This is the 100th post of alancetotheheart! It started with balloons and this painting by my daughter (she is awesome):
Since then there have been 99 balloon rides of discovery. I hope you have enjoyed the journey. Here are a couple of stats for those that like that kind of stuff.
This post has been read in 20 countries with 1835 views. There are 46 blog followers and 90 people see it on Facebook. If you have been touched, encouraged, inspired or anything like that I would ask you to “like” the post. If you think it is something that others need to read then please repost it or pass it on. I know that everyone needs to hear the message of Grace, the true Gospel. Every person on this planet needs to hear about the love of God for them. You can’t tell the story of Jesus enough times. Remember the Gospel is eternal so there is plenty to share. I expect we will be spending eternity trying to comprehend the love of God for His children. Every day I am overwhelmed by the idea of a God who has everything and needs nothing but choses to die for us and expects nothing in return. That is love. That is a good God who loves us.
OK not just stats but a bit of encouragement.
I started a series a few weeks ago with a post about the word perfect and its meaning in the New Testament. I talked about how there is a “perfect” thinking which is free from law thinking. We are actually moving from a fallen Adam way of thinking to a Christ way of thinking with our mind of Christ. We are being transformed by the renewing of or minds which is to learn to think differently. “Perfection” from God’s perspective is “completeness.” Perfect things are complete things (according to the definition).
I then refreshed our understanding of the greatest love story, Jesus. Jesus on the cross is horrible but He did it to set us free not put us in bondage to fear! Perfect (complete) love casts out fear. Love is not perfected in fear because fear is of punishment. Grace isn’t punishment or fear. Grace is Jesus!
I then wrote about what it is like for us to grow up and God’s love and respect towards us. I shared about how important it is to understand Who God is over What He has done. His nature is evident in what He does but His actions are not what we love. We love Him because He loves us. His nature is to love. His nature is Grace. Next we talked about our privilege to know God. It is all about knowing Him. This isn’t a club. It is an intimate relationship with our Abba. I shared about how important it is to trust Him and let Him reveal truth to us. Hopefully I sparked your hunger for God with diets and hunger games. And of course I reminded us all about how Jesus finished it all for us, how our relationship is absolutely secure in Him and how His faith is our faith.
That seems like a really long road to this point but I pray you were touched by God’s love along the way. If you haven’t read those posts, check it out when you have a chance. So drum roll please…I am about to really stretch you.
God made you to be perfect………………….in this life.
Are you shocked? Remember the word for perfect is:
teleios: brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, perfect
If you are thinking like a lawyer, like a fallen Adam then you won’t see it. God made you to be whole, complete, wanting nothing. How? Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross He took care of any “legal” obligations so God could be justified to pour out His mercy and Grace on you. Not only that but you were made “perfect” by his sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (ESV)
James 1:4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)
The “process” we go through is learning to agree with what God has said. Our perfection has been guaranteed by His death and resurrection. We only have to believe it. Not only that but God’s love is being perfected in us.
1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (ESV)
Not only that but we know the love of God because He has given us His Holy Spirit.
Rom 5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
We are made whole by Him. His love is completed in us. We are in Him and He is in us. Our “endurance” is to believe under all circumstances in the goodness of our loving Father. The only “process” we have to undergo is to stop thinking like we did before the cross. Paul makes this bold statement to the Galatians:
Gal 3:2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Let’s stop trying to perfect ourselves. Jesus already paid for that. We just need to get over ourselves and accept what He has done for us. LET HIM LOVE YOU!
If you read this post and you don’t know Jesus, I encourage you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He absolutely will. When you see His goodness you will find Him irresistible. God is that good.
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (ESV)
If you have “tasted and know the Lord is good” then ask Him into your life. There is no formula. Jesus says we just need to believe and accept His free gift of Grace. He loves you that much. Trust Him with your life. He died to give you His.
Yay Jesus!! Happy 100!
Lance
alancetotheheart 