OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 28/06/2014 - BE THOU PERFECT BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BE THOU PERFECT

MEMORISE

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

READ

Genesis 17:1-8

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

MESSAGE

It takes a loving father to give instructions and guidelines to his children. God demands absolute obedience to His instructions from all His children. There is always something to gain from God for obeying Him. This is because every instruction He gives has a promise attached to it.

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”

Genesis 17:1-2

One thing God desires from all His children is perfection. To be perfect means a state of being in complete conformity to God’s word. It denotes a state of being faultless, blameless or spotless and a state of being excellent (Daniel 6:3). Some people argue against perfection; they say all men are sinners and would therefore sin daily. This is not scriptural. God’s standard for everyone who is born-again is perfection. His standard of holiness and perfection remains the same. It was not higher under the Abrahamic covenant than it is under the new covenant. If God could help Abraham to be perfect, could He not also help believers in Christ today to be the same? Are you a believer in Christ? Then ask for the grace to be perfect. Holiness is the nature of God according to 1 Peter 1:15-16. Holiness is His heartbeat, and His desire is that we should be like Him in holiness. There are many lessons to learn from the Bible reading for today on How to be perfect. The first step to perfection is willingness and obedience. You must be willing and obedient to the word of God (Isaiah 1:19). That others are not living holy does not mean that a state of perfection is unattainable. Secondly, you must walk before God (Genesis 17:1). Be in the place where God can direct you. Be mindful to study His word and obey it (Joshua1:8). In addition, you must fellowship with Him and abide in His presence always (Psalm 91:1-2).

Genuine repentance is an indispensable condition for perfection. Whoever wants to be perfect must first and foremost repent from sin and be saved (John 3:17). He or she must also live a holy life by abstaining from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). As you go into the day, you should seek for perfection in your walk with God and decide to obey God’s word absolutely. What God requires of you on a daily basis is perfect obedience to His will. You should therefore stand perfect and complete in all His will.

ACTION POINT

Decide to obey the word of God today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Numbers 10:11-11:35;

Psalm 141