"WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF MAN?"
I. THE IDEAL REQUIREMENTS OF GOD.
A. Moses - Micah - Jesus.
1. Deut. law in love terms.
a. Require - inquire - asks.
2. Micah, God demands, insists upon, walk with Him - do justly - love mercy. "Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God."
3. Jesus "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" "Be ye therefore perfect."
a. Dangerous exposition, accommodate great words of Jesus to low living.
b. What does perfect mean - hitting the mark.
4. God requires perfection from us.
a. He wants us to be what He made us to be.
5. Desire for perfection common to humanity.
6. Can anyone view the ideal & say "I am perfect."
a. Jesus "I do always those things that please Him."
II. THE ACTUAL REQUIREMENT.
A. God knows our failure. Made provision for sinning man.
1. "What must we do to work the works of God?"
a. Believe "This is the work of God that ye believe into Him whom He has sent" (why say into).
2. God required perfection. This I could not give. God provided for my failure. Now through His provision I can fulfill the actual.
B. Upon yielding perfect ideal not revealed at once. Growth. Paul, neither were already perfect.
1. You can start tonight on path that leads to perfection. "I press towards the goal" "I persecuted the church."
C. Belief into Christ is the preliminary & perpetual condition for fulfillment.
1. I believed 30 years ago.
2. You will never come to a place where you can cease trusting.
