Would you take turn to 2nd Corinthians
chapter 13? In verse 9. The 2nd Corinthians
chapter 13. Paul says to the Church of Corinth.
For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong And this also
we wish, even your perfection." I've entitled this message, Perfection. This was Paul's heartfelt desire
for the Church of Corinth. He said, this I wish, even your
perfection. Now, the word that generally
translated perfect, like be perfect, even as your father in heaven
is perfect, it's not in it's this is not the word of turn
to first Thessalonians, chapter three, just a few pages over.
1 Thessalonians 3, verse 10, Paul
says to the Thessalonians night and day, praying exceedingly
that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking
in your faith. Now, I don't have any doubts
that I have a lot that is lacking in my faith. And I want the Lord
to perfect, to bring to maturity That which is lacking in my faith. Now, this same word where he
says this, I wish even your perfection is also translated to mend. Peter and John mending the nets,
it's translated restore. It's translated framed. It's translated fit. It's translated
joined. It's translated prepared. And in my soul, I feel a need
of all these things. I need to be mended. I need to
be restored. I need to be framed. I need to
be fitted. I like that phrase, it's a good
fit. I want to be a good fit, don't
you? It means join, join to the Lord, prepared. This, I pray,
even your perfection. Now, don't you want this perfection? In verse seven, Paul said, Now
I pray to God that you do no evil. Not that we should appear approved,
but you should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. I'm praying this for you, not
so you'd be a feather in my cap, so people could say, well, listen,
look at the people that Paul preaches to, what fine people
they are. He said, no, this is not what I'm trying to do. I'm
not trying to make you a feather in my cap. I simply want you
to do that which is honest, that which is honorable, that which
is right, even though we be as reprobates. Verse eight. And
this is such a comforting verse of scripture, for we can do nothing
against the truth. But for the truth. Now, Christ
is the truth. The gospel is the truth. God reigns is the truth, isn't
it? He exercised sovereign control
over everything. The will of God in covenant mercies
and the redemptive work of Christ Jesus shall be victorious. Nothing can be done against it.
Neither Paul, nor the Corinthians, nor any man, nor all men, nor
all the forces of evil can do anything to alter God's purpose
or defeat his truth. We can do nothing against the
truth. And what comforts me in this
is I can't do anything to mess it up. I fear bringing reproach
on the gospel, and I don't want to do that. But ultimately, I
can't do anything, nor can any man do anything to alter God's
purpose. You see, whether in obedience
or rebellion, we all contribute to God's greater glory. Proverbs 16, 4 says, the Lord
had made all things for himself. Yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil and the whole Bible testifies to this. Satan, when
he tempted our first parents to fall in the garden, he thought
he defeated God, didn't he? He didn't know he was simply
doing God's purpose. I think. Of what Joseph said
to his brothers, You meant it for evil, but God meant it for
good. And God brings good out of evil. The ultimate example of this
is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan thought he was
defeating God. in the death of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he didn't realize that he
was simply God's pawn being used for God's greater glory. Everything glorifies God. We can do nothing against the
truth. I'm thankful for that. Only for
the truth. Now, if you and I oppose the
Gospel, we do so to our own destruction. All we're doing is bringing God's
purpose to pass. Somebody says, well, I reject
that. Well, that's part of God's purpose. That's all part of God's
plan. I don't believe that. I know,
you know, but that's part of God's plan, too, that that's
the case. God will be glorified. Now, Paul says in verse nine,
for we're glad when we're weak. Remember, Paul said, when I'm
weak, then am I strong. And we're glad when you're strong.
strong in the gospel, strong in the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and this also we wish even your perfection, your mending,
your restoration, your maturity. Now, I want to grow in grace,
don't you? Whatever that means, I want to grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He says,
grow in grace. That's what I want to do. I want
to be mended. I want to be framed. I want to be fitted. I want to
mature in the grace that's in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want
to be a mature believer, don't you? I want that. Now, in this
passage of scripture, he gives six things that are involved
in the maturing or the perfecting of the saints. Read with me,
beginning in verse 10. Therefore, I write these things
being absent. Thus being present, I should
use sharpness according to the power which the Lord has given
me to edification and not to destruction. I'm writing in a
way of rebuke now, so when I come to you personally, I won't have
to. Now, finally, brethren, here's the six things that are involved
in this thing of perfection. Finally, brethren, farewell. Now, that word farewell is the
word that's generally translated rejoice. I don't know why they
translate it farewell. I'm sure they had a good reason
for it, but The meaning is, rejoice. Rejoice. Next he says, be perfect. Third, be of good comfort. Fourth, be of one mind. Fifth, live in peace. And the God of love and peace
shall be with you. Sixth, greet one another with
an holy kiss. Then he says, all the saints
salute you, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love
of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. Now, here's the first thing he
says with regard to this thing of being perfected and maturing
and being mended and being restored. He says, rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always. What's that mean? Always. And
again I say, rejoice. The kingdom of heaven is not
meat and drink. It's not if I eat this I'll be
better and if I refrain from eating this I'll be worse. No,
it's not rules and regulations. It's righteousness Peace and
joy in the Holy Ghost. Rejoice. Now, let me give you
some scriptural reasons why you and I ought to rejoice. Right
now. Well, we're told in Luke 1 for
to rejoice in his incarnation. Don't you rejoice that God became
a man? You couldn't have been saved
without it. I couldn't have been. We're told in Luke 13, 17 to
rejoice in his power. Aren't you glad that he is omnipotent
so that whatever he wills, it's going to come to pass. He's got
the power to make it comes to pass. And that makes me happy. That makes me rejoice. And then
we're told in John 14, 28, we're to rejoice in his presence before
his father. Do you rejoice that right now
he is enjoying his father perfectly and that he's representing every
one of his people? And we're told to rejoice in
his presence with us. He's with me. He's with me right
now. He's omnipresent in the sense
that he's everywhere, but oh, how I rejoice in his presence. Content with beholding his face,
my all to his pleasure resigned. No changes of season and place
could make any change in my mind when blessed with the sense of
his love, a palace, a toy would appear. And prisons would palaces
prove if Jesus would dwell with me there. And if I have his presence,
I've got everything. That's a reason to rejoice. We're
called upon to rejoice in his ultimate triumph in John 8, 56. In John 13, 48, we're called
upon to rejoice in hearing the gospel. What a blessed thing
it is to hear the gospel. We're called upon in Acts 8,
39 to rejoice in his salvation. Has the Lord saved you? What a reason to rejoice. Rejoice in His salvation. It's something to rejoice in,
not to be sad, not to be blue. Now, I realize my sin makes me
sad, and I've always got a black cloud of some kind over my head
because of some kind of sin or unbelief. But all that being
said, I have to rejoice always in the Lord. You know, the Lord
said in Luke 10 20 to rejoice that your names are written in
heaven, that you're on that great road. Acts 1531 were to rejoice
in liberty. In Romans 12, we rejoice in hope. Oh, the hope I have. The hope
is with regard to the future. It's not going to stay this way.
I'm going to be made just like the Lord Jesus Christ and how
I rejoice in anticipation of this hope. 1 Corinthians 16,
17 says we rejoice just meeting together with fellow believers.
And that's a thing of rejoicing, just meeting together with his
people. I love doing this. Rejoicing in the Lord. Restores
and mends and makes mature. We spend far too much time not
rejoicing when we should be rejoicing. And this leads to perfection,
rejoicing in the Lord. Now, the second thing he says
in verse 11 is be perfect. Be perfect, and here the word
is not be perfect. I'm always amused when somebody
says I'm not perfect. Here, the word is the same word,
be mature. Be mature, be mended, be restored. Now, I don't know where I got
this, but I've got 10 things, 10 statements I want to make
that we ought to look at ourselves on and look at yourself. Yeah,
look at yourself right now. I hope it'll cause you to look
to Christ. But here's 10 things for you to consider about yourself.
And I can consider about myself to see if I'm learning anything
about spiritual maturity. Here's the first one regarding
maturing. Have I learned to rest in the
Lord? He that has entered into his
rest has ceased from his own works as God did from his. Have I ceased from my own works
and learned to rest What are you doing when you're resting?
You're not doing anything. You're just resting. You're resting
in who he is and what he did is enough to make you perfect. Secondly, how do I react to trial and disappointment? Can I say It's the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. Whatever he does is right. And if my fair desires are crossed,
it's the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. Have I learned to believe that
whatever he does is best, whether I understand it or not? How do
I respond to trial and disappointment? Here's the third question I'd
like to ask myself. How do I respond to, how do I
respond to correction? Well, who are they to correct
me? How do I respond to correction? How do I respond to rebuke? Am I offended easily? Mad? Or
do I benefit from it? How do I respond to correction? I hope we're all asking ourselves
these questions, thinking about them, because this will give
us some idea of maturity. Here's the fourth, and I like
this. Do I have the capacity to change? Or am I set in my ways? There's always change involved
in growth. If I'm going to grow, I'm going
to have to change, aren't I? Here's the fifth thing. Is it
difficult for me to say, I'm sorry? Am I quick to apologize or is
that something that I have a hard time with? Six, do I Compliment more or
criticize more? How am I there? Do I spend more
time criticizing or do I spend more time complimenting? Seventh, I like this. Can I keep
long friendships? You know, I'm always thankful
for new friends. I'm thankful for new relationships,
but I tell you, I want to keep long relationships with people
for years and years and years where we grow in grace together
and someone that can keep a long relationship with somebody, a
long friendship. There's a real problem there. Eight. Do I find greater satisfaction
in giving? Or receiving? Ninth, has my appetite for the Word
increased? Has my appetite for the Word
of God, the Word read, the Word preached, has it increased? And do I really love the Lord
and His people? Now, those are good questions.
Somebody says, what are you telling us to think about stuff like that
for? Well, it's good. It's good. And I dare say that every one
of us feel like we failed in every one of them to a large
extent. But we're going to ask the Lord, Lord, give me the grace
to mature, to be perfect. To be perfected. He said, be
perfect, be mature. And then next, he says in verse
11. Be of good comfort. Be of good comfort. I think the
verse of Scripture that I think that would have described this
more than anything else is found in John chapter 14. Verse 38 of chapter 13. Peter said unto him, Lord, Verse
37, Why cannot I follow thee now? I lay down my life for thy
sake. Verse 38, Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for
my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not
crow till you have denied me three times. Let not your heart
be troubled. Now remember, that division was
put there by man. There wasn't a chapter 14 when
this was written. Peter, you're going to deny me three times. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. Be comforted in the gospel. I don't know of anything that
comforts me more than knowing that everything God requires
of me, he looks to his Son for right now. Oh, the comforts of
the gospel. I'm comforting God's providence.
Everything that happens, he is in control of. He really is. I don't have any reason to worry.
I don't have any reason to wig out or get hysterical. God rules
and reigns. And all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are called according
to his purpose. I'm comforted that he's my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want. I'm comforted in his omnipresence.
He's everywhere. He's with me. I'm comforted in
his immutability. He's not going to change. I'm
comforted in his faithfulness. Oh, the comforts of the gospel.
But here's what I'm comforted from most. Turn to Isaiah 40.
You're familiar with this passage of scripture. Verse one. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
sayeth your God. speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. The battle is
already over, that her iniquity is pardoned, not will be if,
but is. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. Oh, how comforting. My battle is already over and
already been won. And my iniquity is already pardoned. There's pardon for sins that
are past. It matters not how black they are cast. And oh,
my soul, with wonder of you, for sins to come, here's pardon
too. Oh, the comforts of the gospel. And I tell you what, there isn't
anything that mends you and restores you like being comforted in the
gospel. The believer's life is to be
alive Characterize of comfort and look what he says next. He
says rejoice verse 11. Be perfect. Leave comfort. And be of one mind. Now he's telling us everybody
in this room, maybe you. Be of one mind. The same mind. Don't be pulling in two directions. Now, in Corinth, you had some
people saying, I'm a Cephas, I'm a Paulus, I'm a Paul, I'm
a Christ. They had these kind of divisions.
He said, don't do that. Be of the same mind. You see,
if Christ has taught me and if Christ has taught you, you know
what? We'll have the same mind. We'll be going in the same direction.
We'll be believing the same thing. You see, if he's our teacher,
he teaches us the same thing. We have the same salvation. We
have the same motive, his glory, his honor. This is why we're
walking through this world right now for his glory and his honor. Be of the same mind. Oh, how good and pleasant it
is for brethren to dwell together in unity. One mind. Turn with me to Acts chapter
two. Don't you love being around people
who are like-minded? Like-minded. Especially in the gospel. The
other stuff isn't really so much. I like being around people who
like UK. I like that kind of stuff, but
that's very trite. I realize that. I like being
around people who love Cincinnati Reds. I can find something I
like about them. Like-minded people. But that
is all. You know, if you have any other
subject I probably won't even like. They probably won't even
like me, you know. But I'm talking about true like-mindedness. Somebody who sees Christ as their
only righteousness before God, they really believe that? How
my heart goes out to them, because I really believe that too. His
righteousness is my only righteousness before God. Isn't it wonderful
to be like-minded? Like-minded regarding salvation
by grace. Like-minded concerning the power
and the efficacy of his blood. If he died for you, you must
be safe. How joyful it is to be like-minded. how it causes us to grow. When
people are arguing and fussing and striving and being pulled
apart by foolish things, that just makes you go backwards.
It doesn't make you go forward. Be like-minded, having the same
love and the same mind. Look here in Acts chapter 2. Verse 1, when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Look in verse 41 of the same
chapter. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized,
and the same day were added unto them about three thousand souls,
and they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and prayers. And fear
came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by
the apostles, and all that believed were together. and had all things
common, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to
all men as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to
house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart."
Look at Acts chapter 4, verse 32. And the multitude of them that
believed were of one heart. and one soul. Turn to Philippians 2. Paul says in verse 1, "...if
there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of
love If any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bows and mercies
fulfill ye my joy, that you be like minded, having the same
love, being of one accord and of one mind. One in Christ. One in doctrine. And one in motive. His glory. Be like-minded. And then back into our text in
2 Corinthians 13, the next thing he says is, live in peace. Live in peace, and the God of
love and peace shall be with you. Live in peace. The kingdom
of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace. What is peace? Now, I tell you,
I know exactly what peace is. Peace is knowing that when Jesus
Christ bowed his mighty head and said, it is finished, my
salvation was finished. What peace there is in that. The peace of justification, having
been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. I can lay my head down in peace
tonight, true peace, because I know that Christ is my righteousness. Peace. Peace with God's providence.
I've already touched on this, but I may not understand what
he's doing, but he does. And I'm fine with that. I mean,
I'm just I really am. I'm fine with that. I don't understand
that he does. And I have peace with his profits
do not have any weight. I might walk out the door and
get upset about something, but I shouldn't. I shouldn't. Everything he does, that's what
meekness is. Meekness is submitting to whatever
he does is right because he did it. Blessed are the meek. for they shall inherit the earth."
Peace of conscience through the blood of Christ and peace with
God's children. Harmonious, unstrained relations,
not at odds with one another. The writer to the Hebrews said,
follow, pursue peace with all men and holiness without which
no man shall see the Lord. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Live in peace. Don't be contentious. Don't be
stirring things up. Be a peacemaker. The joy and
peace of believing. And then look at this promise.
Live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with
you. Now, He won't be with you apart from you living in peace.
But here's the promise. You live in peace. The God of
love and peace shall be with you. And in verse 12, He says,
greet one another with an holy kiss. Now, I've had an individual
call me on four or five different occasions, same guy, and he asked
me this question, y'all kiss each other? I said, why are you
asking that? He said, we ought to be kissing
one another. And I said, are you married? He said, no. And
I thought I had some kind of idea why he was wanting to. I don't know, I just got a bad
sense of that guy. Greet one another with a holy
kiss. Not a sensual kiss, but another way of saying this is
love and respect each other and salute each other, embrace each
other and love each other. That's all that means. You know,
when we see God's people, we're glad to see them. We rejoice
in their presence. It's good. Love one another is
all that means. Love one another, greet one another.
With a holy kiss, it might be a handshake. It might be a kiss.
I don't know. But whatever it is, it's the
attitude of love toward one another. Greet one another with a holy
kiss. He says all the saints salute
you. I like that way of greeting. All the saints salute you. They
treat you with respect. We respect the Lord's saints,
don't we? They're saints. Saints. Saints of God. Every
believer is to be treated with respect. Salute one another and
greet one another. And then he ends up with this
statement. The grace. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, Paul said. Though he was rich. Yet, for
your sakes, he became poor that you through his poverty might
be rich. Oh, the saving grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And the love of God. The saving love of God, to have
God love you. What can be greater than to have
the living God love you? Somebody says, well, I'm afraid
people don't love me. Well, does God love you? Does God love you? Oh, if God loves you, God's people
love you, too, I'll assure you. The love of God. And the communion
of the Holy Ghost. Now, when we think of communion,
we think of sharing things in common. I'm speaking to the Lord
and he speaks to me and we do share things in common. He sees
his son as altogether lovely and I see his son as altogether
lovely, too. He sees his son as the only way to him. I see
his son the only way to him. But this sharing of this communion
to the Holy Ghost, what it's talking about is being partakers
of the divine nature. The communication of the Holy
Ghost to where you have a new heart, a heart that loves God. A heart that loves His people. A heart that loves His gospel. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with your
spirit. And if you have Him in the Trinity
of His sacred persons, what more could you ask for? Every believer
at this time ought to be rejoicing, being perfect, being of good
comfort, being of one mind, living in peace, and loving one another. And that is what causes this
perfection that Paul speaks of. May we all be perfected. Let's pray together.