I need grace to behave. Restraining
grace. Grace to conduct myself like
I ought to. Live like I ought to. I need
grace to serve. It just goes against my grain
to serve. I'd rather be served. I need
grace. I need grace to grow. And I do want to grow in grace. Don't you? And in the knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well he give us more grace. So
you say you don't sit back and say well let's hope grace comes. We have not because we ask not. And I want to grow according
to that scripture and I quote it, unto a perfect man. I want to be more of a man. I
hate to say more of a man because I don't feel like I hardly am
one. Do you? You feel like you're a woman
professing godliness? Huh? Like Paul described in the
scriptures? Shame-fracedness, sobriety, a
woman professing godliness? Like one of the women in the
scriptures? Do you? Come far short, don't
we? Far short. Well, I need to grow
to the measure of the stature. of the fullness of Christ. I
want to be more like Christ. I want to be like Christ. I say more like, that's almost
presumptuous, because I don't feel like I'm like him at all.
Do you? So he give us more grace. I want
to grow up in him in all things. That's what Paul said in that
same chapter in Ephesians 4. He said, I want to grow up in
him in all things. I want to live by faith like
Christ did. He did, didn't he, Nancy? As
a man, he lived by faith. He said, greater works than these
are you to do. I want to love like Christ did. Don't you? I
want to love my wife. I want to love a brother like
him. I want to serve as Christ did. Don't you? Well, how is
this accomplished by God? It says it's God's work. Well,
back to the text now. But look down at 1 Peter 2. Look
at 1 Peter chapter 2. When it's born. The first thing
will probably be its mother's milk. Right? And there's enough
in that to make that child, to cause that child to begin to
grow. to begin to milk, milk. And so, Peter says to us, 1 Peter
2, verse 2, as newborn babes, you desire the sincere milk of
the Word that you may grow thereby. If you've tasted it, if you've
tasted it before, you want another drink of it. You know, I still
have, don't, I'm still not tired of milk. Andrew, I still drink
at least a glass of milk every day, sometimes a lot more than
that. I mean, it's going like this,
because Hannah and I, just the two of us, go through gallons
a week. We just love it. And I've never
grown tired of milk. I've liked it ever since I was
a boy, ever since I was a baby. I'll never forget my first day.
No, but I, seriously, I love it. I love milk. And I'll never
grow tired of it. I still drink it. And the Scriptures
talks about the milk of God's Word. We never grow tired of
that either. Once you taste it, what do you taste? The Lord is
gracious. That's the first thing, the milk
of God's Word that you taste is. What's the first thing you
taste? The milk of God's Word. Law. No. Grace. Right? Law doesn't leave a sweet
taste in your mouth, does it? Huh? Lord, that grace does make
you come back some more too, doesn't it? And I've never grown
tired of that. You exercise yourself, he said,
and meet, which involves all the counsel of God. Everything,
all doctrine, all reproof, instruction, correction, admonition, everything,
right? Everything. Meet, he says, go
on. Well, look back at the text now,
1 Peter 5. So he says, the God of all grace. The God of all grace is to giveâ€”give
us more if you ask for itâ€”who have called us unto eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect,
and so on. After you've suffered. Now, this
is part of it, too. He said you must through much
tribulation enter the kingdom of heaven. All believers will
go through trials, all believers. All believers will be chastened
by their heavenly father, right? If you be without it, you're
as bastards, you're not children. The minute that child begins
to, if she's a good mother, the minute that child begins to act
up, and when it gets old enough, she'll begin to chasten it, right? She'll begin to chase him, because
it's her child. And that's what God does. We
suffer through trials, we suffer through chastening, we suffer
through tribulation, we suffer through losses, persecution,
this and that and the other. That part of growing up, isn't
it? That part of growing up. These
children, as they grow up, they're going to suffer in this world,
aren't they? suffer many things at the hands
of many people, and so forth, and suffer because of their own
mistakes. That's just part of growing up.
They've got to learn by their mistakes, don't they? And so
does the believer. He suffers a while. He suffers.
All right, read on. The God of all grace, after you've
suffered a while, make you perfect. And we already dealt with that.
Make you to mature, to mature. And these three things now. The
God of all grace establish you. Establish you. That word established,
I like that word. Establish. Establish. It means confirm. It means to
set fast. You know, when I read that, Rick,
in the Scholastic Report, set fast, you know what I thought
of? I thought of concrete. It's the first thing I thought
of. Concrete that sets fast, sets fast. Well, open Romans
16. Look at this. How are we established? How? Romans 16. Turn quickly. I've got to hurry, OK? I'm going
to try to get through this real quickly now. Romans 16. How is a believer established? Well, we've got to grit our teeth
and just try our best. Romans 16, the first thing that
got you started is the thing that'll keep you going. The first
thing established in you to put you in Christ and in the kingdom
is the thing that'll keep you. Romans 16, 25, it says, Now to
him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ. Wasn't that the first thing that
established your hearts and minds? gave you faith, huh? Wasn't that
the first thing? The preaching, the gospel, the
preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wasn't that the first thing that
set your feet on a solid rock? Christ Jesus, the preaching.
It's the thing that'll keep you there. It'll establish you there. The gospel establishes in the
faith. Firmly fixes the center on Christ. Sets his feet in cement. The more he hears it, more he's
established. Let's go over here and hear this.
No. I'm established. I can't move. But still, I can't. Here I stand. Martin Luther said,
I can't. I can do no other. Yeah, but
this guy's good down here. He's got something new. I don't
want anything new. I've searched and found out the
old path wherein is the good way. that the prophets preach,
and the apostles preach, and the Puritans preach, and I'm
established. I ain't going anywhere. Unmovable. Established. Feet set in concrete. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. And the believer also, the word
established there is a word you get out of that, isn't it? Stable. Stable. A believer is a stable
person in this world. And the more, and this is what
Paul in the context here, Paul says, oh that you might, or Peter,
says God will perfect or mature you so that you'll be a stable
person. And the thing that causes me
as much perplexity and trouble about me is my instability. And that you, that one day I'm
up and down, and down the neck, my faith's up and down, and up
and down, and I'm swayed, and my character changes. I want
to be stable. I want to be the same. And I
made the statement last Sunday. I said the person that's most
like Christ is the most consistent in his character and his walk.
He's stable. Because Christ is the same. Every day. You know, the person you can
depend upon as a friend is a person who stays the same all the time,
that they're always the same. I know a few people, not many,
but a few, that are always the same when you call on them. And
that's the person you can depend upon. You can depend upon Christ. He's the same yesterday, today,
forever. He's always the same. And I want
to be like that. Don't you? And turn to Psalm 18. The next word is strengthen.
Strengthen. Turn to Psalm 18. Hurry, I'm
trying. Psalm 18. And along those lines
of stability, I know believers, I know believers who have been
stable and fixed as friends, as members in their character,
forty years. God granted that. Twenty or thirty
years from now, I myself will be one of those. Staple. You
still around? Well, to whom shall we go? The next word is strengthen.
May the God of all grace perfect you, establish, strengthen you. Well, you know I feel so weak
so utterly helpless to do anything, to be anything. And that's why
I cast all my care upon the Lord. I cast all, roll, like Psalm,
what is it, 27 says, roll your burden on the Lord. He's got strong shoulders. He can handle it. Verse 1 says,
I'll love thee, O Lord. That's the reason Christ is my
Lord. He's my strength, that's why. He's my strength, all my
strength. The Lord's my rock and my fortress,
my deliverer, my guard, my strength, in whom I'll trust. I can trust
at all times. My buckler, the horn of my salvation. I can lay hold on that altar
at any old time, no matter how sinful, and expect forgiveness. The horn of my high tower, I
can run to Him. in a storm. Verse three, I'll
call on the name of the Lord, upon the Lord who is worthy to
be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemy. He's my strength,
he said. The word strength is the same
as rock. Strengthen, Lord strengthen you. Establish, strengthen you. And
the next verse, last verse, or last word in our text, the God
of all grace, who had called you by the Lord
Jesus Christ, called you unto eternal glory by Jesus Christ,
perfect you. Perfect you. After you've suffered
a while, perfect you. Cause you to mature. Establish,
strengthen, and lastly, settle you. Settle you. Settle you. Now turn one more passage Keep
your place there. I want to read that verse in
closing. But first, Colossians chapter
one. Colossians chapter one. Turn
over there for this last word. Settle again.
Now, salvation is a settled issue with God. Settled issue. The foundations stand. And again,
Rick, again, I thought about concrete settling. Settling. Establish. Strengthen. Settle you. I thought about that.
Settle you. After everything in a building,
after you build it and all that, after it settles, there won't
be any more cracks. There won't be any more movement
with it. No more movement. When something is settled, there's
no movement. No shrinkage. Shrinkage, but no movement. It's settled. Well, I'm glad
that the foundation stands sure that the Lord knows him that
are here. It's settled in his mind. I need to settle it my
own. Colossians chapter one, verse
twenty-one. Colossians one, twenty-one. And
you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now, and you yet now, hath he, and you hath he, reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable,
unapprovable in his sight." And he's just stating a matter of
fact here. If you continue in the faith, grounded and settled,
or that is, established and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, which you've heard and which was preached
to every creature under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am a minister
of that gospel." All right. Back to the text now,
eh? So are you settled on Christ? Are you? Are you settled? Ellen, after all these years,
are you settled that Christ is your all? Good. Are you settled
on salvation, how it's obtained, salvation? By grace, you say,
through faith, and that's not it. Faith in Christ, faith alone,
salvation. Are you settled that this is
the gospel? This is not another one? Now,
you're not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and
every fellow that comes down the pike. You wouldn't go after
a fellow that comes in his own name, would you? You know when
a man comes in the name of God. You and I were talking about
that, weren't you? A couple of, weren't we? Talking about preachers
that so obviously come in their own name. They flash their names
all over TV screens and all over this and that and the other in
their faces. Billy Graham. You wouldn't be hoodwinked by
that counterfeit, would you? even though he says some good
things. Oh, no. No, are you settled that he's
preaching another gospel, another Jesus, which is so close, if
it were possible to see the very land? Are you settled that this
is the gospel? I mean, the gospel that we preach
that you have received here in this place even. You know, wherever the gospel is,
that's where the church is. And are you settled that this
is his church and they are his people? And you are a member
of his body, this body? Well, that's what I pray, that
God may settle all of these things in your mind and in your heart.
God settle you down and settle you in. Settle down and settle
in. Now just settle down and just
settle in. for the right of a long haul.
It's going to be a few years maybe before Christ comes to
settle down right here and I'll keep feeding you like he told
me to do by God's grace. I'll keep feeding the flock of
God which is among me and taking the oversight thereof by his
grace. You pray for me that I may make
it manifest that I ought to speak. I ought to speak the gospel And
I'll keep feeding you. Come back and get a steady diet
of this, and you'll just grow, and we'll grow together, and
we'll grow up in Him and all things. And we'll just settle right down,
and just settle on in for the long haul. Okay? And just wait
on Christ. Be patient under the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Settle in. Stay right there until
you die, until we just put your body in a box right here. Okay? All right. Look at the last verse.
It says, Now to Him be glory and dominion what this is all
about. It's all for His glory. Your establishment, your strengthening,
your settling, your perfection, to Him that you might bear fruit
unto His glory. To Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen. You're dismissed.

God Make Us Perfect

What does the Bible say about believers being perfect?

Why is grace important for Christians?

How do we know that suffering is part of God's plan for believers?

How does God perfect believers according to the Bible?

What does it mean to be established in faith?

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God Make Us Perfect

What does the Bible say about believers being perfect?

Why is grace important for Christians?

How do we know that suffering is part of God's plan for believers?

How does God perfect believers according to the Bible?

What does it mean to be established in faith?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

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