It’s interesting that in the many books that are written, my own writing, hyperbolic poems/songs…..– the use of these words:
1. All
2. Never
3. Everything
4. Forever
5. Not Ever
And whatever other words that fall in the area of 100%-ism. That’s Perfectionism Theology- if we miss the mark of “Contingencies”– many of God’s promises to be fulfilled have Contingencies. Not Work to be Righteous before God.
Just Contingencies- that get right at our heart– the root of our true colors– our faith in Jesus Christ.
You see– as long as we are fallen and before we get the “twinkling of an eye” experience (Corinthians- when this mortal shall put on immortality) we can be tripped-up by imperfect thinking, emotions, choices/will, “spiritual discernment”, and strong desires/lusts. Also, we live in an imperfect world, government, or city/town. We participate in imperfect organizations, groups, friendships, relationships, and marriages. God has held all of creation under judgment of imperfect. When He speaks of the believer as a “New Creation” there’s a judicial perfection found in Jesus imputed/given by Grace righteousness/perfections in our Heavenly standing before God. But, this “New Creation” or these “New Creatures” born from above need to “grow” in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The word “grow” or term “growing up in all things in Christ” alludes to the fact– we’re not perfect and we need to grow. The warning by Paul about our most intimate relationships or marriages- regarding to us volitionally surrounding ourselves with bad influences and a marriage partner who has nothing to do with the teaching of Christ and the Apostles– well, Paul begs one to ask—”How will me entering this relationship/partnership help me to grow in Christ at all? So- there we have by Apostolic teaching the lesson– bad company corrupts the morals (Now some take this way to far and so in Jesus prayer in John 14 He prays not that God takes us out of the world completely and Paul teaches that if we start down the path of judging those outside of our belief in Christ that we’d basically have to leave this planet all together. Isolation is not a Biblical teaching nor is falling head-long into the trough of disobedience/dissipation.
So, why do I or authors of Christian books use words that seem to allude to perfectionism? The Perfect Christian here and now? Well, partly it could be bad syntax, the fact we loosely use the terms, the fact that some desire such a great impact from their teaching that it must end with 100%-ism or it wouldn’t be “important” or a “secret key”. In 1st John there’s a verse that has tripped up many souls and if we take it outside of the original Greek, just accept it as an isolated verse apart from the balance that all scripture gives- it says in many translations- the one who knows God will not sin. Peter says, the one who suffers has ceased from sinning. The Proverbs even “play this trick of the mind” in saying that if someone raises a child up in the way he/she should go they will never depart from it. Is it true that several very famous Rock Stars came from a Christian background, were “Pastor’s” kids, and so on? Hmmm- they departed. I’ve seen parents grieve over this verse and others who have “good kids” (Man looks at the outward appearance- God looks at the heart) kinda judge those with the “bad kids.” Now, I’m not writing that to cause trouble. Point and case—even after 1 John talks about sin in the face of Gnosticism that wasn’t concerned at all with “sin” as it was “knowledge” - John- wanting to emphasize sin and that it’s a contradiction to say one is walking in the light while sinning- still says, “But, if we do sin we have an advocate with the Father.” Paul– the aged Paul professes towards the end of his life that he had not yet obtained perfection. I believe it’s in the book “True Spirituality” by Francis Schaeffer (Him and C.S. Lewis were the people/the writings that God used to bring Dr. Larry Crabb closer to Christ without throwing out his brain- you know- the false “leap of faith” theology.) Francis likes to use the word “substantial change”– the Christian is substantially changed and we substantially grow if we have “authentic Christian faith.”
Also, the Word “saved” is used in the Greek in present continuous- meaning we are saved then when we first believe (When the Faith of the Son of God entered us to have His faith to believe on Him- don’t you just love how it’s all about God??? He ultimately gets the glory from A-Z.), now, and all the way to the end (Contingency in Hebrews- “If you continue in faith.”)
Many people when reading don’t understand that there’s judicial language used in God’s redemptive purposes for man and there’s what we call “practical righteousness” or “sanctification” language— meaning, Practicually Via. Our Judicial Standing-”We are working out our salvation…” We are “being transformed by the renewing of our minds” as we “submit” and “Yield” to the Holy Spirit. I like the verse that records in the Gospels one man saying, “Lord I believe, help me with my unbelief.” This man realized that he was weak and tottering. Yet, Paul says about the weak basically– don’t judge them for don’t you know that the Lord is able to make them stand. (Interesting fact– those who are caught up with days, food, and drink as being of great spiritual significance that they either “must participate” or “not” are considered by the Apostle Paul as spiritually weak- as their faith is weak. Here for the last many decades the one who drinks this or that has been considered immature/weak. That’s backwards to what Paul is saying regarding faith here. But regarding sin– too much is dissipation.)
I loved the departed Stan Firth, at a late age in his life he stumbled across the Roman’s 6, 7, and 8 teachings and made it his “life work” so to speak to preach those chapters from his heart for emancipation from a life of complacency, backsliding, defeat, and joylessness. Whether I would have chosen his path or not is not for me to talk about as God has set a different race before each of us– and as James says– we all stumble in many ways after warning that not all become “teachers.” Stan used to say, again, and again, and again,–”The old nature has not been eradicated.” and “Where sin abounds (like gravity keeping a jet to the ground as a principle/law) Grace does much more abound (like a Jet pulling away from the gravity into the air–with much, much more force than Gravity itself). He stayed away from 100%-ism in terms of practical living (not judicial) and realized that us tugging ourselves back to Christ and Him tugging us to Himself back and forth until we get to heaven was an ongoing thing.
So, what is “keeping in step with the Spirit” by “The Faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.”? Well– when we are in step with the Spirit and it’s Him co-laboring with us or as it says at the end of one gospel- “Jesus was working with them“— well, I wonder to what degree that’s Perfect. It’s at very least substantially perfect when we are “in step” with God’s Spirit. And, “if we complete a task or enter into another level of “Intimacy With Christ” I suppose on that point– complete means complete. But, like Manna that had to be gathered every day since it rotted the next, or a rainbow that fades, or with our forgetful memories– there needs be a pattern of repeat in learning ”Intimacy With Christ”. Like clay- sometimes Jesus the Potter gets a patch of clay “dead-on” and them it falls off due to lack of moisture (The Watering of the Holy Spirit) and then it must be “put back on again.” That to me is the normal Christian life– as long as it has as it’s Motto– To know the True God and Jesus Christ Whom He as Sent- we’re on the right track and in safe hands. Now, as with all Motto’s people fluctuate in their pursuit of that Motto– but, we can be substantial in keeping on track if we keep in step with the Spirit and You know the Spirit is ultimately as a co-worker the Author of the OT and NT.
Father God, sometimes Your children (me too) use terms that are 100%-ism whether it’s because we’ve heard them so many times, or someone has passed along a teaching as a “secret key” to all perfection, or we or others long for a deep sense of being loved and respected and so turn our “insight” into the “ultimate cure”- the 100%-ism. Lord, help us to accept ourselves in Your beloved as a “New Creation”- but, not a perfect one. As “His Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works”- but, workmanship meaning that the Potter or the Great Wood-worker is still making us into something beautiful as Workmanship in the Greek is where we get the word Poema (our lives have a rhyme and reason)- Father, Jesus is our Potter, Wood-worker, and Poem Writer of our lives by Your Spirit and Word. Father, help us to seek to humbly keep in step with Your Spirit- knowing that as we continue in Your light that like in 1 John it says, “and the blood of His Son- Jesus Christ- cleanses us from all unrighteousness” – and I’ve heard cleanses is present-continuous too– what a glorious God You are Father and a glorious Salvation You have given to us. It’s precious. It’s the most precious thing we have. It’s delicately precious. So, we work it out as Paul says, with “fear and trembling.” Father, if I were carrying a “priceless” crystal/delicate unicorn across the field to get it to a museum I would have “fear and trembling” to get it there in the same manner in which we are to Respect You and Your Saving of Us- precious just like that. Father, bring many people into Jesus Kingdom, Saving, and Power to stand. I pray in His Name- AMEN.
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