Loyal
Obviously there are verses in the Bible that talk about being "perfect".
Matt 5:48; "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Rom 12:2; And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Php 3:15; Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;
Heb 12:23; to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
Jas 1:4; And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Jas 3:2; For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
....... so it's may be possible to become "perfect". Not on our own or through our own power of course.
But even if we become "perfect", that is no guarantee we will never stumble.
2 Pet 1:5; Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
2 Pet 1:6; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
2 Pet 1:7; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
2 Pet 1:8; For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Pet 1:9; For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
2 Pet 1:10; Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
2 Pet 1:11; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Being perfect usually takes practice. It doesn't just magically happen "all at once" for most people.
There are quite a few verses about "practicing" righteousness.
1 Jn 2:29; If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 Jn 3:7; Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
1 Jn 3:10; By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
If we practice righteousness, we are righteous. If we don't...we aren't.
Again... we can't do this on our own. But you have to be careful with this. Some Christians have the
attitude that we aren't righteous anyway... and never can be.. so why try? Some quote Isaiah 64:6;
(which of course is the old covenant) and forget about the new covenant ( 1 Jn 3:7; 1 Jn 3:10; 2 Pet 1:10; )
These people are waiting for Jesus to "make" them perfect, while all along saying at the same time.. "it isn't possible". If you don't believe it's possible.. it isn't.
Jesus isn't looking for "dirty", unrighteous people to make up the church.
Eph 5:25; Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
Eph 5:26; so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
Eph 5:27; that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Now while we might not become "perfect" instantly... we should be making progress in that direction.
That doesn't mean we aren't saved in the meantime. But it does mean we should be heading in that
direction.
The problem with the "Jesus does it 'ALL"" mindset, is that people sit around for years... decades...
still cursing, drinking, smoking, struggling pornography, addictions, exactly in the same place (or maybe
even in a worse place) than when they got saved 20 years ago. The Bible doesn't say Jesus does it all.
It says we need to "practice" righteousness.
No we can't do it on our own. We need the Spirit to help us. But there should be evidence that the
Spirit is indeed working in us. If we keep resisting the Spirit ( Acts 7:51; ) there is no guarantee
that just because we once had the Spirit we cannot fall away.
Heb 6:4; For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5; and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6; and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Some say these are simply the people who were never saved in the first place... what are you basing this on?
That's a real question... what are you basing that fact on? But it says here, these people have been made
"partakers of the Holy Spirit". Not merely observers of it... but partakers. I can't partake of a piece of cake if I don't actually eat some of it. Watching you eat it doesn't make me a partaker.
Also this passage says "again". You can't do something again, if you've never done it in the first place.
You can't get saved "again" if you were never saved in the first place.
If you're not perfect yet... don't feel alone... don't give up.
Php 3:12; Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
but keep pressing on.
Matt 5:48; "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Rom 12:2; And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Php 3:15; Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;
Heb 12:23; to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
Jas 1:4; And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Jas 3:2; For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
....... so it's may be possible to become "perfect". Not on our own or through our own power of course.
But even if we become "perfect", that is no guarantee we will never stumble.
2 Pet 1:5; Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
2 Pet 1:6; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
2 Pet 1:7; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
2 Pet 1:8; For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Pet 1:9; For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
2 Pet 1:10; Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
2 Pet 1:11; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Being perfect usually takes practice. It doesn't just magically happen "all at once" for most people.
There are quite a few verses about "practicing" righteousness.
1 Jn 2:29; If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 Jn 3:7; Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
1 Jn 3:10; By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
If we practice righteousness, we are righteous. If we don't...we aren't.
Again... we can't do this on our own. But you have to be careful with this. Some Christians have the
attitude that we aren't righteous anyway... and never can be.. so why try? Some quote Isaiah 64:6;
(which of course is the old covenant) and forget about the new covenant ( 1 Jn 3:7; 1 Jn 3:10; 2 Pet 1:10; )
These people are waiting for Jesus to "make" them perfect, while all along saying at the same time.. "it isn't possible". If you don't believe it's possible.. it isn't.
Jesus isn't looking for "dirty", unrighteous people to make up the church.
Eph 5:25; Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
Eph 5:26; so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
Eph 5:27; that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Now while we might not become "perfect" instantly... we should be making progress in that direction.
That doesn't mean we aren't saved in the meantime. But it does mean we should be heading in that
direction.
The problem with the "Jesus does it 'ALL"" mindset, is that people sit around for years... decades...
still cursing, drinking, smoking, struggling pornography, addictions, exactly in the same place (or maybe
even in a worse place) than when they got saved 20 years ago. The Bible doesn't say Jesus does it all.
It says we need to "practice" righteousness.
No we can't do it on our own. We need the Spirit to help us. But there should be evidence that the
Spirit is indeed working in us. If we keep resisting the Spirit ( Acts 7:51; ) there is no guarantee
that just because we once had the Spirit we cannot fall away.
Heb 6:4; For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5; and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6; and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Some say these are simply the people who were never saved in the first place... what are you basing this on?
That's a real question... what are you basing that fact on? But it says here, these people have been made
"partakers of the Holy Spirit". Not merely observers of it... but partakers. I can't partake of a piece of cake if I don't actually eat some of it. Watching you eat it doesn't make me a partaker.
Also this passage says "again". You can't do something again, if you've never done it in the first place.
You can't get saved "again" if you were never saved in the first place.
If you're not perfect yet... don't feel alone... don't give up.
Php 3:12; Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
but keep pressing on.
