11/10/22 GOD'S REQUIRED PERFECTION

11/10/22 GOD'S REQUIRED PERFECTION

There is a perfection, which God requires redeemed people to experience and live. I use various names for this perfection, such as Atonement Perfection, Believer's Perfection, Biblical Perfection, Christian Perfection.

This perfection is not humanly inherent nor is it attainable or based in personal accomplishment. This perfection is the gracious, salvific work of God, in the believer, through faith. It is entered into by faith and then the believer continues to experience this perfection through an obedient faithful walk. God provides all of the blessings of salvation to the person who trusts Christ and Christ alone.

Though it is a gift from God to the believer, it is not optional. Just as the gift of salvation (forgiveness, cleansing, justification, regeneration) is a gift, but it is required for a person to receive it by faith and live it by faith, so the gift of this perfection (heart purity, Holy Spirit fullness, Perfect Love) is only retained by the believer who obediently walks by faith.

I refer to this perfection as:
Atonement Perfection (because it is provided through the atoning work of Christ's death and resurrection),
Believer's Perfection (because it is only available to the saved person),
Biblical Perfection (because it is explained and promised in the Bible),
Christian Perfection (because it is the perfection God provides and expects Christians to have in this life).

Unhappily, most Christians are not told about this work of God's grace. In fact, most Christians are told that such an experience and life is not real. But I choose to believe what God's word say rather than what errant theology says. Remember, non believers deny the initial work of conversion, therefore it is to be expected that folks who do not have Perfect Love will deny that it is possible.

There is much more that I have written about this perfection, but this post is just a reminder that God's saving grace is greater than our sins and sin. Believers already have a desire for this experience, relationship, life. It is in God's word and it is in God's salvation. We need all of God's grace.