The Perfect Work of Patience
Patience must have her perfect work that we may be entire and wanting nothing. The Holy Spirit will develop us totally if we will only allow Him to do so. This does not mean sinless perfection, but it does mean spiritual maturity and development. Patience will work this out if we will keep our faith anchored in the finished work of Christ. That is the key to all life, victory and spiritual gain.
By Chris McDonald.
Text: James 1:4 - But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer is one that is not for the faint at heart! Only the Holy Spirit can develop us totally if we will only allow Him to do so. There is no teaching anywhere in the word of God about sinless perfection, but there are TONS of scripture pertaining to entire sanctification, maturity, and walking holy before the Lord. If we will manifest faith and keep it anchored in the right place, maturity will definitely be developed in our hearts and lives.
Consequently, in this walk of development of and to maturity, we cannot become discouraged and thereby lag in our duty. We must be patient and understand that the length of time is not the fault of the Lord, but rather our fault. The Holy Spirit is dealing with fallen human flesh and He is more than willing and faithful to see this process out unto the end. Letting patience have her perfect work means we will not lose heart or become weary when the test or trail through we will go comes. The Lord has designed it all, and done so for OUR benefit. If we don't give up, the 'perfect work' of maturity will definitely be developed, which is the intention of the Holy Spirit all along.
God is superintending all things as it regards all believers down to the minute detail. God is not being mean in allowing tests and trials to come our way. Sadly, the modern church world has taught us to think that if a test or trail comes our way we are somehow not operating in faith. This false teaching has caused many a believer to fall away and in some cases apostatize totally from the faith itself. God forbid that happens to anyone but it IS happening sadly. I am almost afraid to ask some believers today how they are doing because they almost get offended if you insinuate they may be struggling or going through a trial. The answer of most is "Oh, I'm just great, everything's fine, nothing wrong, etc." when their lives are falling apart at the seams. It'd be like Paul and Silas saying while in jail (Acts 16:31) "oh, we're not really in jail, this is just a figment of our and your imagination." It's like if we admit "we're sick," then we don't have faith. If we admit, "I am struggling as a believer," the church's modern faith teaching tells us that somehow we have not used the right formula or confessed the right thing to put us in right standing with God. Those are issues that are causing many a believer to lose hope and heart in their Christian walk.
This journal is designed to encourage you in your walk today. PATIENCE MUST have her perfect work completed in our lives. Jesus said to His disciples one day that "in your patience you possess your souls!"
Luke 21:19 - In your patience
possess ye your souls.
Many Christians live in a
half-finished state, so to speak, simply because they have not allowed "patience
to have her perfect work," i.e. the development of faith.
Wanting Nothing
The phrase, "perfect and entire wanting nothing," refers to that which Faith will produce, provide we have patience, which means if perseverance is to "finish its work," faith must not give up or falter. We may stumble and fall down, but we must get up and keep believing and continue striving to the prize of the mark of the high calling of God. The goal is that we become "mature and complete," in HIM! The word "perfect" here means "maturity."
Some teach that you can reach a pinnacle of sinless perfection which is not taught in the word of God. The term "must finish its work" lets us know that faith is a PROGRESSIVE matter when dealing with our sanctification and spiritual development. God does not make microwave Christians. Perseverance in facing trials develops maturity of character and a balance of all the graces and strengths needed for the Christian life. The indication is, maturity cannot be developed, if we do not work with the Holy Spirit and yield ourselves totally to Him - mind, body and spirit. The Church has been led down a primrose path by a modern faith message that denies all "tests" and "trials" and as a result denigrates the cross of Christ. One such movement says the cross of Christ is the 'greatest defeat in human history." That thinking tells us that we must go "beyond the cross," into "deeper" things of God. My question has always been, if we go beyond the source and place where our salvation and total victory was won in the first place, where do we go?
Where do we anchor our faith if not in the cross and the finished work of Christ? I'm not talking about some mystical belief in an object as a talisman warding off evil spirits, God forbid. I'm talking about the power of the finished work of Christ which destroyed every single power of darkness and spoiled principalities and powers. The victory we walk in as believers friend is based on that finished work, and NOTHING ELSE. You don't have victory because you pray 12 hours a day. You don't have victory because you read the Bible 12 hours a day. You don't have and get victory because you go to church on a regular basis. You don't have victory by chanting or repeating a certain scripture over and over and hope that by chanting that scripture victory will somehow come. NO! Your victory, my victory, the victory of the entire human race was paid for 2,000 years ago by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and that victory still stands today! I will GLORY in NOTHING, PAUL SAID, but CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED! Our object of faith must EVER be the Christ and His finished work. Any other type of faith than faith in the finished work of Christ is not recognized by God and means that the Holy Spirit will have no part of such direction, which means as well, that there will be no spiritual development.
Everything with the child of God is dependent totally and completely on the finished work of the cross of Christ. Once we have placed and anchored our faith in the right place, the Holy Spirit comes to the scene to do the work we in our own human strength cannot do!
Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
At conversion, we "were baptized into the death of Christ." This refers to His crucifixion. This has nothing to do with water baptism. It's also interesting that Paul said the "death of Christ," here and not the "resurrection," of Christ. Death must come FIRST before TRUE life comes. Jesus came to this world as our Substitute and as our Representative Man, so to speak. In other words, as our 'substitute,' the Last Adam, He took our place, in effect taking the penalty for us, which He did at the Cross, and as our Last Adam, he gave to us all the VICTORY He purchased with His own blood!
Romans 6:3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death?
1 Cor. 15:45-50
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam
was made a quickening spirit. [46] Howbeit that was not first which is
spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
[47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from
heaven. [48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the
heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. [49] And as we have borne the
image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. [50] Now this
I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither
doth corruption inherit incorruption.
We were then "buried with Him by
baptism into death," which means that all we were before conversion was buried
with Him, meaning that there was nothing there that was salvageable.
And last of all, we were raised with Him, "in the likeness of His resurrection," meaning that we should now "walk in newness of life."
Romans 6:4-5
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Now of course, none of us were there
when Jesus died on the Cross; however, when the believing sinner evidences true
faith in Christ and what He did at the Cross on our behalf, in the Mind of God,
these things actually happened, and is referred to as the "born again"
experience.
John 3:3-8
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [4] Nicodemus saith unto him,
How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his
mother's womb, and be born? [5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be
born again. [8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit.
The believer is to ever understand that all this happened at the Cross, which Jesus dying there as our substitute. In other words, the Cross of Christ was absolutely necessary. That's the reason that Jesus came, and one might say, that's the reason that "God became man." While everything that Christ did was of supreme significance, it was the Cross and the Cross alone, which redeemed fallen humanity.
Understanding this, the believer must realize that because of what Jesus did at the Cross, and our Faith in that Finished work, we are now "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:11)
Romans 6:11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Due to what Christ did at the Cross, each believer must "reckon," ourselves in this fashion. "RECKON" in the Greek is logizomai and means "to take an inventory, to estimate, to conclude, the count, to number." To be "dead unto sin," in effect actually says in the Greek, "to be dead indeed unto THE sin." by using the term "the sin," it is referring to the SIN NATURE.
Patience and The Sin Nature
The "sin nature" or the "evil nature" is simply the nature that man is born with, which comes from original sin, which of course refers to Adam's fall. People who aren't born again perpetually and consistently sin, because that's their nature. Once the individual comes to Christ, we are to be dead unto this "sin nature."
Notice, it didn't say the sin nature is dead, but rather that we are the dead unto the sin nature. Why does the Lord allow the sin nature to remain in the Christian? Many preachers deny that believers have a sin nature. However, we must understand that almost every time Paul uses the term "sin." In the Greek, it actually means "the sin."
When he uses the term "sin" in this fashion, he's not referring to particular acts of sin, but rather, as stated, to the "sin nature." While the sin nature is dormant in the believer so to speak, to be sure, it can quickly come to life. In fact, Paul also said, "that our old man is crucified with Him." The "old man" refers to what we were before Salvation, actually to the "sin nature." He said that this was done, "that the body of the sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve the sin." Paul is talking about the sin nature.
Romans 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve <the
in the Greek> sin.
"Destroyed," means "to abolish, cease, do away, make of none effect." It doesn't mean that it ceases to be, but that it has no more power over the believer, at least as long as the believer looks to the Cross as his/her source of victory over sin. The way it is made ineffective in our lives, is that we are made "dead unto the sin (nature)," through the Cross and our Faith in that Finished work. If the nature was completely gone, Paul would not have had to give this discourse in Romans 6. He's not talking to sinners here, he's talking to believers.
Romans 6:12
Let not (the) sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof.
The sin nature dwells in both the saved and unsaved. THe difference is, in the unsaved the sin nature "REIGNS" while in the believer it is dormant or else it is suppopsed to be dormant. The reason the sin nature reigns in Christian lives is that most Christians do not understand the victory in the cross and have not allowed patience to have her perfect work in their lives. If our faith is in the right place, sin will not have dominion over us.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace.
He's not talking about acts of sin,
but rather "the sin," or sin nature. In other words, the sin nature will not
dominate the believer or "reign," in the life of the believer providing the
believer understands his place and position "IN CHRIST."
In Christ
The two words that more properly define the believer's position regarding the Lord than any other words are, "IN CHRIST." Paul uses that term or one of its derivatives such as "IN HIM," or "IN WHOM" some 170 times in his 14 epistles. These two words explain the believer's position as nothing else. Once again, they have to do strictly with the Cross.
When Jesus died on the Cross, His death was not an accident, an incident, or an execution. It was a planned demise, actually planned from before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:18-20)
1 Peter 1:18-20
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
God in His omniscience knew that man
after he was created would fall, and as well, what it would take to redeem
humanity, which was the Cross. So the Cross was ever the destination of the Lord
Jesus and actually the very reason He came into this world. It was not the
miracles, the virgin birth, or any other wonderful aspect of our Lord's life. It
was about the cross. It's always been about the cross. It's STILL about the
cross. The specific act of crucifixion was done out of the evil hearts of men of
Israel and Rome. Both nations, especially Israel, suffered for this
vile act.
The death of Jesus was strictly a sacrifice, which means that he offered up Himself.
Galatians 1:4
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil
world, according to the will of God and our Father:
No one killed Him. He rather breathed
out His life, literally offering Himself in Sacrifice for sin and sinners.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Simple faith in what He did, gives the believing sinner (AND SAINT) all that Calvary affords. It is the only way that the sinner can be saved, and as well, the only way in which the Christian can have victory - faith in the cross!
Being "IN CHRIST," basically means to walk in victory and do so constantly.
Ephes. 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: [4] According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love:
Ephes. 1:6-7
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. [7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Ephes. 1:10
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
him:
Ephes. 1:12
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
The cross answers the need for
sinners for salvation and believers for sanctification. In that and that alone
can one find life and victory. Friend, man can no more solve his own problems
than yesterday can become tomorrow. And man cannot have true spiritual life and
victory without first having the sin nature in him destroyed by the power of the
cross of Christ. What we could not do for ourselves - CHRIST DID FOR US!
Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do
good, that are accustomed to do evil.
We must never allow our faith to be moved to other things. The correct object of faith is the single most important part of the Christian's life and living. The correct object of faith is the cross, and the cross alone. With our faith completely in the Cross - the atonement - the Holy Spirit can then work in our lives, doing what only He can do.
Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwells in you.
His work in us is making us "perfect and wanting nothing." You and I as believers cannot sanctify ourselves nor can we make ourselves righteous and holy. These things are strictly under the domain of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is tied to the cross:
Rev. 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth.
The Lamb as it had been slain had
seven horns and seven eyes which ARE the seven SPIRITS of God which portray
total and complete illumination. The Holy Spirit is so intertwined with the
Cross of Christ that the two are looked at almost as one. The Holy Spirit
couldn't come to dwell in the hearts and lives of believers permanently before
the Cross. The Cross made it possible, for tremendous things to happen,
certainly not the least of those things being the permanent abiding of the
Spirit in our hearts and lives.
Inasmuch, the Holy Spirit works entirely within the parameters of the Finished work of Christ, He demands that we have faith in that Finished work which then gives Him the latitude to perform His work.
Patience's Perfect Work
Matthew Henry wrote this about the words of
Jesus concerning patience and our souls:
"It is therefore your duty and interest, in the midst of your own sufferings and those of the nation, to maintain a holy sincerity and serenity of mind, which will keep you always easy (v. 19): In your patience possess ye your souls; get and keep possession of your souls." Some read it as a promise, "You may or shall possess your souls." It comes all to one. Note, First, It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous trying times, to secure the possession of our own souls; not only that they be not destroyed and lost for ever, but that they be not distempered now, nor our possession of them disturbed and interrupted. "Possess your souls, be your own men, keep up the authority and dominion of reason, and keep under the tumults of passion, that neither grief nor fear may tyrannize over you, nor turn you out of the possession and enjoyment of yourselves." In difficult times, when we can keep possession of nothing else, then let us make that sure which may be made sure, and keep possession of our souls. Secondly, It is by patience, Christian patience, that we keep possession of our own souls. "In suffering times, set patience upon the guard for the preserving of your souls; by it keep your souls composed and in a good frame, and keep out all those impressions which would ruffle you and put you out of temper."
This work of the Holy Spirit is eternal, not temporal. He is committed to presenting us to the Father, blameless and perfect, wanting nothing. But it's a process that requires a faith that is grounded in Christ, and nothing else! When we suffer and go through trials we must keep our souls and faith in HIM. That's the objective of the enemy when he brings attacks and other diabolical things into our lives that affect us in a negative way. Satan wants us to lose faith and heart. Those without a foundation that is secure in Christ will flutter like a reed shaken in the wind. The Lord doesn't want us in that state. He wants us to be grounded with a heart as believers that we know the source of our victory as the same as the source we placed our faith in when we were sinners and without God. It's so simple, it has become a noose around the neck of the modern 21rst Century church. We love talking about going into deeper levels of God without checking to make sure our foundation is secure in CHRIST.
Paul was a man who understood the work of the Holy Spirit and knew that it was not a microwave event.
Wanting Nothing
As we close this journal, we want to encourage you today to not lose heart if you're not seeing results in your Christian walk. There IS a place of peace and victory you can find. This place will not exempt you from trials and temptations, but it will give you a peace that passes ALL human understanding in knowing that no matter the trial or trouble, the foundation is secure and the Lord's work in you will be complete and full in His own season. Yes, we do have a role to play in this and our own carnality and human failures can tend to frustrate the work of the Spirit in our lives. But if we will have patience and allow the work of the Spirit to run its course we will see great things and "want for nothing."
Phil 4:10-13
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what
it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and
every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
1 Tim 6:6-8- But godliness with
contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can
take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content
with that.
Heb 13:5 - Keep your lives free from
the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
Keep the faith friend. We must not grow discouraged as it regards the test or trial through which we are going. The Lord has designed it all, and done so for our benefit. If we don't give up, the 'perfect work' of maturity will definitely be developed, which is the intention of the Holy Spirit all along. In this development of maturity, to which the Holy Spirit is taking us all, let us be patient and understand the timing and seasons of the Lord are in HIS HANDS ultimately. He's not frustrated at our weakness, He's committed to helping us overcome those weaknesses. Keep that thought in your heart when the enemy hits you with condemnation. Be blessed today and keep believing no matter the trial or test. Those tests and trials are more precious than gold.
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask You today to grant grace to all those struggling in their Christian walk right now. Allow these words to sink deep in their soul and encourage them to re-evaluate their faith and where it rests today. If we have removed ourselves from simple faith in Christ, let us return to the roots of our victory - HIS FINISHED WORK. Holy Spirit Sir, we know you are working in us, through us and to the ultimate glory of the Son of God. We know this will take time and we give you latitude and room to do what is necessary to bring forth the nature of Jesus so CHRIST can be formed in us!
Amen.
