The theme for Open Heaven Daily Devotional September 12 2023 is The Works Of Grace VII.
SCRIPTURE: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.“ 1 Corinthians 10:23.
Over the past six days we learnt that God first draws you to Him and if you yield, He saves you by cleansing you with His blood.
Sanctification and baptism in the Holy Spirit then follows, after which you receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. We will round off this study today by looking at how the Lord brings His children to perfection.
Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” In this context, perfection can be easily understood as when you only do things that edify.
There are some things that may not be regarded as sin in themselves but then, they are not edifying. The place of perfection is when you avoid such things.
This is when you begin to see some things that, though lawful, are not expedient for you to do (1 Corinthians 10:23).
For example, gossip may not be viewed as a sin, but does it edify you? Only a few people get to this stage in their walk with Christ – where they have gone beyond just what is sin and what is not,
engaging only in things that edify them while avoiding things that don’t. One of the signs that a person is experiencing this work of grace is that the fellow will pay attention to doctrine.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is therefore profitable, amongst other things, for doctrine which will lead you to perfection.
Thus, even when you have been performing miracles, signs and wonders, you still need to pay attention to doctrine because “Forever O Lord, thy word is settled” (Psalm 119:89).
God is therefore saying to you, whatever level you are in now, “Come up higher”. Don’t just stay on the level of being cleansed of all your sins, move to being sanctified.
Don’t think that the moment you can speak in tongues, then you have arrived; go on to receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit and then ensure you also produce the fruit thereof,
so that the gifts don’t destroy you. And lastly, be amongst the rare set of people who are made perfect (Matthew 5:48). You have to keep going higher until you become perfect,
such that people would look at you and say that you are a true child of God.
Open Heavens 12 September 2023: Prayer Point
Father, I want to be perfect as You are; please take me to this level, in Jesus’ name.
