The Price of Perfection
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10.
Christ’s invitation to us all is a call to a life of peace and rest–a life of liberty and love, and to a rich inheritance in the future immortal life. . . . We need not be alarmed if this path of liberty is laid through conflicts and sufferings. The liberty we shall enjoy will be the more valuable because we made sacrifices to obtain it. The peace which passeth knowledge will cost us battles with the powers of darkness, struggles severe against selfishness and inward sins. . . .
We cannot appreciate our Redeemer in the highest sense until we can see Him by the eye of faith reaching to the very depths of human wretchedness, taking upon Himself the nature of man, the capacity to suffer, and by suffering putting forth His divine power to save and lift sinners up to companionship with Himself. O why have we so little sense of sin? Why so little penitence? It is because we do not come nearer the cross of Christ. Conscience becomes hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, because we remain away from Christ. Consider the Captain of our salvation. He suffered shame for us that we might not suffer everlasting shame and contempt. He suffered on the cross, that mercy might be granted to fallen man. God’s justice is preserved, and guilty man is pardoned. Jesus dies that the sinner might live. Shame is borne by the Son of the Highest for the sake of poor sinners, that they might be ransomed and crowned with eternal glory. . . .
We must hide self in Jesus Christ, and let Him appear in our conversation and character as the One altogether lovely, and the chief among ten thousand. Our lives, our deportment, will testify how highly we prize Christ and the salvation He has wrought out for us at such a cost to Himself. While we look constantly to Him whom our sins have pierced and our sorrows have burdened, we shall acquire strength to be like Him. We shall bind ourselves in willing, happy, captivity to Jesus Christ.
That I May Know Him p. 287
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Prayer Requests
—– Please pray for all of the week of prayer programs that are going on this month in many churches and within many families. May God’s spirit reach the heart of all those attending especially at our schools. Pray for our youth. Pray for our schools and Pathfinder clubs. Pray for those not able to attend our schools. Pray for the leaders of the youth. Diane
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Dear Friends,
When my parents were dating, they would often go downtown and sit on a bench and just watch people. My mother always looked upon that activity as one of the happiest times in their relationship. People can be very interesting to watch. It can be fun to try to guess what they do for a living and what kind of family they have. Of course there’s no way of knowing whether one guessed right, but it’s fun anyway.
Sometimes people look at a person they see or meet and immediately make a judgment about them that is not even close to the truth. People often consider someone worthless and treat them that way just because they look or act a little different. After a while that person begins to believe others’ opinion about himself and begins to think of himself as worthless. He believes that no one really wants to have him around and begins to avoid others. Soon he is so lonely, depressed, and sad that he begins to wonder why he is even breathing the air that someone better could be breathing.
Praise God! Our Great Creator never views us in that light! Jesus assures us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Matt 10:29-31 He loves each one as if there were no other. He tenderly cares for us, wooing us, drawing us to Himself with His Great Heart of Love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 A familiar verse, but oh, how much is in it!
Think of it! Jesus, Who is worshiped and adored by all the unfallen inhabitants of the universe, “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil 2:5-8 What love! His willingness to suffer and die for us is beyond our comprehension. John exclaims, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3
May we look upon others as valuable because Jesus died for them and longs for them to be close to Him. May we love “Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.” May we give diligence to “keep [ourselves] in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.” Jude 21-25
Rose