Reflection: Not perfect but striving for perfection

Thought of this "slogan" while I was encouraging a friend who was tired of continuing her walk with Christ; she was tired of trying to be perfect.

And while trying to encourage her this came, "I'm not perfect by nature, but e HS can help me practice perfect solutions in any situation. None of us have ARRIVED at perfection, but we can STRIVE to be perfect. Perfection is not a criterion for salvation but it is a goal for all of us as we transform into the likeness of Christ."

Genesis 1:26
At the very beginning of the life of men, God says something that implies a great deal more: that He would make man "in Our image." In a nutshell, this is God's purpose for mankind.

Isaiah 6:10
In simple terms, convert also means "to change," as in ice to water or dollars to pesos. Theologically, it means changing from sinner to saint, filthy to holy, worldly to godly. In Acts 3:19, Peter uses "repent" and "convert" together. Both entail a recognition of self and sin and beating a hasty path to righteousness. Paul explains the repentance, conversion, and salvation process by contrasting two terms. We must not be conformed to the world ("similar to, identical to, in agreement with, or compliant"), but transformed ("changed in composition or structure, character, or condition, converted"). Repentance means changing one's whole life!

2Corinthian 3:18
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

2 Thessalonians 2:13
Sanctification is also known as becoming holy (Ephesians 1:4) and being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). It cannot be left out of God's purpose because it is the step whereby we are transformed into the image of His Son, as well as into the image of the Father. It is in this step that we begin to take on the characteristics of the Family窶背here we begin to think and act like the current members of the Family of God. The character, the mindset, the attitudes, the perspective, the way we think, the way we look at things begins to become just like the God's.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, 16 that "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works." Sanctification窶琶f it is taking place in a person窶把annot be hidden. Why is God so concerned about sanctification? Because 1) this is the step in His purpose in which the major portion of the transformation takes place, and 2) it can be seen窶杯his is how we make a witness! Thus, when Paul sees the working faith, the laboring love, and the patient hope of the Thessalonians, he writes:

. . . remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (I Thessalonians 1:3-4)

Seeing the fruits of their lives, he knew that they had been begotten by God窶杯hat they had God's Spirit窶巴ecause they had begun "looking" like the Family. Therefore, if a person claims to be a son of God but habitually lives in sin窶派e is deceiving himself. Those qualities that identify his "spiritual ancestry" begin to show. "Family ties" can be seen.

_______________________

Repentance is not an one-time thing.
Its a lifelong process until one reaches perfection.

Do not be weary of doing good.

Growing to perfection:
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.show/CT/ARTB/k/609