When the Perfect Comes
1 Corinthians 13-8-10
During the Infancy Stage we learned how to Receive the Holy Spirit
During the Childhood Stage we learned how to be Filled with the Holy Spirit
During the Youth Stage we learned how to be Led by the Holy Spirit
During the Adult Stage we learned how to be Empowered by the Holy Spirit
During the Purpose Stage we learned how to trust the Anointing of the Holy Spirit
As we master the purpose stage of spiritual growth, we learn how to maintain a life-style of living in-Spirit with a goal of maturing in the Holy Spirit
This is when the Perfect comes!
Perfect Maturity in the Holy Spirit which causes us to seek, discover, and fulfill God’s lifelong purpose for our lives on earth
What Is Perfect?
1 Corinthians 13:8-10…
Paul says, a time will come when prophesies will fail, tongues will cease, and supernatural knowledge will vanish away
This will occur when the perfect comes
In classical greek. Perfect comes from the word teleios
TRANSLATED MATURITY, COMPLETION, AND FULLGROWN
Adjectives modify nouns, however, in this case teleios stands alone as an adjective—thus treated as a noun
Adjectives are translated according to gender (feminine, masculine or neuter)
Teleios is masculine since it stands alone; it can refer to a person
“a person who is the mature one, the complete one, the full-grown one, or one who has come to an end.”
Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit in His stead (John 16:13-14)
Thus the perfect would refer to “spiritual maturity in the Holy Spirit”
The Holy Spirit is also a masculine gender (the mature, complete & full-grown One)
This is also consistent with the 5 stages of spiritual growth in Luke 4:1-18 where the term pneuma (spirit) is a noun neuter & can be modified by the adjective teleios
Take what Jesus & Paul said – the perfect is the Holy Spirit
Greek language is not the authority, Jesus is!
Maturity in the Holy Spirit
(Teleios)
Completion Full Grown-ness Maturity
WORD CHURCH SAINTS
Faith Abides, Prophesies Fail Hope Abides, Tongues Cease Love Abides, Knowledge Vanishes
INFANCY CHILDHOOD YOUTH ADULTHOOD PURPOSE
CREATION CORRECTION CONFIRMATION COMPREHENSION COMPLETION
What the Perfect Looks like Today?
The perfect can be seen when all 3 aspects of God’s scheme of redemption come into spiritual maturity; the Word, the Church, and the Saints
When the Word of God comes to its completion
When the Church becomes full grown
When the saints grow individually & collectively, into spiritual maturity
When all 3 have come into spiritual maturity, the perfect has come!
Maturity in the Holy Spirit is always in direct contrast with spiritual immaturity –1 Corinthians 13:9-10…
The expression “will be done away” comes from the Greek katargeo
Means to render idle, inactive, inoperative, or to put off anything that has more influence over us than God.”
When we experience katargeo in our lives, we will put an end to physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual immaturity
When the perfect comes anything that is not conducive to spiritual maturity should be put away
When the perfect comes we will separate ourselves from, and get rid of anything that hinders, delays or stops our spiritual growth toward maturity
1) When the Perfect comes in the Word
It came with the completion of the New Testament!
When all the NT books were completed (1st Century AD) all prophesies failed, and now faith abides
The Word transitions thru conception, correction, confirmation, comprehension & completion
Paul used his body to show us how the perfect would come – 1 Corinthians 13:11…
Katargeo is used again
During infancy, we conceived the Word of God
During childhood, the OT was corrected by adding the NT
During youth, the NT was confirmed by prophecies, tongues U+& supernatural knowledge
During adult, the Word became fully known
During purpose, the Word was finished with the completion of the NT
Now the Bible says, the law of the Lord is perfect – Psalms 19:7…
See also 2 Timothy 3:16-17…
The Perfect has come in the Word of God & the NT/OT represent the completion
2) When the Perfect comes in the Church
It came in the universal church, but locally each church must grow before The Perfect comes
Ephesians 4:13…
Full-Grown here, is the same “full grown” {teleios} used in 1 Corinthians 13:10
Paul is saying the church needs to be full grown so every individual can mature in the Holy Spirit
The gifts of Ephesians 4:11-16 are designed to perfect {teleios} us in the church, so that we are no longer tossed to & fro; we no longer have need for childish gifts to pacify our spiritual immaturity
1 Corinthians 13:8-13…
These temporary gifts are childish & designed for the spiritually immature
When a church is full grown, we put away childish gifts
Will seek gifts for spiritual maturity – faith, hope & love
As The Perfect comes in the church today, we will grow in faith, hope & love into maturity in the Holy Spirit
3) When the Perfect comes in the Saints
We will surrender & depend on the Holy Spirit in our daily lives
Dependency on the Holy Spirit is a sign of spiritual maturity
When The Perfect comes, we will be truthful with ourselves & others
One of the characteristics of The Perfect it truthfulness – John 16:13…
The Holy Spirit & Truthfulness are synonymous – Can’t have one without the other
John 14:16-20…
When The Perfect into our lives, truthfulness will dominate our character
Ephesians 4:15-24…
Surrendering & depending on the H.S. is the only way we can grow into spiritual maturity
We put off the immaturity of our old-self and put on our new selves (new spiritual mind)
Christians have to be truthful enough to do what it takes to mature in the H.S.
When we are not truthful with ourselves & others, The Perfect CANNOT come into our lives
Untruthfulness will not allow us to grow into spiritual maturity
The untruthful remain in the darkness of their minds & the negative influence of our old-self
Titus 3:5…
The Perfect does not come by our own efforts
How to Reach Spiritual Maturity
First, we have to be fully aware to the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us
As we obey the gospel, the H.S. comes to live inside of our human spirit
Constantly reminding us to remember His presence
When we are fully grown, we are fully aware of His communion with our spirit
1 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16-17…
When The Perfect comes we will live in-Spirit in every activity of our daily lives
In short, maturity in the H.S. is a healthy respect for, & a daily acknowledging of, the H.S. presence living inside us
Second, we have to realize that staying in-Spirit is the rallying point where our humans spirit daily reunites with God’s Holy Spirit
The sacred place where we connect & reconnect with God & His Son to be fully transformed in maturity
We are not controlled by our old-self
God leads us into our lifelong purpose on earth
The Perfect comes in the form of New Self-Purpose
