|
Perfection - The Gospel of Regeneration |
|
The Gospel By Promise (FINISHED IN THE PAST)
God tells you what He has done. How He walked. ~ Imputed Righteousness (Rom. 8:10, Eph. 2:8-9, 1 Cor. 6:11)~ 1) Perfect & Complete
|
The Gospel By Command (AT PRESENT)
God tells you what you must do, in Him & through Him. How you must walk, in Him & through Him. ~Works Righteousness (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 2:10)~ Walk: Col. 2:6, Gal. 5:16, 25, Eph. 4:17, 5:8, 1 Cor. 3:3, 1 John 2:6 1) Perfect & Complete
|
How relevant is The Doctrine of Perfection? Please focus, and let us understand this vital doctrine, even if the language of it is foreign or distasteful to your Christian vocabulary! Don’t let those heretics who preach sinless perfection cause you to reject anyone who renders a correct teaching on the matter. I beg you, please! A correct view of biblical history would prove to us its utter necessity! Biblical history describes the lives, generations, and centuries of God’s work of salvation in terms of personal and corporate perfection. Oh, will you hear it!? Depending on whether or not they obtained biblical “perfection”, this determined their destiny of heaven or hell! The scripture explicitly states that Job (Job 1:1, 8, 2:3, 8:20), Noah (Gen. 6:9), Abraham (Gen. 17:1-2), Joshua (Deut. 18:13), David (Psalm 101), Solomon (1 Kings 11:4, with his repentance, which is in Ecclesiastes), and Hezekiah (1 Kings 20:3) went to heaven because they were perfect. As for all other heaven-bound men, even though it was not explicitly mentioned that they were “perfect”, they nevertheless followed the ways of them who were called “perfect”. The scripture, likewise, does explicitly state that Abijam (1 Kings 15:3), Asa (In light of 2 Chron. 15:17, comparatively to 2 Chron. 16:7-13), and Amaziah (2 Chron. 25:2) went to hell because of a single indictment – that they were NOT perfect. Furthermore, every major vocation is taught the saving expression of their office and duties by the term perfection. Kings (Psalm 101), Priests (Lev. 22:21), Judges (2 Chron. 19:9), Warriors (Ps. 18:32), and all, were taught what it is to be perfect in the execution of their office, and depending on whether or not they were perfect, they went to heaven or hell. All other men and women of every generation were taught perfection in the principle of its meaning, even though the very word is not explicitly used. Let it therefore alarm us, if, haply, we don’t understand what biblical perfection is!
Initial Perfection
A Christian is initially perfect because of the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. In other words, the Christian’s personal experience of these five senses of the gospel (as formerly and exhaustively addressed) makes him: “complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). Christ’s work is sinlessly perfect; so is His gospel call, and as far as we are partial participants of these five senses of the gospel now on earth, we will be full participants of them in the time to come, but as for our initial salvation, it can only be called a perfecting NOW unto FOREVER: “For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14). This perfecting is a work performed at present, right now, and it is a promise of God unto forever, just like perseverance is promised. Abiding in this invaluable gift of eternal blessedness, one must be careful to abide in the gospel truths the scriptures do outline as a practical walk of saving faith, without which no man will continue to be perfectly sanctified by the blood of Christ, by law, spirit, or conscience. Two passages of gospel-walk-commands which hold in jeopardy the precious, cleansing, eternally powerful blood, now and in times to come, are Hebrews 10:19-31 & 1 John 1:5-7. Both passages describe a warning of disqualifications for the eternally perfecting attributes of the gospel, and in these two passages specifically, the present continuous perfecting power of the blood is addressed. In Hebrews 10:26-29, we read of a man’s disqualification from the atoning power of the Lamb’s sacrifice, even though he was already “sanctified” by “the blood” of the NT “Covenant” (Heb. 10:29). 1 John 5:7 holds in eternal jeopardy the very same quality, which is the present continuous cleansing power of the blood of Christ which “cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 5:7). In this address, I have only focused on the perfection of the gospel as it has related to the blood, but I have already covered the other five senses of the gospel experience (crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension) with their present progressive necessity as it pertains to perfection, and also how this is for the victory finish of final perfection for eternity.
Present Progressive Perfection
Seeing this, we ourselves can understand why Christ would send people to hell because they are not “perfect”. Perfection is the fruitfulness demanded of all Christians, and it is obtained by all Christians who hold to saving faith presently, progressively, and continuously. At initial salvation a man is therefore perfect, as a Christian, and the perfecting powers of the gospel do make possible a man’s present progressive perfection as a Christian. Perfect faith in the individual, as he responds to the gospel (initially and present progressively), will make the man walk in perfect love (true faith leads to charity), perfect holiness (true faith unites the Christian to the Holy Ghost causing immediate and instantaneous holiness, and a walking in His holiness henceforth), and perfect works (true faith is revealed through works of righteousness). Above, in the column of present continuous perfection, you can see these various forms of perfection cited in the scripture.
Initial Perfection
A Christian is initially perfect because of the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. In other words, the Christian’s personal experience of these five senses of the gospel (as formerly and exhaustively addressed) makes him: “complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). Christ’s work is sinlessly perfect; so is His gospel call, and as far as we are partial participants of these five senses of the gospel now on earth, we will be full participants of them in the time to come, but as for our initial salvation, it can only be called a perfecting NOW unto FOREVER: “For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14). This perfecting is a work performed at present, right now, and it is a promise of God unto forever, just like perseverance is promised. Abiding in this invaluable gift of eternal blessedness, one must be careful to abide in the gospel truths the scriptures do outline as a practical walk of saving faith, without which no man will continue to be perfectly sanctified by the blood of Christ, by law, spirit, or conscience. Two passages of gospel-walk-commands which hold in jeopardy the precious, cleansing, eternally powerful blood, now and in times to come, are Hebrews 10:19-31 & 1 John 1:5-7. Both passages describe a warning of disqualifications for the eternally perfecting attributes of the gospel, and in these two passages specifically, the present continuous perfecting power of the blood is addressed. In Hebrews 10:26-29, we read of a man’s disqualification from the atoning power of the Lamb’s sacrifice, even though he was already “sanctified” by “the blood” of the NT “Covenant” (Heb. 10:29). 1 John 5:7 holds in eternal jeopardy the very same quality, which is the present continuous cleansing power of the blood of Christ which “cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 5:7). In this address, I have only focused on the perfection of the gospel as it has related to the blood, but I have already covered the other five senses of the gospel experience (crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension) with their present progressive necessity as it pertains to perfection, and also how this is for the victory finish of final perfection for eternity.
Present Progressive Perfection
Seeing this, we ourselves can understand why Christ would send people to hell because they are not “perfect”. Perfection is the fruitfulness demanded of all Christians, and it is obtained by all Christians who hold to saving faith presently, progressively, and continuously. At initial salvation a man is therefore perfect, as a Christian, and the perfecting powers of the gospel do make possible a man’s present progressive perfection as a Christian. Perfect faith in the individual, as he responds to the gospel (initially and present progressively), will make the man walk in perfect love (true faith leads to charity), perfect holiness (true faith unites the Christian to the Holy Ghost causing immediate and instantaneous holiness, and a walking in His holiness henceforth), and perfect works (true faith is revealed through works of righteousness). Above, in the column of present continuous perfection, you can see these various forms of perfection cited in the scripture.
|
“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily” (Col 1:28-29).
“Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith…” (1Th 3:10) |
When we finally understand the eternal significance of perfection, the NT scriptures come alive in a new way. However gripping they were formerly to us when we read them, now they are terrifyingly hallowed in their address of a Christians’ eternal hope of heaven and the woeful fate of hell, presently and progressively. Perhaps now we can understand why Paul did pray “night and day” “exceedingly” to “perfect” the faith of the saints in the NT times (1 Thess. 3:10). Some people have never prayed night and day exceedingly for anything! And lo, Paul is thus burdened for perfection in the regenerate Church! Perhaps now we can understand: all of our ingratiation to “preach”, to “warn every man”, and our “teaching”, in every capacity of “all wisdom” that we are enabled to speak, or, with all the stamina, “labour”, and “striving” we are enabled to continue to speak with, is all for the final, climactic, END of the Christian’s destiny where he will be judged (at his death or Christ’s return) on whether he is perfect or not. Paul’s sole pursuit as an apostle, pastor, teacher, and preacher is to present the Bride of Christ perfect to Christ (Eph. 4:12-13) – at “The Presentation” – and shockingly, this task is scarcely accomplished (1 Peter 4:18)! Is this why you exist in your ministerial office, preacher, “to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:28)!?
|
“To present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” (Col. 1:22)
“That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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. 5:26-27). |
When a Christian is presented perfect in Christ, then he is also presented “holy”, “unblameable”, and “unreproveable” in God’s sight (Col. 1:22). When a man is “holy”, “unblameable”, and “unreproveable” in God’s sight, he is also sanctified and cleansed without spot or wrinkle, both holy and without blemish, as the Bride must be. The only way the Bride (the Church & individual Christians) will make it to heaven, is if they are presented to God in this condition. These terms do not describe some special END TIME “revival people”! These terms describe those who are initially, present-progressively, and finally saved – in any and every generation, all throughout time. All of the Church that will be finally saved did abide in the present continuous gospel power which makes a man meet these descriptive terms of an acceptable presentation, which is Christian perfection, so that the perfection he has now will open the door of everlasting, sinless perfection in heaven – Praise God! All preaching and pastoring is to the end that saints may continue in perfection and finally be saved – walking in revival so that they might be judged as the revived (the quick), that they will be recognized and accepted by God as the Bride. God will “present it to Himself a glorious Church” in this very way! Some await a revival in the end times because they recognize that “the church” today does not meet the standard described in Ephesians 5:26-27, but let us understand the terms! If you don’t meet these terms which describe the acceptable presentation of the Bride to God, then you will not be reckoned as a part of the Bride by God, which is salvation! Rather, as Christ said, you will be cast forth from the Vine of salvation, though you were savingly engrafted into Christ, and in the END the Husbandman will have a Vine with no withering, fruitless, or diseased branches on it! So also you, regenerate Christian – if God finds you (at your death or at His return) as an unholy spot, blemish, or mark upon His corporate Bride (the Church), He will remove you from Himself as one that does not have the right garment for the occasion. “And He saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the King to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:12-14). In preparation for the presentation of your soul to God to “be accepted of Him” (2 Cor. 5:9-10), you must be kept “from falling” and “faultless before the presence of His glory” (Jude 24), “as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2), for no “adulterer” will be accepted as a part of the Bride (James 4:4).
|
**********************Point to Prove***********************
The false prophets or heretical messages of our day preach that Revival is eternally insignificant and inconsequential, and therefore, an option to obtain or refuse by each individual’s choice of pursuit. So likewise therefore, all of its synonyms are also preached as an option without any eternal consequence. As a result, to the loss of many souls into a Godless eternity, the people are blinded by preachers of peace who keep asleep revival-less persons, when, lo, God would have them wake up from their carnal peace and look straight on at their trouble. ************************************************************* “O LORD, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). |
Revival cannot be eternally insignificant, for, it is directly related to the WRATH of God. I say again in another way, it has everything to do with the MERCY of God unto salvation. When you pray for revival, do you pray – “in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2)? The synonyms of revival are formerly listed in the four categories we are mapped to examine, including the five senses of the gospel we have already examined, and more specifically this category called “perfection” we are addressing now falling from personal revival is also a falling from perfection as a Christian (Col. 1:28-29, Eph. 4:12, 2 Cor. 13:9, 11), which is falling from perfecting works in Christ (Rev. 3:2, Heb. 13:21, 2 Thess. 2:16-17), perfected holiness (2 Cor. 7:1), perfected faith (James 2:21-22, 1 Thess. 3:10), and as John addresses it, perfected love (1 John 2:5, 4:12, 17). Likewise as falling from personal or corporate revival, to fall from perfection is to, at present, incur the just penalties of reprobating and casting-away wrath (2 Cor. 13:5), though God will give a space of time for repentance that you may potentially but not certainly escape it.
|
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands” (Ps. 138:7-8).
|
Revival is the reestablishing of perfection when, at the present time, the saint has sinfully fallen from it. Being found in the midst of the troublous conflict of imperfection, it is then that David cries out for revival, saying, “Thou wilt revive me”, and by this he pointedly means, “Thy right hand shall save me”. Salvation and revival are biblical synonymous! David clearly has his eyes of hope upon saving “mercy” and therefore prays for it, saying, “forsake not the works of Thine own hands”. By this he means himself. The supplication to God could be otherwise rendered, “O forsake me not utterly” (Ps. 119:8). This scenario of high crime, desperate need, present trouble, and eternal consequence is, let the reader understand, the hour of need for REVIVAL! Every biblical saint that ever strove for revival did so under the same emotional press and salvific aim. Revival is a reestablishment of salvation and mercy in the midst of salvation-interrupting wrath, a wrath which is, potentially, able to be infuriated until the man of God is forsaken; otherwise the wrath is pacified because salvific revival interrupts the conflict of wrath in however it was manifesting and pursuing the individual or corporate body. This wrath-interrupting, saving work of God is altogether understood as God perfecting the saints, or as David said, “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me” (Ps. 138:7-8).
If you are a babe in Christ, it is because you have fallen from perfection (1 Cor. 2:6, Heb. 6:1, Eph. 4:13-14). This is when growth is stunted into a standstill, that is, until the gospel truths are reestablished in the heart of the believer. While a believer maintains saving faith in the gospel, he is growing as a young Christian into older age, but as a youth, the perfected saint is not understood to be a babe, therefore he is able to eat the meat of wisdom. To be of “full age” is a spiritual stature in a saint enabling him to eat God’s manifold meats of wisdom. Such a one has grown to the spiritual-biological faculties which can digest meat, as seen in those that are of a young or youthful age (1 Pet. 5:5) beyond the years of a baby child (Heb. 5:12-14). With wisdom and understanding being increased in his life, then he is becoming more aware of his own sinfulness, inwardly and outwardly, in heart and practice, which simultaneously makes him become more aware of the nature, Person, holiness, faith, love, and judgment of God. In this course there are, therefore, greater works of repentance being wrought in his life, with greater works of faith, but as he is increasing from one glory to the next, each greater glory gained is the natural work of sanctification (present progressive salvation) which God accomplishes as a response to the saint’s continuance of saving faith in the gospel. When a saint falls from saving faith in the gospel, he also falls from the blessed operations of God which will perform in the man “the increase” (1 Cor. 3:7), to “grow in grace” (2 Pet. 3:18) and “abound” (2 Pet. 1:8) in the perseverance of continual “increasing” (Col. 1:10), which sanctification and present progressive salvation describe.
From one glory to the next, there is a new and greater revelation of sin (in heart and practice) which enlightens the saint, and thus the saint is convicted by God to repent of these formerly unknown sins, then to believe in Christ (by the gospel) to overcome this formerly unknown evil behavior. When the saint is so ingratiated into this overcoming experience, it is by his present progressive steadfastness of faith in the gospel, granting power over death. In other words, the saint is empowered by the gospel-promised faithfulness of God Who did initially conquer, but also promised to presently and progressively conquer and keep, unto the very end. Present progressive faith in God’s faithfulness manifests the inner workings of perseverance in personal revival. In this way, we can see the specific place present progressive faith has in the work of sanctification, and how that sanctification – a life of increasing, abounding, and growing – is a mark that one is keeping saving faith in the gospel; therefore if a man loses this growth, then he is not having saving faith in the gospel, which is a falling from perfection into blame and all the various other terms of God’s disapproval and rebuke.
Do you see it? There is a present progressive perfection which is spoken of as a process of continual achievement, which is a greater degree of perfection in Christ than what was formerly had, but in all stages, one must be perfect to be saved even though those who are older in Christ will look different than those who are younger in Christ, as they maintain their own stage of perfection, but when either one of them fall, the fruits of carnality which do arise are immediately the same, but when repentance is had again, the recovered state is vastly different as the age chasm of glories was formerly different. Each individual is recovered back into the stage of glory which they had before they fell, or near it (generally speaking), depending, of course, on how long one remains fallen and how severe the sins were which were committed. Verses which speak clearly in the language of this present progressive attainment of perfection are in James 1:4, 1 Peter 5:10, Galatians 3:3, and Hebrews 13:21, but all four of these books are dealing with the rebuke and denouncing of the behavior of saints who are falling from perfection into the various terms which describe a fallen saint from perfection: blamed, blemished & spotted, unholy & unsanctified, etc..
If you are a babe in Christ, it is because you have fallen from perfection (1 Cor. 2:6, Heb. 6:1, Eph. 4:13-14). This is when growth is stunted into a standstill, that is, until the gospel truths are reestablished in the heart of the believer. While a believer maintains saving faith in the gospel, he is growing as a young Christian into older age, but as a youth, the perfected saint is not understood to be a babe, therefore he is able to eat the meat of wisdom. To be of “full age” is a spiritual stature in a saint enabling him to eat God’s manifold meats of wisdom. Such a one has grown to the spiritual-biological faculties which can digest meat, as seen in those that are of a young or youthful age (1 Pet. 5:5) beyond the years of a baby child (Heb. 5:12-14). With wisdom and understanding being increased in his life, then he is becoming more aware of his own sinfulness, inwardly and outwardly, in heart and practice, which simultaneously makes him become more aware of the nature, Person, holiness, faith, love, and judgment of God. In this course there are, therefore, greater works of repentance being wrought in his life, with greater works of faith, but as he is increasing from one glory to the next, each greater glory gained is the natural work of sanctification (present progressive salvation) which God accomplishes as a response to the saint’s continuance of saving faith in the gospel. When a saint falls from saving faith in the gospel, he also falls from the blessed operations of God which will perform in the man “the increase” (1 Cor. 3:7), to “grow in grace” (2 Pet. 3:18) and “abound” (2 Pet. 1:8) in the perseverance of continual “increasing” (Col. 1:10), which sanctification and present progressive salvation describe.
From one glory to the next, there is a new and greater revelation of sin (in heart and practice) which enlightens the saint, and thus the saint is convicted by God to repent of these formerly unknown sins, then to believe in Christ (by the gospel) to overcome this formerly unknown evil behavior. When the saint is so ingratiated into this overcoming experience, it is by his present progressive steadfastness of faith in the gospel, granting power over death. In other words, the saint is empowered by the gospel-promised faithfulness of God Who did initially conquer, but also promised to presently and progressively conquer and keep, unto the very end. Present progressive faith in God’s faithfulness manifests the inner workings of perseverance in personal revival. In this way, we can see the specific place present progressive faith has in the work of sanctification, and how that sanctification – a life of increasing, abounding, and growing – is a mark that one is keeping saving faith in the gospel; therefore if a man loses this growth, then he is not having saving faith in the gospel, which is a falling from perfection into blame and all the various other terms of God’s disapproval and rebuke.
Do you see it? There is a present progressive perfection which is spoken of as a process of continual achievement, which is a greater degree of perfection in Christ than what was formerly had, but in all stages, one must be perfect to be saved even though those who are older in Christ will look different than those who are younger in Christ, as they maintain their own stage of perfection, but when either one of them fall, the fruits of carnality which do arise are immediately the same, but when repentance is had again, the recovered state is vastly different as the age chasm of glories was formerly different. Each individual is recovered back into the stage of glory which they had before they fell, or near it (generally speaking), depending, of course, on how long one remains fallen and how severe the sins were which were committed. Verses which speak clearly in the language of this present progressive attainment of perfection are in James 1:4, 1 Peter 5:10, Galatians 3:3, and Hebrews 13:21, but all four of these books are dealing with the rebuke and denouncing of the behavior of saints who are falling from perfection into the various terms which describe a fallen saint from perfection: blamed, blemished & spotted, unholy & unsanctified, etc..
|
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20-21).
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Col 1:9-11). “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2Pe 1:5-11). |
Do you see? Each glory is another trial, another trying of the faith with another form of the gospel presentation put to the believer who has a greater revelation of sin and righteousness being revealed to him as he grows, and, if the believer maintains that faith which he had from the beginning, then he will maintain perfection from glory to glory. In each glory plane of higher ground, it can be said also that he is being made perfect because he is reaching another greater form of perfection in his practical conformity to Christ - inwardly and outwardly. Thus, to fall from the increasing (Col. 1:9-11, 1 Thess. 3:12-4:1, 4:10) and abounding (1 Thess. 3:12-4:1, 2 Peter 1:5-11, 2 Cor. 8:7-9) raceway, this is the spirit of err (2 Pet. 3:17-18) and damnation. Hebrews 13:21 is a good example of what it would look like to walk this road of increasing good works (Titus 3:8, 14, 2 Thess. 2:16-17) for each stage of perfection in Christ, stating that this road is God “working in you” “every good work” according to your stage of sanctification, which we can see is vital for salvation, so much so that it can be rightly said that we are working out our sanctification, but not this merely, but we are commanded to “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling” (Php. 2:12). Sanctification is present progressive salvation! Therefore we can see that Christian perfection by saving faith does make a man abide in this “stedfastness” of a man who is enabled to “grow in grace”. Thus the book of 2 Peter was closed, “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Pet. 3:17-18).