Perfect in Christ Jesus
Perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1:28 KJV)
Col. 1:15-28; Matt. 5:48; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:12-14; Deut. 18:13; I Kings 8:54-61
What Is God Saying?
Anyone who wants to point to the full majesty and perfection of Jesus Christ should use Colossians. It illuminates the fact of His deity. It gives a definitive answer to those who question the foundat10nal truth of Christianity, viz., that Jesus is God (Col. 1:15-19). Jesus, the perfect Man, is fully God, "In Him, all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell" (1:19). Then a wonderful thing develops as Paul continues this theme. When we proclaim the perfect Christ, we become perfect in Him—through faith, not works. Christ in us is our hope of glory.
In later versions, the phrase "perfect in Christ " is translated as "mature in Christ." In any case, we intend to be like Christ now rather than later, to have Him as our example, and to serve Him in grateful love.
How Does This Apply To Us?
Of course, we don't feel perfect very often, but it isn't our feelings that count. To avoid the accusations of past failure and to move on with confidence when we know we will fail again, we use the whole phrase of our key verse-"perfect in Christ Jesus." We are already accepted. We "look unto Jesus as we run the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1-2). Our hope lies in His perfection. We need to reflect His perfect truth. We need to share His perfect love. We don't need to search for perfection. It's just the way we live because He lives; He lives in us.
Pray With Me
Father, surrounded by Your love and encouraged by Your grace, I dare to open my whole being before Your perfect holiness. Looking inward, I see cracks and blemishes. Looking inward, I see scars and stains. I understand Isaiah when he said, "I am undone, a man of unclean lips, dwelling among a people of unclean lips." But, Lord, with each new dawn and the weariness that comes at the end of the day, I may look away from my incompleteness and rest in Your perfection.
I thank You for this truth. I am perfect in Christ Jesus. With His righteousness freely given and received by faith, I am perfect. I do not need to wait and worry and wonder. It is mine because He is mine. I, who could never be perfect in myself, have been made perfect in Christ Jesus. It is not the reward at the end of a long struggle. It is not the prize at the end of a long race. The very perfection of Christ Jesus is mine because He is mine. I leave behind in the ocean of God's forgetfulness the imperfection that was me before I became the possession of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Lord, for this discovery. I have known it with my mind. Now, I claim it with my heart. He who is imperfect in self may become perfect in Christ through faith.
In the holiness of His love, I offer my prayer, and my heart finds its rest. Amen.
Moving On In The Life Of Prayer
Prayer is a powerful weapon, an effective tool, and a joyful exercise. It helps when we know we are drawing upon unlimited resources. We may ask for and expect to receive Christ's perfect love and healing compassion, a blessing we may ask for ourselves and all we love. We pray because He is perfect, and we pray to become more perfect in Him, more loving in spirit, more peaceful in turbulent times, more committed to the work of His Kingdom, more confident of victory, and more faithful in service. His perfection is ours right now, a sound basis for prayer and a good reason to keep praying.
