Psalm 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Do not let the world decide what a perfect Christian is in character and performance. Their very use of the word perfect in conjunction with Christian is sarcastic and slanderous. They have no idea what Christian perfection means.

Neither is it defined by the philosophy of Christianity nor the theology of Christianity. Those are idealistic and will create legalism if the basic foundational truth is not made real in your life. Here is that basic foundational truth.

God loves me.

If you cannot grasp that simple concept and make it the foundation of what you are and how you act, perfection is impossible because you can never be at peace with yourself.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

If you cannot believe that God loves you, then how can you expect His love to abide in your heart? If His love does not abide in your heart, how can you show that to others? Try as you might to ascribe to the philosophy and theology, if you do not believe God does love you, perfect peace escapes you.

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

Well I declare! That is an old timers saying. I do not hear it any more. It was used in response to seeing or hearing something extraordinary. In most cases it was used as an expression of surprise. Sometimes it was used as sarcasm.

What I do not hear enough is what came next in Paul’s declaration, the simple gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

I hear much about things which have nothing to do with salvation. I mostly hear about the abundant life and then a misrepresentation of what that even means. I hear about faith from men who have no clue what true faith means. Oh, and do not miss out on the gospel of prosperity.

Recently we lost one of our most prolific evangelists. His formula for success was to preach the simple gospel and stayed clear of what you will hear in the marketplace these days.

Matthew 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

They are marketing a gospel which is not free. Salvation is a gift from God, it sets you free from the power of sin.

What kind of friend would demand you pay for his time?

That is not the Lord my God. He paid to have me as a friend. It cost Him His life. Why? It is simple.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.