MAY 15

“Made perfect.”
Hebrews 12:23

It is important to understand that there are two kinds of perfection that a Christian needs: the perfection of justification found in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of sanctification accomplished in us by the Holy Spirit. Even those who are regenerate still experience corruption; our experiences quickly teach us this. Within us remain lusts and evil imaginations. However, I rejoice to know that a day will come when God will complete the work He has begun. He will present my soul as perfect—not only in Christ but also perfect through the Spirit—without spot, blemish, or any such thing.

Can it be true that my sinful heart is destined to become holy, just as God is holy? Can it be true that this spirit, which often cries, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of sin and death?” will finally be free from sin and death? I long for the day when I will hear nothing evil and have no unholy thoughts to disturb my peace. Oh, happy hour! May it come soon!

When I cross the Jordan, the work of sanctification will be complete; but until that moment, I cannot claim perfection on my own. Then, my spirit will receive its final baptism in the fire of the Holy Spirit. I yearn to die to experience that ultimate purification, which will welcome me into heaven. Not one angel will be more pure than I, for I will be able to say, in a profound sense, “I am clean,” both through Jesus’ blood and the work of the Spirit.

Oh, how we should praise the power of the Holy Spirit for making us fit to stand before our Father in heaven! However, we must not allow the hope of future perfection to make us complacent about our imperfections now. If it does, then our hope is not genuine; true hope is a purifying force, even at present. The work of grace must be alive in us now if it is to be perfected later. Let us pray to be “filled with the Spirit,” that we may increasingly bear the fruits of righteousness.