Perfection versus holiness

When I was in the healing process of getting out of an eating disorder in 2011, God revealed to me several lies I had believed about myself, others and life in general. One of them was the lie that I needed to be perfect to be accepted. (!) No one is perfect so it is obviously impossible to live up to.

Perfection is something we strive for in our own strength. The goal is normally to please self and to impress others, and it brings obsession and anxiety!

I thought this perfectionistic mindset pleased God when the root of it actually was fear-based and focused on pleasing people. What a revelation it was for me to realise how it isn’t God who expects perfection from me!

In my deception, I thought it was godly to try to improve myself all the time. Holy Spirit showed me how there is a big difference between demanding perfection from myself and God’s desire to make me holy.

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Holiness can only be achieved by the power of the Holy Spirit in me and the goal is to glorify God and be like Him.

1 Peter 1:15 (NIV):

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy."

When I try to control & strive to be perfect, I basically try to be God because He is the only who ever will be perfect in every way.

I learned that perfection is an illusion I needed to give up because it opposes consistency. When I wanted to do things perfectly, I had an ‘all-or-nothing’ mentality and a deep fear of failure. It made me excuse and procrastinate things until I thought I had everything figured out. Can anyone relate?

I love that God is a healer and that He makes everything new! He’s the best. The new thing for me is that I am completely fine with the fact that I have not arrived. I am not there & I will not be there before I behold Jesus face to face.

2 Corinthians 3,18: (NIV)

“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

I love the journey of sanctification now! It sets me free to enjoy the life in abundance Jesus offers!

It gives so much more peace & joy to abide in God & His presence instead of striving to do things perfectly all the time.

This revelation has changed my life. This is why John 15 is a chapter that’s really close to my heart - truth I often remind myself about.

These nine verses are worth the read even though we can have a tendency to skip the bible verses in a text! It’s so sad when these are the words which have the true power to transform us!

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Totally beautiful, right? … This journey of becoming more like King Jesus. Becoming by remaining, not by striving in our own strength.

Growing in our walks with God comes down to a commitment to be consistent. It is actually basic obedience, and even though it is not perfect, God will do His miraculous, multiplying thing with our surrender.

Striving for perfection brings addiction & unrealistic goals. Illusions of perfection in our own lives clouds our eyes and ears from seeing and hearing truth.

Holiness on the contrary brings freedom, has no striving and opens our eyes & ears to see and hear truth! A new rest enters. I love God’s holiness! So magnificent!

Psalm 18:30 (NIV) says it so well:

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless.”

I think it is so comforting that God never makes mistakes, & our strength is found in Him who never runs on empty:

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Psalm 18,32 NIV)

I thank Jesus for His grace that never gives up pursuing. He meets us where we are at - in the broken & imperfect. God loves ugly and messy…and love makes beautiful.

I really pray that self-centered focuses will be replaced with lifted heads who gaze into the shining, compassionate eyes of Jesus.

Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith.

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by Sandra Hultén

Set the captives free

I'm a Jesus lover. A freedom fighter. Bulimia beater.

Bringing freedom to enslaved people is what I am about.

Why?

Because I have been enslaved myself and been set free! God is still in the business of setting captives free, and I so want to partner with Him in seeing Jesus' love transform and free people.

The Bible talks about freedom in many areas - here are some of them :)

We are set free from sin - Romans 6,6.

We are set free from the law - Romans 7 and Galatians 5,1.

We are set free from death - Romans 8,21.

We are free where God's Spirit is - 2 Corinthians 3,17.

I see this freedom the Bible is talking about manifesting itself in me and around me. In me when destructive lies are replaced with liberating truth. Around me when I see God changing atmospheres and transforming religious mindsets in the darkest streets of Copenhagen where the sex trade breeds.

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I want to exercise my freedom by serving God, not as a cover-up for evil! Isaiah 1,17 ESV puts it beautifully how we can serve God with our freedom:

"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."

I love how Jesus' ministry is all about freedom. As Jesus followers, Isaiah 61 is our mandate too:

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

Bible teacher, Beth Moore describes the journey towards freedom this way:

"The road to freedom is a paradox. To experience victory and freedom, we need to become captives. We need to develop minds captive to Christ. In this life, we are most free when our minds are most captivated by Him. Victorious lives flow from victorious thoughts. Thinking victorious thoughts comes from setting our focus on our victorious God."

We are free indeed by being bound to Him in love to his Word.

Give this song, 'No longer slaves', a listen. It's by Bethel Music - Jonathan David & Melissa Helser: It's freeing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWIbo19t5Q

I'm praying for shackles of religion and performance to be broken off you and for you to step into the wide open, spacious life in Jesus!!!

I am wrecked for anything else than following the person of TRUTH that sets me free.

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by Sandra Hultén