Open Heaven 23 March 2020 Devotional By Pastor E.A Adeboye – Ingredients Of Perfection
TOPIC: Ingredients Of Perfection
MEMORISE:
“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” – (1 Corinthians 12:31)
READ: 2 Peter 1:1-11 (KJV)
MESSAGE: When we talk of Christian perfection as demanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, many may think the demand is a ‘mission impossible.’ This is not true, especially when we consider the ‘grace factor’ which is exclusive to those who are born by the Spirit of God (John 3:3-5). Now, what are the ingredients of perfection?
The first is grace according to our text. It is grace that imparts on us the divine nature and power (1 John 2:15-17). Peter entreats us to add virtue to our faith. Virtue is the behaviour that exhibits excellence. Virtue also must be accompanied by knowledge or else your good intention may be evil spoken of. To knowledge we are encouraged to add temperance if we are not going to be guilty of being arrogant because the Bible says: “…Knowledge [without temperance] puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” (1 Corinthians 8:1). You must be patient with others – dealing with them with understanding. However, chief among these ingredients is charity which in modern language is love (Matthew 22:39).
Open Heaven 23 March 2020 – Ingredients Of Perfection
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” – (2 Peter 1:8-9)
We can see in the above scripture that, indeed, perfection has ingredients which, when present in our lives as Christians, bring us to the level of perfection as required by the law of liberty (James 1:25). Here we see the need to be well-grounded in the word of God. The problem with modern-day soul winners is that they do not do due diligence in feeding converts with the sincere milk of the word – precept by precept, line upon line according to Isaiah, the prophet (Isaiah 28:9-10).
Beloved, we must be perfect, even as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
PRAYER POINT: Father, please make me perfect by Your grace.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 5-8
HYMNAL: Hymn 29 – What a friend we have in Jesus
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer.
2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer,
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer,
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.