Posted By: jamesonofthunder
"Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" - 09/22/12 10:36 AM
If I might start another thread to get back on track for the topic that was closed, the issue is Christian perfection.
It is a testimony of the Seventh Day Adventist Church that perfection in Christ is not only possible, it is essential to being prepared for eternity with God for those living in the last days.
"We feel a deep interest for the people of God. We are anxious that they should rightly estimate the important truths for these last days, and have correct views in reference to the characters they must develop in order to obtain the redemption promised the faithful and perfect. We would that all felt a deeper interest in regard to their own salvation and that of their fellow-men. We wish that all would regard the work of repentance, faith, and devotion, as essential to the formation of their religious characters." {RH March 29, 1870, par. 2}
"None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory. {AA 531.2}
Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law. But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition. The holiness that God’s word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth. Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience. The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he is to pray [Faith] to the Saviour to heal the disorders of his sin-sick soul. He has not the wisdom or the strength to overcome; these belong to the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help. {AA 532.1}
Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Here it is, the command from Christ to be perfect, not only like Jesus, but to be as perfect as His Father (Jesus as a man was "perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil" the Spirit of Prophecy says above)
The question is, how is perfection attained?
"The Scripture declares, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” The knowledge of what the Scripture means when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith, is more essential than any other knowledge that can be acquired. We suffer much trouble and grief because of our unbelief, and our ignorance of how to exercise faith. We must break through the clouds of unbelief. We can not have a healthy Christian experience, we can not obey the gospel unto salvation, until the science of faith is better understood, and until more faith is exercised. There can be no perfection of Christian character without that faith that works by love, and purifies the soul." {RH October 18, 1898, par. 7}
Faith is the expecting the word of God to do what it says and the depending upon that word to do what it says. As that is faith and as faith comes by the word of God, it is plain that the word of God, in order to inculcate faith, must teach that the word has in itself power to accomplish what itself says. And such is precisely the truth of the matter: the word of God does teach just this and nothing else, so that it is truly "the faithful word"--the word full of faith.
So if acquiring faith is "more essential than any other knowledge that can be acquired", and "Faith is the expecting the word of God to do what it says and the depending upon that word to do what it says," then would you not expect for the words of Jesus to be perfectly fulfilled in His power when He says "be ye therefore perfect"?
His words are fulfilled for us individually just as powerfully as for creation. If you believe and rely upon the words of God, miracles can happen. Our sinful minds can be converted in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It is a lack of faith that prolongs the event, not a lack on God's part for the word to complete what it says. But since He is the author and finisher of our faith, He ever contends with our faults, until He can accomplish His goal of perfection in us, and to strengthen us day by day to walk in His faith without falling.
The people who learn to deeply repent, casting there sins upon the head of Jesus, learn to trust and rely upon God's promises. Miraculous answers to prayer are the norm and not the exception when we attain this level of faith in the word of God.
It is when men design their own faith that faith does not work.
If you let the word of God speak for Himself, then everything, all of the promises can be yours right now. Just like the family of Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, who were baptized with the Holy Spirit before baptism in water, because of their belief in the word of God being fulfilled in Christ, that faith Jesus Himself declared was GREAT FAITH, greater than all of Israel.
"Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience", does this say it takes seventy years to accomplish? Can Jesus administer His righteousness in our behalf right now? ONLY IF WE HAVE FAITH! That is why without faith we cannot please God.
It does not take a lifetime to achieve this! Those who teach otherwise are who lack faith and are slow of heart.
It is a testimony of the Seventh Day Adventist Church that perfection in Christ is not only possible, it is essential to being prepared for eternity with God for those living in the last days.
"We feel a deep interest for the people of God. We are anxious that they should rightly estimate the important truths for these last days, and have correct views in reference to the characters they must develop in order to obtain the redemption promised the faithful and perfect. We would that all felt a deeper interest in regard to their own salvation and that of their fellow-men. We wish that all would regard the work of repentance, faith, and devotion, as essential to the formation of their religious characters." {RH March 29, 1870, par. 2}
"None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory. {AA 531.2}
Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law. But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition. The holiness that God’s word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth. Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience. The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he is to pray [Faith] to the Saviour to heal the disorders of his sin-sick soul. He has not the wisdom or the strength to overcome; these belong to the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help. {AA 532.1}
Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Here it is, the command from Christ to be perfect, not only like Jesus, but to be as perfect as His Father (Jesus as a man was "perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil" the Spirit of Prophecy says above)
The question is, how is perfection attained?
"The Scripture declares, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” The knowledge of what the Scripture means when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith, is more essential than any other knowledge that can be acquired. We suffer much trouble and grief because of our unbelief, and our ignorance of how to exercise faith. We must break through the clouds of unbelief. We can not have a healthy Christian experience, we can not obey the gospel unto salvation, until the science of faith is better understood, and until more faith is exercised. There can be no perfection of Christian character without that faith that works by love, and purifies the soul." {RH October 18, 1898, par. 7}
Faith is the expecting the word of God to do what it says and the depending upon that word to do what it says. As that is faith and as faith comes by the word of God, it is plain that the word of God, in order to inculcate faith, must teach that the word has in itself power to accomplish what itself says. And such is precisely the truth of the matter: the word of God does teach just this and nothing else, so that it is truly "the faithful word"--the word full of faith.
So if acquiring faith is "more essential than any other knowledge that can be acquired", and "Faith is the expecting the word of God to do what it says and the depending upon that word to do what it says," then would you not expect for the words of Jesus to be perfectly fulfilled in His power when He says "be ye therefore perfect"?
His words are fulfilled for us individually just as powerfully as for creation. If you believe and rely upon the words of God, miracles can happen. Our sinful minds can be converted in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It is a lack of faith that prolongs the event, not a lack on God's part for the word to complete what it says. But since He is the author and finisher of our faith, He ever contends with our faults, until He can accomplish His goal of perfection in us, and to strengthen us day by day to walk in His faith without falling.
The people who learn to deeply repent, casting there sins upon the head of Jesus, learn to trust and rely upon God's promises. Miraculous answers to prayer are the norm and not the exception when we attain this level of faith in the word of God.
It is when men design their own faith that faith does not work.
If you let the word of God speak for Himself, then everything, all of the promises can be yours right now. Just like the family of Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, who were baptized with the Holy Spirit before baptism in water, because of their belief in the word of God being fulfilled in Christ, that faith Jesus Himself declared was GREAT FAITH, greater than all of Israel.
"Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience", does this say it takes seventy years to accomplish? Can Jesus administer His righteousness in our behalf right now? ONLY IF WE HAVE FAITH! That is why without faith we cannot please God.
It does not take a lifetime to achieve this! Those who teach otherwise are who lack faith and are slow of heart.