Perfect with the Lord

“Christ meant for us to be restored to the state from which we had fallen—the whole heart, the whole will, the whole life being given up to the glory and service of God.”
– Andrew Murray

Have you ever had second thoughts about your salvation? Thoughts like, “Maybe I wasn’t really genuine.” Or “maybe I just wanted a fire insurance policy against hell.”

How about this thought? “I want to serve God because that is the only way to be truly happy. I want a full life blessed by Him.”

Andrew Murray got to the root of both of these thoughts when he said, “the selfishness of the human heart looks on salvation as simply the escape from hell, with as much holiness as is needed to make our happiness secure.”

We all seek our own benefit, pleasure or well being, even to the extent of selfishly seeking salvation. We totally miss the point of the purpose for which we were made. Yes it is God’s will for us to be saved. Yes it is God’s will for us to be holy, to be set apart from the world but greater than this he wants us to be wholly and completed devoted to him. He wants our heart to be perfect towards him. His desire is for us to enthusiastically be totally His, without reserve, retreat, or regret.

In that way we can be perfect. Not perfect in reaching the destination, but perfect in direction. The results may not be there but the desire is. It is impossible to steer a ship that isn’t moving forward. Andrew Murray’s example of a small child helping his father makes this idea strikingly clear. “The work of the child is very defective, and yet it is a cause of joy and hope to the father. The father sees in it the proof of the child’s attachment and obedience as well as the pledge of what that spirit will do for the child when his intelligence and strength have been increased.”

All God needs to work is a willing heart, a perfect heart. To be perfect, simply turn your heart toward him and strive to please him. He will be pleased.

“I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.”
- 1 Chronicles 29:17