Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

May 15– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Made perfect.” 

—Hebrews 12:23

There are two kinds of perfection which the Christian needs: the perfection of being “declared righteous” once and for all because of the merits of Jesus and the perfection of being made holy in Christ by the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.

During this life, corruption remains in our hearts— even in those who have been born again by the Spirit. Within us we still find evil thoughts and desires. But the day is coming when God will finish the work he began in us. He will present our souls not only perfect in Christ but perfect through the Spirit, without spot or blemish or any such thing.

Can it be true that this poor sinful heart of mine will become holy even as God is holy? Can it be true of this spirit, which often cries, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of sin and death?” Oh, happy hour! Hurry up and get here!

When I cross the Jordan, the process of being made holy will be finished, but not until then— when my spirit will have its last baptism in the Holy Spirit’s fire. I long to receive that last and final purification which will usher me into heaven. Not even the angels will be more holy than I will be. In fact, I will be able to say in a double sense, “I am clean”— through Jesus’ blood and through the Spirit’s work.

Let us praise the power of the Holy Spirit to make us fit like this to stand before our Father in heaven! But don’t let the hope of perfection then make us content with imperfection now. If it does, then our hope isn’t genuine, for true hope is purifying hope. The work of grace must be at work within us now, or it cannot be perfected then. Let us pray to “be filled with the Spirit,” that we may bring forth increasingly the fruits of righteousness. [M&E]