We see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour.
Hebrews 2:9
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The perfection of the word of God
1.
Thy Word, O Lord, Thy precious Word alone, Can lead me on;
By
this, until the darksome night be gone, Lead Thou me on!
Thy
Word is light, Thy Word is life and power;
By it, oh, guide me
in each trying hour.
2.
Whate’er my path, led by the Word, ’tis good, Oh, lead me
on!
Be my poor heart Thy blessèd Word’s abode, Lead
Thou me on!
Thy Holy Spirit gives the light to see,
And
leads me to Thy Word, close following Thee.
3.
Led by aught else, I tread a devious way, Oh, lead me on!
Speak,
Lord, and help me ever to obey, Lead Thou me on!
My every step
shall then be well defined,
And all I do according to Thy mind.
The scripture that I would like us to consider together is 2 Samuel 22:31-33
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.”
This must be important because the Spirit of God repeats it in Psalm 15.
Let us have a look at these two things.
1. His way is perfect
and 2. He maketh my way perfect
The perfection of the word of God can not be over stated. I am sure that most have heard this before but it is good to put the brethren in remembrance of these things.
If any can not see that the word of God is perfect they will have a hard time to rely on it to help and guide them in the many matters that will come before them. When they do come to understand this they too can say that, “thy word is a light unto my path”. They will be able to see that the word of God will always guide them in the right way.
The word of God is perfect and does not need anything from man except obedience.
In one sense we are never called on to make a decision, all we are called on to do is to obey. We need to have the spiritual understanding mentioned in Colossians 1:9 so we can say that this scripture applies to this situation and this is how the Lord wants us to respond.
Also nothing is left to out imagination. If the word of God is perfect – and it is – nothing is left out that is needed for our guidance in every matter.
It has been rightly said that it is impossible to improve on perfection.
Jobs three friends show us the three ways that man without God seeks to find guidance and solve his problems.
Job 4:1 Eliphaz – his approach v 8 is observation
Job 8:1 Bildad – his approach v 8-10 is tradition
Job 20:1 Zophar – his approach v 3 is intuition
The Lord’s evaluation Job 42:7
“And it came to pass after Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, that Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, Mine anger is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken rightly of me, like my servant Job.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, (Good bye Eliphaz – observation will not get us the mind of God) Nor ear heard, (Good by Bildad – traditions will not get us the mind of God) Neither have entered into the heart of man, (Good bye Zophar – intuition will not get us the mind of God).
Man thinks he knows better than God but man is proven wrong every time.
The Christian must come to realize that the natural way of thinking will never help him to come to an understanding of the ways of God.
Now that we have set aside mans failing approach to the things of God and established the perfection of the ways of God, some might ask how does He make my way to be perfect? How do I gain this spiritual understanding?
To begin with In chapter 42 v 6 Job learned a lesson that not many seem to ever come to. “Wherefore I abhor myself , and repent in dust and ashes.”
And Paul could say, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)
This lesson will help all of us to be more able to enter into the understanding that we need of the ways of God.
Every person in the word of God that became a good servant of the Lord had to learn this lesson. Joseph had to learn it. Moses had to learn it. Peter had to learn it. Paul had to learn it. John had to learn it. And you and I have had to learn it as well. When we have come to learn that lesson is when we started to understand the perfect ways of God.
I want to be very clear that this is not some mystical process of obtaining spiritual understanding. It is very simple and clear if the mind is not clogged by the ways of man’s thinking.
1 Corinthians 2:14-15
v14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. v15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
A spiritual man is one who has learned that mans ways are going to lead wrong and God’s perfect ways, found in the word of God, will always lead right. And to enter more into God’s perfect ways we need to get out of the way and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.
It is the Spirit that reveals the mind of God to us through the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17 - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
1John 3:24 - And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Seven times in the revelation we are told “he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”.
Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29 - 3:6, 13, 22 - 22:17
Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
This is all learned by taking heed to what the Spirit of God has preserved for us in God’s word.
1. His way is perfect - and it is found in His word.
and
2. He maketh my way perfect - as we submit ourselves to His perfect ways.
And I say again, it is impossible to improve on perfection.
And His way will always be perfect for He never changes.
1.
Oh, how well I remember in the old-fashioned days,
When some
old-fashioned people had some old-fashioned ways;
In the
old-fashioned meetings as they tarried there,
In the
old-fashioned manner, how God answered their pray'r.
Chorus:
'Twas
and old-fashioned meeting, in an old-fashioned place,
Where some
old-fashioned people had some old-fashioned grace:
As an
old-fashioned sinner I began to pray,
And God heard me, and
saved me in the old-fashioned way.
2.
There was singing, much singing, of those old-fashioned airs!
There
was power, such power in those old-fashioned pray'rs,
An
old-fashioned conviction made the sinner pray,
And the Lord
heard and saved Him, in the old-fashioned way.
3.
Well, they say it is better, "Things have changed, don't you
know,"
And the people in gen'ral, seem to think it is
so;
And they call me old-fashioned when I dare to say,
That
I like it far better in the old-fashioned way.
4.
If the Lord never changes, as the fashions of men,
If He's
always the same, why, He is old-fashioned, then!
As an
old-fashioned sinner saved thro' old-time grace,
Oh, I'm sure He
will take me to an old-fashioned place.
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May the Lord help us all to keep close to Him.
Yours by grace alone,
Don Lewis