BEING PURIFIED

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 09 October 2012

Hi all,

Purity! Living a life that is pure before the Lord for most of us is little more than a pipe-dream. We’d like to get there but the difficulties of everyday life make it virtually impossible. Our meditation today looks at this in more detail.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 09 October 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	BEING PURIFIED.
Purity is a very strange thing. We try to achieve it and soon find that it is an impossible task. Those of you who remember or know about the 1950’s will recall the drive among athletes to beat the 4 minute mile. Today, most of us don’t know what a mile is! Why should we. It was a measurement of length in the old “English” system. At the time, this was seen as the “Holy Grail” of middle distance athletes. The record for this distance had been reducing from 4min 10 seconds. Many regarded the time to be an impossible target. Then on 6 May 1954 Roger Bannister succeeded. A couple of weeks later, John Landy, the great Australian runner, also than the mile in less than 4 minutes. In the British Empire Games in Vancouver, in a race billed as "The Mile of the Century," both runners beat the four minute time, but Bannister came in first at 3:58.8 to Landy's 3:59.6. Since then, many men have broken this “barrier” and it is no longer seen as impossible If people ask what has happened in the intervening years, we are informed that training techniques have changed significantly. Better nutrition and intensive exercise have equipped sportsmen to achieve what was once thought to be impossible. Obviously, there will come a time when it will be humanly impossible to break the record. In other words, we will never be able to produce a perfect athlete. Now Jesus is perfect in every respect. But, in His manhood, to improve on the record will be impossible, even for Him in His perfection! Don’t ask me when that will be. But it would be very helpful if you would tell me! If you take the time to read the dietary requirements and exercise programme of any Olympic athlete, you will probably decide not to try it yourself. I came to that conclusion shortly after the Sydney Games. There was a TV program showing us some of the young Australian gymnasts preparing for the Beijing and London Olympics. Little girls who volunteered to commit to a regimen to which they would devote the following 4 or 8 years of life. Will any of us achieve perfection? It’s a good question. In the race of life it takes the willingness of an Olympic athlete to finish the course. But there is a difference. We only compete against our self. In addition, the Holy Spirit is our coach and Jesus is our trainer. They assure me that if I keep going, I will definitely come first in my race! They also tell me that it won’t be for just a gold medal. It will be for a crown of gold that Jesus will give. All who finish the course will get the same or similar golden crowns. Will we then be perfect? I’m told that by then it could be possible. Our mortal bodies require adjustment. But when we will change our mortal body for a resurrection body, It may be bit easier. Will we then be able to run a sub 4 minute mile? Good question! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			6 And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. Psalms 12:6 TNIV 140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. Psalms 119:140 NLT 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. Psalms 19:8 TNIV 5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection. 6 Do not add to His words, or He may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6 NLT 11 I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You Psalms 119:11NLT 15 I will study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways. Psalms 119:15 NLT 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 ESV 2 Like new-born infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation 1 Peter 2:2 ESV 17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us. 2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. 2 Corinthians 4:2 NLT	Purifying anything takes lots and lots of time. Silver in a crucible, is how it is refined. Gold is heated seven times to skim away the dross. People can be purified by nailing on a cross. Jesus was the perfect man. And yet He had to learn, Obedience to Father, by going through that burn. The agony of whipping, which would kill lesser men, Inflicted by a specialist for pain beyond our ken. Tormented by the hammering, of nails through hands and feet; Of hanging there stark naked in that “hellish” midday heat. That’s what Jesus suffered, when He was crucified. That’s what He experienced while being “purified”. He didn’t have to do it. He could have walked away. But in the middle of it, He knew He had to stay. Because He traded places; He took it all for me, And all the other members of the human family. We needed to be purified. The sin was yours and mine. But since the Blessed Master, was also Christ Divine, His death was efficacious for all the human race. So what the Lord experienced, we do not have to face. There wasn’t an alternative. The heat was turned up high. And just because of what He did, we know that death will die! What Jesus did was flawless. He is the Living Word. Everything predicted has certainly occurred. Not a tinge of falsehood.  Each prophesy fulfilled. There is now a “way to God” because His blood was spilled. Lord, You said You’d do it. O Lord You’ve been proved right. You achieved the victory, so we may win our fight. You sent Your Holy Spirit, so we’re not on our own. We grow in our salvation, through You and You alone. You gave Your commandment, to help us stay on track; And by Your generosity, there’s nothing that we lack. You grant to us discernment to reject all shameful deeds. And willingness to follow You and put aside our greed. We know You are refining us, to bring us forth as gold. That somehow in the process, Your plans for us unfold. We’re yearning for perfection, when we will be like You! And all the promises You’ve made, will certainly come true. Jim Strickland – Written 9th October 2012