August 24^th, 1996 “Be Ye Therefore Perfect” Mrs. N. D. Daniel

Job 5:17-21 "Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:" "For he maketh ... when it cometh."

Job was a perfect man in that generation. Job 1:1 We want to become holy as our Father in heaven is. That is, we have to become perfect. Matt. 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect." This is our goal which God has put before us. Our frequent failure is in our talk or our words. Job was attacked by Satan. His wife said, "Curse God and die." Those who are perfect before God will not be stung by the scourge of the tongue. God told Job, ‘I will protect you from the scourge of the tongue’ Job 5:21 That was a promise to Job from God because his friends were going to come to cry and comfort him. But their words would only discourage him. Job not only feared God. He did not commit any sin with his tongue. People sit and talk and in that talk they commit sin. Job's friends came and sat together with him. They could not understand Job's trial of faith. They knew some truth - that is if we sinned we would reap the consequences. But that did not apply to Job then. His friends were not of help to Job. But Job did not sin with his tongue and grieve God. God said, “I will protect you from the scourge of the tongue.” Till the end of his trial he did not grieve God. That is the thing we have to learn.

We read in James that if we do not bridle our tongues, our religion is in vain. God gives us great victory over our tongues. Until we get that victory we should not leave God, because we tend to make a lot of mistakes with our tongue. What is God's counsel to us about our tongue? “When people speak evil of you, blessed are you. Rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven.” People get great pain through the scourge of the tongue. The daughter-in-law cannot forget what the mother-in-law said. People cannot forget what others have said. When we are not guilty, if people speak evil of us we should rejoice. We should remember the example of Job.

How many things the religious leaders said about Jesus! They said He was a deceiver, a blasphemer, a wine bibber. They said so many things against Jesus. When He was on the Cross, they accused Him, spoke ill of Him, mocked Him and said, “Come down from the Cross if you are the Son of God.” But what did Jesus say? “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” “Forgive them.” That is the example Jesus sets before us.

But people feel so hurt saying, “This man said this and that man said that.” That is not the sign of perfection. Those who do not grieve the Lord by their tongue - there is much blessing in store for them. But people keep saying, “This man said this. That neighbour said this,” etc. Those who do not have the fear of God can talk anything. Jesus said, they persecuted even the prophets with their tongues and behaviour. These days can you bear the wounds caused by others’ words? Do you groan in pain for that? Then it will hinder growth into the perfect life.

God gave me this verse: Job 5:21 “Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue.” He took away such pain from me. Whatever people say against me does not sink into me or hurt me. In our spiritual life we need to have this victory. We need to always retain the peace of God always.

I have learnt much about the tongue in the school of God’s children. It was taught so that I may not sin with my tongue. We should not give to others our opinions and shallow suggestions. Those who want to be perfect before God must be very careful in the use of their tongue. Then their life will be peaceful. Their family will be happy and the Fellowship of God’s people also will be happy. God will be happy- Holiness on one side and perfection on the other side - we have to obtain these two great blessings which Jesus Christ brought to us. Before opening our mouth we must ask God, “What shall I speak?”

Moses learnt this art. What God wanted him to speak he spoke. What God wanted him to do he did. So he lived such a perfect life before God. We want this ministry to be a holy and perfect in God’s sight. Then we have to be very careful about our tongues. Job’s friends came to comfort him. But God was not pleased with their words. He said to Job, “They did not talk about me as you talked; so you have to pray for them.” This perfect man Job received much blessing from the Lord after he passed the trial God wanted him to pass. As teachers in schools we want to ding the lessons into our students. But with college students, once the truth is told, that is enough. But we are still weak. We easily seem to turn to our old ways. So we need to be taught these truths repeatedly. God wants all of us to be as holy as Himself and as perfect as Himself. If we run on these two rails - holiness and perfection, we will safely run the race God has set for us. Then we will have peace and joy and all the blessings in our families and in our ministry. May God bless us to obey His word and please Him in everything and become Christlike in everything.