Evening, May 15
Go To Morning Reading
“Made perfect.”
Hebrews 12:23
Recollect that there are two kinds of perfection which the Christian
needs—the perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection
of sanctification wrought in him by the Holy Spirit. At present, corruption
yet remains even in the breasts of the regenerate—experience soon teaches us this. Within us are still lusts and evil
imaginations. But I rejoice to know that the day is coming when God
shall finish the work which he has begun; and he shall present my
soul, not only perfect in Christ, but perfect through the Spirit,
without spot or blemish, or any such thing. Can it be true that this
poor sinful heart of mine is to become holy even as God is holy? Can
it be that this spirit, which often cries, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
sin and death?” shall get rid of sin and death—that I shall have no evil things to vex my ears, and no unholy thoughts
to disturb my peace? Oh, happy hour! may it be hastened! When I cross
the Jordan, the work of sanctification will be finished; but not till
that moment shall I even claim perfection in myself. Then my spirit
shall have its last baptism in the Holy Spirit’s fire. Methinks I long to die to receive that last and final purification
which shall usher me into heaven. Not an angel more pure than I shall
be, for I shall be able to say, in a double sense, “I am clean,” through Jesus’ blood, and through the Spirit’s work. Oh, how should we extol the power of the Holy Ghost in thus
making us fit to stand before our Father in heaven! Yet let not the
hope of perfection hereafter make us content with imperfection now.
If it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good hope is a
purifying thing, even now. The work of grace must be abiding in us now or it cannot be perfected then . Let us pray to “be filled with the Spirit,” that we may bring forth increasingly the fruits of righteousness.