Perfect Love

One of the difficulties for me after coming to Christ was that even though I had repented of my sins as far as I could tell, there were still places where the old man kept creeping back in.

I could not believe that Jesus died on the Cross for me to remain the same as I was, to be who I was. I could not believe that He had died, I had trusted His death and Resurrection to save me and redeem me, and then somehow Jesus was just going to look the other way when I kept sinning

But that's not real theology, to say, "I just can't believe this or that."

But I had this gut feeling that the answer i did not want was some kind of response that said, "Well, we just keep sinning, but thank God we're forgiven."

So I was very happy to read Romans 8, that I did not need to live according to the sinful nature, but could live according to the Spirit, to have my mind on life not death, to find my heart set on righteousness not iniquity. And I was further strengthened to know that this would come from the Holy Spirit, not from me.

This mystery that Methodists call Christian Perfection challenges us. First, we think we don't like the word "perfect." Look it up in a reputable dictionary (i.e. American Heritage, 2nd ed.) "Flawless" is not the main definition. "Finished" is.

Second, we think that Christ's work was finished on the Cross. If that is the case, we have some splainin' to do, both from the New Testament witness and our own lives.

There is this moment, perhaps even more powerful than our initial feeling of our need for Christ, when we realize that while we are saved, we still find that God's love is not in us as deeply as it ought to be. Do you have that moment?

It is beyond a sort of enthusiasm that says "I shall love my neighbor more."

It is beyond a euphoria of thanksgiving for all the Lord has done for us.

It is a hearing of God's constant wooing of our hearts to open us so that we might know His love as completely--as perfectly--as possible.

Ponder for a moment what it would mean to receive such a gift from the Holy Spirit. What if God's love for your neighbor were yours? What if the love that flows within the Trinity were yours for God?