'How To' Instructions in Righteousness

Lesson 1: Be Thou Perfect

Key verse:  Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 17 discusses the covenant God made with Abraham.  It is one that has come down to us in the here and now.  Notice this from our doctrine on the covenants.

"Later on in Genesis we read how God made a covenant with Abraham—which He later reiterated and expanded—which provided physical benefits to him and eventually to all humanity through Abraham's descendants (Gen. 15:18-21; 17:1-27)."

With this as background, let us explore the phrase, "Be thou perfect."

Commentary:
Genesis 17
[Walk before me and be perfect.] In the institution of the covenant we had "fear not"-an encouragement to the daunted or the doubting. In its confirmation we have a command, a rule of life, prescribed. This is in keeping with the circumstances of Abraham. For, first, he has now faith in the Lord, which is the fruit of the new man in him prevailing over the old, and is therefore competent to obey; and, next, the Lord in whom he believes is God Almighty, the all-efficient Spirit, who worketh both to will and to do in the destroying of sin and building up of holiness. "Walk"-act in the most comprehensive sense of the term; "before me," and not behind, as one conscious of doing what is, not displeasing, but pleasing to me; "and be perfect," not sincere merely, unless in the primitive sense of duty, but complete, upright, holy, not only in walk, which is provided for in the previous clause, but in heart, the spring of action. ~from Barnes' Notes

To be perfect one must have the Holy Spirit in them clearly.  In the Salvation Process we learn to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit in the form of Godly principles (love, joy, peace, forgiveness, honesty, services, etc.).  The invoking of Godly principles [and thus letting our light shine], is the new man in Christ.  It is more that acknowledgement and sincerity.  It is ACTION.  We must be spring-loaded to action...Godly action.

This is essential to "being perfect".  Notice another commentary [pithy parts excerpted]...

Gen 17:1
[I am the Almighty God] I am. God all-sufficient; from shaadah, "to shed, to pour out." I am that God who pours out blessings, who gives them richly, abundantly, continually.

Note:  The response to being spring-loaded to action in the invoking of the Holy Spirit is blessing and abundance from God.  This is a promise to those who walk toward perfection.

[Walk before me] "set thyself to walk"-be firmly purposed, thoroughly determined to obey, before me, for my eye is ever on thee, therefore ever consider that God seeth thee. Who can imagine a stronger incitement to conscientious, persevering obedience?

Note: Refer to the Menu-driven Bible Study section and menu item 13  - "Three Essential Rules for Every Christian".  Rule three is: Everything we do as Christians should be done as if under the scrutiny of Christ (Col. 3:17).  This is the sense of this idea of this wording, "Walk before me."  God's eye is EVER on us in judgment as we walk in the Salvation Process.  This is impetuous [sudden and forceful action driven by passion] to us to be spring-loaded to action in invoking the power of the Holy Spirit.

[Be thou perfect.]  Be just such as the holy God would have you to be, as the Almighty God can make you and live as the all-sufficient God shall support you ; for He alone who makes the soul holy can preserve it in holiness.  "Ye SHALL BE perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect." But what does this imply? Why, to be saved from all the power, the guilt, and the contamination of sin. This is only the negative part of salvation, but it has also a positive part; to be made perfect-to be perfect as our Father who is in heaven is perfect, to be filled with the fullness of God, to have Christ dwelling continually in the heart by faith, and to be rooted and grounded in love. [emphasis mine] ~from Adam Clarke's Commentary

Note: The further we get from the power and contamination of sin, the closer we move toward perfection.  This is talking about displacing sin and its contamination by bringing in the good.  That is, with every invoking of the Holy Spirit in the form of "light" (Godly principles) we take a step further away from both worldliness and sin.  This is automatic.

We gain even more insight by looking at the table dictionary definition of "perfect":

1] Lacking nothing essential to the whole; complete of its nature or kind.
2] Being without defect or blemish: a perfect specimen.
3] Thoroughly skilled or talented in a certain field or area; proficient.
4] Completely suited for a particular purpose or situation: She was the perfect actress for the part.
5] Completely corresponding to a description, standard, or type: a perfect circle; a perfect gentleman.
6] Accurately reproducing an original: a perfect copy of the painting.
7] Complete; thorough; utter.
8] Pure; undiluted; unmixed: perfect red.

Definition 1] Speaking to the fact that we must master all elements of righteousness outlined in this study.
Definition 2]  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. –Eph 5:27
Definition 3] Hence our need to master all the elements of Righteousness.
Definition 4] We are to become proficient in the elements of Righteousness.
Definition 5] The standard is Christ and His character.
Definition 6] Conforming to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 - one of the elements of this study)
Definition 7] God wants to complete His work in us (Phil 1:6)
Definition 8] Invoking the power of the Holy Spirit makes us pure [this is a process].

Instructions – Be thou perfect

1] Pray for God's Holy Spirit daily.
2] Visualize walking before God as you do everything throughout the day.
3] Meditate on the character of Jesus Christ [begin in Gal. 5:22-23].
4] Be spring-loaded to take action - invoking the power of the Holy Spirit.
5] Be watchful for opportunities to invoke a Godly principle.
6] Know that taking action displaces contamination of sin and gets you further from the sin process.
7] Study the stopping of sin before it begins.

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