Be Perfected in Him
Be Perfected in Him
Paul V. Johnson
Takeaways:
Brother Johnson's grandson's body could not produce red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets, so he received a bone marrow transplant. Brother Johnson compares a bone marrow transplant to the atonement. When a person gets a bone marrow transplant, it changes the DNA in their blood to match that of the donor.
His grandson, Aaron, did not have the power in himself to overcome his illness. Similarly, we cannot cleanse ourselves from sin, change our bodies into immortal bodies, or exalt ourselves. But Aaron had to be willing to do what the doctors asked him to do. Similarly, we need to be willing to keep our covenants and submit to the Lord's will. "Like the remarkable process of the very DNA of Aaron’s blood cells changing, we can have our hearts changed, have His image in our countenances, and become new creatures in Christ."
We have agency and thus have the opportunity to choose between following God, who wants us to be perfected, cleansed, and exalted, or Satan, who wants us to be miserable. "When we follow Satan, we give him power. When we follow God, He gives us power."
Christ commands us to be perfect. But we cannot make ourselves perfect; we need to be perfected in Christ. It would be unthinkable to expect Aaron to heal himself from his blood disease. Similarly, we should not assume that the process of perfecting ourselves is something we can do on our own either. Unlike medical procedures, there is a 100% certainty that God can and will save us and perfect us if we are willing and obedient.
Quote: "No matter how capable, educated, brilliant, or strong we are, we cannot cleanse ourselves from our sins, change our bodies to an immortal state, or exalt ourselves. It is only possible through the Savior Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement."
"When we follow Satan, we give him power. When we follow God, He gives us power."- Paul V. Johnson
Questions to Ponder:
What are some things the Lord has asked you to do that have been difficult? How have those things contributed to your becoming "perfected in Christ"?