_Prayer for Perfectness_. Hebrews 13:20-21, "Now the God of peace,
that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you
perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is
wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen." The burden of this prayer of the Apostle is
that his people may do the will of God. This is required in all times
and for various reasons.
First: The glory of God demands it, and unless we are doing his will we
are robbing him of his glory. Revelation 4-11, "Thou art worthy, O
Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all
things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Second: Our own happiness depends upon it. Let it not be thought for a
moment that we are simply to do God's will when some sort of trial is
upon us, but rather let us remember the scriptural expression, "I
delight to do thy will, O God." What if God's will should be done for
but one year in all things in any of our cities; would the result be
anything else than perfect joy?
Third: Our safety depends upon it. We must lean hard upon God's will.
In Switzerland at one of the most dangerous passes, where men used to
travel with their faces white with fear, to-day any ordinary traveler
can pass in safety because along the edge of the cliff there is an iron
rail against which you may lean and have almost no danger beside you.
This iron rail corresponds to the will of God for Christians. Paul
also asks in this prayer that God's people may be made perfect to do
his will. We need not be afraid of this word perfect, nor of Paul's
prayer, for as Dr. Moore has said, it is not a perfection of doing but
a perfection to do, not a finality but a fitting. The same Greek word
is used elsewhere, as for example,
"Fitted." Romans 9:22, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to
make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of
wrath fitted to destruction."
"Prepared." Hebrews 10:5, "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he
saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou
prepared me."
"Framed." Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds
were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not
made of things which do appear."
"Restored." Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of
meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
"Mend." Mark 1:19, "And when he had gone a little farther thence, he
saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in
the ship mending their nets."
The illustration has been used of a man with his leg out of joint. He
cannot walk except with great pain, but when he puts himself without
reserve into the hands of the doctor and the leg is set he can then
rise and walk. He is not a perfect walker, but he is made perfect to
walk. And the idea of all the verses above quoted is that we may be
set with right relations to Christ that he may have his way with us,
that we may stand where he willed we should stand; and as a result we
shall be well pleasing in his sight.