Christian Fellowship Community Group
A safe place for Christians who Love Jesus Christ to meet and ask for prayer and share scriptures from the bible. We value the posting of Christian music, poems, stories and also personal testimonies. Please let us know your needs, concerns and have some fun getting to know each other. We treat each other with respect.
The wisdom of the fathers”
PERFECTION – POSSSIBLE?
Christian perfection is looked upon by some as an impossibility in this life; but when we turn to the Word of God and see the many plain texts upon the subject, it must become evident to every candid mind that it is in the plan of redemption that every child of God should attain to it. It would not be according to the nature of divine grace to require of us anything we could not do. No reasonable earthly parent would demand an impossibility of a child, and it is certain our heavenly Father would not command us to be “perfect, even as [He] is perfect”* (Matthew 5:48) unless He has provided abundant grace to bring us up to this blessed experience. According to our own power or ability we could never reach such an exalted plane, for it is not within the power of man to change his depraved nature, and every self-effort to reach a state of perfection is but vain. But God is able to make all grace abound and as an all-wise Father He has made it possible that we should be perfect.
From the scriptures quoted we can plainly see that the perfection required of us is reasonable and just. Had He commanded us to be perfect in knowledge, wisdom, judgment, or in anything else in an absolute sense, we would be forced to the conclusion that God has either required an impossibility of us or it is not for us to attain in this life and therefore belongs only to the resurrected state. But we can clearly see the nature of his requirements and that they are all within the limits of his grace toward us in this life.
When Jesus commanded us to “Be… perfect,”* (Matthew 5:48) we can quite easily comprehend His meaning when we notice in the few preceding verses that we should be perfect in love, even to the extent that we shall love our enemies, that we may indeed be the children of our Father which is in heaven. The children of this world “love those that love them.”* (Luke 6:32) It is an easy matter and quite natural to do this. But to love our enemies is very contrary to the depraved nature; unless there has been the cleansing wrought within, there will be some inward consciousness of hatred toward those who despitefully use and persecute us. The high standard of righteousness which Jesus teaches here and throughout this chapter is the standard of sanctification. The love of God must be perfected in us, which destroys every element of the old nature, of which hatred is a prominent characteristic.
The first and great commandment, both of the old and new dispensation, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,”* (Mark 12:30) etc., is also a standard too high to be attained perfectly without the experience of entire sanctification. This commandment was given during the old dispensation: but it was not possible then that it could he kept perfectly, for there was no provision then made to destroy the power of, and cleanse the heart from, inbred depravity. The blood of those sacrifices could do no more than sanctify “to the purifying of the flesh.”* (Hebrews 9:13)
The inward condition of the heart could not be changed. Thus we see clearly that this commandment could not be kept in the New Testament sense of perfect love. Now, the blood of Jesus, which He shed on the cross that He might sanctify and cleanse our hearts, can make us holy. When the heart has realized the power of this cleansing and the love of God “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost,”* (Romans 5:5) we can in deed and in truth love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Praise God for His wonderful love to us! He furnishes the love with which to love Him. If we but give Him our hearts He will furnish all the rest. He wants an empty, clean vessel into which to pour out His love, that it may be manifested in this dark and sinful world. (by Jacob W. Byers)
to be continued.
PERFECTION – POSSSIBLE?
Christian perfection is looked upon by some as an impossibility in this life; but when we turn to the Word of God and see the many plain texts upon the subject, it must become evident to every candid mind that it is in the plan of redemption that every child of God should attain to it. It would not be according to the nature of divine grace to require of us anything we could not do. No reasonable earthly parent would demand an impossibility of a child, and it is certain our heavenly Father would not command us to be “perfect, even as [He] is perfect”* (Matthew 5:48) unless He has provided abundant grace to bring us up to this blessed experience. According to our own power or ability we could never reach such an exalted plane, for it is not within the power of man to change his depraved nature, and every self-effort to reach a state of perfection is but vain. But God is able to make all grace abound and as an all-wise Father He has made it possible that we should be perfect.
From the scriptures quoted we can plainly see that the perfection required of us is reasonable and just. Had He commanded us to be perfect in knowledge, wisdom, judgment, or in anything else in an absolute sense, we would be forced to the conclusion that God has either required an impossibility of us or it is not for us to attain in this life and therefore belongs only to the resurrected state. But we can clearly see the nature of his requirements and that they are all within the limits of his grace toward us in this life.
When Jesus commanded us to “Be… perfect,”* (Matthew 5:48) we can quite easily comprehend His meaning when we notice in the few preceding verses that we should be perfect in love, even to the extent that we shall love our enemies, that we may indeed be the children of our Father which is in heaven. The children of this world “love those that love them.”* (Luke 6:32) It is an easy matter and quite natural to do this. But to love our enemies is very contrary to the depraved nature; unless there has been the cleansing wrought within, there will be some inward consciousness of hatred toward those who despitefully use and persecute us. The high standard of righteousness which Jesus teaches here and throughout this chapter is the standard of sanctification. The love of God must be perfected in us, which destroys every element of the old nature, of which hatred is a prominent characteristic.
The first and great commandment, both of the old and new dispensation, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,”* (Mark 12:30) etc., is also a standard too high to be attained perfectly without the experience of entire sanctification. This commandment was given during the old dispensation: but it was not possible then that it could he kept perfectly, for there was no provision then made to destroy the power of, and cleanse the heart from, inbred depravity. The blood of those sacrifices could do no more than sanctify “to the purifying of the flesh.”* (Hebrews 9:13)
The inward condition of the heart could not be changed. Thus we see clearly that this commandment could not be kept in the New Testament sense of perfect love. Now, the blood of Jesus, which He shed on the cross that He might sanctify and cleanse our hearts, can make us holy. When the heart has realized the power of this cleansing and the love of God “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost,”* (Romans 5:5) we can in deed and in truth love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Praise God for His wonderful love to us! He furnishes the love with which to love Him. If we but give Him our hearts He will furnish all the rest. He wants an empty, clean vessel into which to pour out His love, that it may be manifested in this dark and sinful world. (by Jacob W. Byers)
to be continued.
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