How Does An Understanding of What We Lack
HELP US BECOME PERFECT?
HELP US BECOME PERFECT?
"There are THREE ESSENTIALS that are necessary to inspire one to LIVE a CHRISTLIKE life---or, speaking more accurately in the language of the scriptures, to LIVE MORE PERFECTLY as the MASTER lived. The FIRST ESSENTIAL I would name in order to qualify is: There must be awakened in the individual who would be taught or who would live perfectly an AWARENESS of his NEEDS.
The rich young ruler did not need to be taught repentance from murder nor from murderous thoughts. He did not have to be schooled in how to repent from adultery, nor from stealing, lying, defrauding, or failing to honor his mother. All these he said he had observed from his youth; but his question was, "WHAT LACK I YET?" (Matthew 19:16-22)
The Master, with His keen discernment and the power of a Great Teacher, diagnosed the young man's case perfectly: His need and his lack were to OVERCOME his LOVE for WORLDLY THINGS, his tendency to TRUST IN RICHES. And then Jesus prescribed the effective remedy: "If thou wilt be PERFECT, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21)
In the Apostle Paul's dramatic conversion, when he was physically blinded by the light while on his way to Damascus..., he heard a voice that said to him: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4) And from the depths of this humbled Saul's soul there came the question that is always asked by the one who senses that he needs something: "Lord, what wilt thou have ME TO DO?" (Acts 9:6)
Enos, the grandson of Lehi, tells of the wrestle he had before God, before he received a remission of his sins. We are not told what his sins were, but he apparently confessed them very freely. And then he said, "And my soul HUNGERED..." (Enos 1:4) you see, that awareness and feeling of great need, and that soul-searching, brought him face to face with his lack and his need.
This QUALITY of sensing one's need was expressed in the great SERMON on the MOUNT when the Master said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3) The poor in spirit, of course, means those who are spiritually needy, who feel so impoverished spiritually that they reach out with great yearning for help...
Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must one time ask ourselves this question, "WHAT LACK I YET?" if we would commence our climb upward on the highway to perfection... ("Stand Ye in Holy Places (1974), 208-16.)
Will continue...later...with the SECOND ESSENTIAL for perfection...another day...
The rich young ruler did not need to be taught repentance from murder nor from murderous thoughts. He did not have to be schooled in how to repent from adultery, nor from stealing, lying, defrauding, or failing to honor his mother. All these he said he had observed from his youth; but his question was, "WHAT LACK I YET?" (Matthew 19:16-22)
The Master, with His keen discernment and the power of a Great Teacher, diagnosed the young man's case perfectly: His need and his lack were to OVERCOME his LOVE for WORLDLY THINGS, his tendency to TRUST IN RICHES. And then Jesus prescribed the effective remedy: "If thou wilt be PERFECT, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21)
In the Apostle Paul's dramatic conversion, when he was physically blinded by the light while on his way to Damascus..., he heard a voice that said to him: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4) And from the depths of this humbled Saul's soul there came the question that is always asked by the one who senses that he needs something: "Lord, what wilt thou have ME TO DO?" (Acts 9:6)
Enos, the grandson of Lehi, tells of the wrestle he had before God, before he received a remission of his sins. We are not told what his sins were, but he apparently confessed them very freely. And then he said, "And my soul HUNGERED..." (Enos 1:4) you see, that awareness and feeling of great need, and that soul-searching, brought him face to face with his lack and his need.
This QUALITY of sensing one's need was expressed in the great SERMON on the MOUNT when the Master said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3) The poor in spirit, of course, means those who are spiritually needy, who feel so impoverished spiritually that they reach out with great yearning for help...
Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must one time ask ourselves this question, "WHAT LACK I YET?" if we would commence our climb upward on the highway to perfection... ("Stand Ye in Holy Places (1974), 208-16.)
Will continue...later...with the SECOND ESSENTIAL for perfection...another day...
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