CHRISTIAN PERFECTION IN A CORRUPT ENVIRONMENT Mt 5 v 48; 2 Cor 13 v 11. Perfection or call it faultlessness is a command for every Heaven bound citizen, being indifference to this command is going to spelt great doom for any defaulter. There are five elements we must put into consideration as we talk on the subject of perfection: (1) LOVE=Col 3 v 14, we are made to know that love indeed is the bond of perfection, the Scripture says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son as sacrifice for the world and in another place the Lord said that by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one for another. (2) BENEVOLENCE: Mt 19 v 21, part of our perfection is to follow the Lord’s commands, doctrines and acts. (3) GOOD WORKS: Jm 2 v 22, we are reminded here that our works are to complement our faith, of course it has to be good works > Acts 9 v 39. (4) CONTROL OF THE TONGUE: Jm 3 v 2, the tongue of the perfect Christian is sanctified and used for things that promote the gospel work and salvation of souls. (5) OBEDIENCE: 1Jn 2 v 5, the use of our tongue reveals the true condition of our heart and our relationship with our maker. The Lord will help us that none of us would fall short of these five elements of perfection in Jesus name. We are going to consider three points:- 1 LIVING IN A CORRUPT WORLD YET INCORRUPTIBLE 2 LEANING ON WORLDLY SNARES IS DANGEROUS 3 LIVING IN EXALTED POSITION THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS (1) LIVING IN A CORRUPT WORLD YET INCORRUPTIBLE: (Gen.39 v 7-9; 2Kg 5 v 16; Jer 35 v 5,6; Dan 1 v 8; Acts 8 v 20; Lk 4 v 5-7; Jn 17 v 14-16.) The Scripture says “ with God all things are possible”, believers should have this word at the back of their mind too that it’s possible to walk through this narrow way that leads to Heaven with our white garment of righteousness without being stained. Faith in God will conquer the flesh and all immoral acts, faithfulness would always lead to our exaltation, just as Joseph was faithful in Potiphar’s house. We should always remember too that whatever we have in this world is only by the grace of God, and that the gift of God is not for merchandise, a true child of God that want to remain incorruptible, must shorn worldliness, immorality, refuse payment for exercising the gift of God, must not give or take bribe, must resist worldly honor. So, the onus is on us, the grace of God is available to help, if Joseph can resist adultery we too can, if Elisha can refused payment for the gift of healing we too can, if Peter can refused bribe, then we too with the abundance of grace of God in our lives can do away with anything that connect bribe. It’s my earnest prayer that nothing would stain or soil our garment of righteousness in Jesus name. (2) LEANING ON WORLDLY SNARES IS DANGEROUS: (2 Cor 6 v 14-16; 1Cor 6 v 9,10;) The Word of God warns every believer not to have any intimate relationship with the world, the friendship of the world, the marriage of the world, the dressing of the world, the polities of the world, the games of the world, the gullibility of the world etc. All these are snares to the life of a believer because Jm 4 v 4 says “ that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Under this subheading, we are going to look at ten things which the believer must be wary of : False gods = Ex 23v33 Sinful covenants = Ex 34v12 Silver and gold = Deu 7v25 Evil associations = Josh 23v13 Idolatry = Ps 106v36 Broken vows = Pr 20v25 Friendship with violent people = Pr 22v25 Scoffing = Pr 29v8 Avarice = 1Tm 6v9 Friendship of the world = Jm 4v4 We can deduce from the afore mention points that anyone that is involved in these things shall not enter into the kingdom of God > 1Cor 6v9,10. May God help us in Jesus name. (3) LIVING IN EXALTED POSITION THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Pr 14v34; Gen 39v21-23; Gen 41v39-44; Esther 8v15-17; Dan 1v15, 19, 20, 28-30 ;) It’s no gainsaying that the promotion that comes from God is through righteousness, just as the Scriptures says that righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people, in the same vain righteousness would always uplift individuals both spiritually and physically. The life of Joseph in potiphar’s house, Daniel and the three Hebrew children in Babylon, and Mordecai are good examples and worthy of emulation. In 1Cor 15v58, jus as our labour will not be in vain, our righteousness would not be in vain also in Jesus name.