Bibledoorajar: Perfection Interrupted

"... so that we may present every person perfect in Christ Jesus" (Colossians 1:28).

"Therefore, be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect!" (Matthew 5:48)

     The Israelites had started on the pathway of what God calls perfection. That is, they had agreed to follow in God's heart steps. They agreed to look far off into the future and complete their obedience with good results. They would stay true to God. But the story of the golden calf revealed that their desire to stay on the pathway was short-lived. To stray so far off the pathway leads to what God calls His wrath. For a person or people who do not love God and honor His ways must sooner or later have that drawn to their attention. His love leads to a wrath that sends a clear message that the pathway has been abandoned and that trouble is in the future. Perfect is not 100 percent in behavior, but it is 100 percent in heart attitude. When convicted, we scurry back to the path. We resume pursuit of the goal.
     The Israelites abandoned God and His Man, Moses, less than five months after they sang God's praises. Their pathway was obscured with thoughts of Egypt and her gods. But Moses.... Thank God for Moses. When God had to honor His wrath, Moses was not afraid to talk to Him about the situation even though he, too, had been so seriously wronged.
When God said to Moses, "now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them." The moment was solemn.  God no longer called them His people but referred to them as thy people to Moses. The heart of God and the heart of the people were completely out of sync. For God, to get off the pathway once on it was a form of rebellion. Yielding to God was completely gone; they now yielded to sin. This is what they had to say just five months before...
"The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my god, and I will prepare Him an habitation: my father is God and I will exalt Him(Ex. 15)". Now they seemed to not know where God or Moses was. But Moses. Thank God for Moses. His heart interceded.
     Thank God that Jesus intercedes for us. He has provided the work of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints and build up the body. We live in perilous times. We need to be listening closely. Is our heart telling us we are still on the right pathway? Are we in danger of God's wrath? Every minute of every day is a choice.