January 20, 2007

Forever Perfect

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14

When I first heard of Sara Lee cakes, the name-brand caught my attention because one of the most common Asian family names is “Lee.” Being a Chinese Lee myself, I wondered if Sara was Chinese or Korean.

Then I learned that Charlie Lubin, an American bakery entrepreneur, had named his cheesecakes after his daughter Sara Lee. Sara said her father wanted this product to be “perfect because he was naming it after me.”

Perfection is a standard that none of us could ever hope to attain. Yet we learn from Hebrews that Jesus, through His one supreme sacrifice for our sins, “has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (10:14).

The continual sacrifices made by the priests since the time of Moses could never change anyone’s sinful standing before God (Heb. 10:1-4). But the one-time sacrifice of Christ on the cross—the sinless One dying for the sinful—perfected us forever in the eyes of God. Jesus’ once-for-all payment for our sins was sufficient. The writer to the Hebrews paraphrased Jeremiah 31:34, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 10:17).

We are perfected forever to stand before God because of the perfect work accomplished by Jesus on the cross. This is the assurance of our salvation.

We’re far from perfection, yet perfect forever,
For Christ is our righteousness, Lord, and our Savior;
No justification for sin can we offer,
Yet sanctified fully, we’re now His forever. —Lee

God is the perfect Judge, and He can declare the guilty perfect.

Bible in One Year: Genesis 49-50; Matthew 13:31-58

Daily Rules from God for 2007

1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!!... To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Phillippians 4:13

6. Reach Up!!.! .. For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!!... Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6