Look, this defeated mindset is something you need to throw right out the window. When God says, "Abraham walk before me and be perfect." (Genesis 17:1) We always want to back away. We always want to back down. We always want to step away. We always want to think about, "but we're not perfect." Listen that's not what God is saying. God is not giving you exceptions. God is not giving you excuses. God calls you to put on the new man. Righteous, holy, the image of God, imitate Him, follow Christ, love one another, put away sin, put away that which slows you down. Put it away! Put away the encumbrances. Be done with them! Pursue righteousness.
Look there's nothing in Scripture that's giving you exceptions. John saying I write to you that you sin not. You think he was dead serious about that? Isn't he going over the top. Isn't that a little incredible, John? "No, I write to you that you sin not." (1 John 2:1) Brethren, when God says to Abraham. "walk before me and be perfect" you think he's saying, "but I know you really can't be and so yes all these exceptions are legitimate, and they're acceptable." That's not what He's saying. Brethren what you need to get in your heads is that pursuing perfection is what we ought to be doing. I'm afraid we have too many people... we have too many people that that are just satisfied. You're just chalking it up to, "Well, Christians can never be perfect and so I'm not going to be perfect." That is wretched reasoning.
How you ought to reason is because He has chosen me to be holy and blameless before Him, because He's chosen me, I can know this: He is going to put forth every single resource of His to bring that to pass, that is necessary for me to get there. Be sure of it. Be sure of it! He's not going to spare anything in His resources that is necessary to get you to where you're perfect.
Brethren, I know I'm saying that like that's almost a warning or a threat but that's good news. Don't you recognize that. I can take hope in that! That's incentive! I can say, "Lord give me grace to walk perfect today." "Give me grace to walk in no known sin." I am going to strive after that, why? Because God is at work in me to produce that very thing. Look what do you need? What do you need for that to happen? He's going to put at our disposal the necessary resources to bring it to pass. What do you need? See, He says He's not going to withhold any good thing. Doesn't He say that? "All things are going to work together for your good."
So what do we need? I'll tell you, typically what we need, we need more difficulty not more ease. We need more hardness not more softness. That's why scripture says rejoice in your sufferings. Rejoice in your trials. Why? Because that really does produce righteousness.
Do you need the rod? You'll have it. That produces righteousness. You see that they're in Hebrews 12.
What else do you need? A swift rebuke from one of the brethren.
Do you need more of the Spirit of God? You'll have it.
Do you need your eyes open to something in the Word of God? You'll have it.
Maybe you even need the church's discipline. If that's what you need, you'll have it.
You see He is determined, whether it takes the rod, whether it takes church discipline, whether He needs to send a brother, whether He needs to send the right word to you in a certain sermon. But all these things are at your disposal. Do you need your conscience to smite you? Do you need a thorn in the flesh? You know that's what Paul needed at certain times. A thorn in the flesh. "And Paul I'm not going to take it away, because that's bringing you to the place that I want you to be." I can look at these things and I can say: You know this this may be uphill this may be difficult but his resources are there for you. If you're chosen to stand before him, you're chosen for holiness.
Now look, we can just do away with it. Unholy Christianity does not exist. "O wretched man that I am." (Romans 7) Whatever your take is on that verse you better not come to the conclusion that unholy Christianity is OK. It's not. Without holiness you will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). If you've been chosen to stand before him, you've been chosen to be holy and blameless before Him. Blameless, that means without blemish. Not a spot, not a wrinkle, that's what you've been chosen for.
Believer, pray to the Lord, “Give me grace to walk in no known sin today.” How can we pray that with confidence? Because God’s unlimited resources are available for the believer’s holiness and conformity to Jesus Christ. He has chosen us to be holy and blameless before Him, and thus we can trust Him for the supply.
