THE EVIL EYE!

 Image result for CLIP ART OF AN EVIL EYE  I follow a reading of my Bible from a chronological program, and I have been "pulled" from Acts to the book of Galatians. Paul has asked an intriguing question in chapter three, "You foolish Galatians!  Who has bewitched you?  Before your every eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  I would like to learn just one thing from you.  Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" False teachers had infiltrated the early church telling the Gentile Christians that they could be saved if they adhered to Jewish law.  Basically, salvation received and maintained by good works. 

What Paul is really questioning:  Who has put the evil eye on you to cause you who were saved by grace and NOW, to think that you must move into perfectionism to maintain your salvation? To all us recovering perfectionists, perfectionism is a lie of the evil one to keep us ensnared in his trap...always trying but NEVER attaining that goal on earth!  When we are admonished in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." the Greek word for perfect is teleios, in English:  full grown, mature, completeness where no part is defective, or not wanting.  The term was originally a term applied to a machine.  To us humans: our completeness comes about because of the life of Christ in us.  We were made complete when we received Christ as our Savior and the completeness is being worked out by the Holy Spirit's empowering in us called sanctification, a process.  Disclaimer:  WE CANNOT EXPERIENCE THIS TOTAL COMPLETENESS IN THIS BODY WHILE WE ARE LIVING YET WE WILL EXPERIENCE IT FULLY WHEN WE ARE WITH CHRIST.  However, we do choose obedience to delight and please the Lord in this life.  Colossians 2: 9-10, "For in Christ all the fullness (completeness) of Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness (completeness) in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."

For your own sanity and spiritual and mental health, STOP THE STRIVING TO BE PERFECT WHICH IS CONFORMITY TO A LIE AND NOT TRUTH!  Forever learning.  In process.  #IHAVETHREESONS.  BLESSED THANKSGIVING!

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