There is a lack of understanding in the western church about the call to what is perfect in Christ Jesus.
We are presented with many things we deem good. A good study, a good book, a good thought, and we satisfy ourselves with these things. We are rich with goods and good things! But even these good things are not what we are called to in Christ Jesus. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil does indeed offer the knowledge of the good.
But we are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Perfect is what God has ordained and God desires to do in that specific moment and place. Perfect is his will.
The great issue is that the good, when widely accepted as good enough, ends up being in opposition to the perfect when it indeed arrives. Our humans systems, human accomplishments, human good will all work, in our eyes, for the good of humanity. But it is a good that is separated from God.
When we become such adamant defenders of the good, we unknowingly become enemies of the perfect, because we must be crucified to the lusts of the flesh, the desires of knowledge of good and evil, that we would learn to walk according to the life of God in us.
So people, in defense of the organized church and it's institutions say 'consider all the good it has done, all the programs it has put together, and the meetings it organized', but the truth is if we have missed the perfect which we are called to, all the good we have done is but filthy rags.
The question is not 'what would Jesus do' which is according to knowledge, but 'what is Jesus doing', which is according to revelation and life in the Spirit.
We are presented with many things we deem good. A good study, a good book, a good thought, and we satisfy ourselves with these things. We are rich with goods and good things! But even these good things are not what we are called to in Christ Jesus. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil does indeed offer the knowledge of the good.
But we are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Perfect is what God has ordained and God desires to do in that specific moment and place. Perfect is his will.
The great issue is that the good, when widely accepted as good enough, ends up being in opposition to the perfect when it indeed arrives. Our humans systems, human accomplishments, human good will all work, in our eyes, for the good of humanity. But it is a good that is separated from God.
When we become such adamant defenders of the good, we unknowingly become enemies of the perfect, because we must be crucified to the lusts of the flesh, the desires of knowledge of good and evil, that we would learn to walk according to the life of God in us.
So people, in defense of the organized church and it's institutions say 'consider all the good it has done, all the programs it has put together, and the meetings it organized', but the truth is if we have missed the perfect which we are called to, all the good we have done is but filthy rags.
The question is not 'what would Jesus do' which is according to knowledge, but 'what is Jesus doing', which is according to revelation and life in the Spirit.