Called to Virtue of Jesus, not Perfection of God

[RBDERRICK]

There are two ways to err in being holy as God is holy in this life. The most common is taking away from His holiness and justifying sinning with the flesh. But we can also add to the true holiness of God, and seek His perfectionism in this life.

Most Christians do one or the other sincerely in ignorance, but there are some who make it a lifelong endeavor to continue in justifying sin or to be a self-righteous perfectionist. And some go on to teach their manners falsely to others, and seek to make proselytes of their own.

The most common error is justified sinning by faith, but the other is more rare and far less understood: Preaching perfection, rather than virtue. This is not the love from the heart of doing good at all times, but rather is seeking to live perfect as God on the throne, rather than virtuously as Jesus on earth.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We see our calling is to the virtuous living of Jesus on earth, not to the perfection of God on the throne. It's not possible to live perfect as God on throne, because in heaven God cannot even be tempted with sin, much less commit sin. (James 1:12-13)

Living virtuously like Jesus however includes being tempted to sin, because Jesus was tempted in all points like as we (Heb 4:15). Jesus came in the flesh born of woman, and so was of like passions, like all men. (Acts 4:15, James 5:17)

Perfectionism seeks a perfection of mind, that only God has in heaven has, where it is impossible for any thought for sin to come to mind. The saints, like the man Jesus, can only have that perfection of mind by the resurrection of the dead. Jesus Christ is our example, because He was also tempted to the day of His death on the cross, yet without sinning.

This is our same calling in this life, and our hope in being resurrected in His likeness. Those who seeking a life of no temptation, like willing ourselves to be rich, will pierce themselves through with many sorrows. They are seeking what is not possible in this life: Perfectionism of God in heaven.

It is enough that we live virtuously and holily by enduring temptation and overcoming sin in all points as Jesus:

The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

Being perfect in this life is not perfectionism of no temptation at all, but is simply being perfect of heart toward God: A whole hearted love of God and man, and not double-hearted in the faith of Jesus.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

This is the power of Jesus Christ in us, the hope of glory, to live holy and virtuously as He, while also enduring temptation to sin unrighteously, as He unto the end.

And so let us have peace of God in the virtue of Jesus, not searing the conscience with continued sinning, nor hardening ourselves to the love of others as a perfectionist.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

 

[RBDERRICK]

The most common example of perfectionists, of course, were the famed Pharisees of old, who even falsely accused the Lord Jesus of transgressing the law of God. "Some people you just cannot please."

However, some of the unrighteous Christians also use 'perfectionism' to justify sinning with the flesh, as though it were inevitable, and so excused from time to time. They call it being already 'forgiven' of all present and future inevitable sinning.

They are not being holy and virtuous as Jesus always pleasing the Father, but rather periodically return to works of the flesh, rather than endure temptation unto the end. That is not unknown to the saints, that experience double-heartedness in the faith. At one time Paul was acquainted with that lack of deliverance, and spoke personally of it in Romans 7.

But for some Christians, rather than confess it with godly sorrow, as Paul did, that we may grow in singleness of heart unto righteousness and godliness, they instead dishonestly 'accuse' the virtue of Christ in this life, of being perfectionism in heaven.

They make virtuous living into a perfection, where they like to say, it is impossible to live "perfectly 100% of time, without even a bad thought or idea". And so, they accuse the calling of God to the virtue of enduring all temptation, as being impossible to fulfill on earth.

By calling temptation sin, they therefore say it is impossible not to sin in this life. They purposely equate temptation with doing works of the flesh, that they may justify doing such unrighteous things as being impossible not to do.

They lie about living virtuously as being impossible, so they can justify lack of virtue and godliness as the normal and inevitable life of Christians on earth, just like unsaved sinners. Their unrighteous faith theology produces Christians sinning the same as the world, but just not as much. By their faith alone, they teach it's impossible not to sin with the flesh, but we just shouldn't do it as often. And so, when Jesus says go and sin no more, they say He's not being 'realistic' in this life, as though He were commanding something He Himself was not doing, which is not to even be tempted.

Not being tempted with unrighteous thoughts is not are calling. We are called to the virtue of Jesus to endure temptation and not sin with it.

Worst of all, their effort to twist virtue and godly living into perfectionism as God on the throne, accuses Jesus of being a sinner like themselves, because He too was tempted like us. He too had ungodly and sinful 'bad and imperfect' thoughts passed into His mind by the devil, yet without doing it.

The end result of such corruption of godly living into perfectionism, in order to justify doing unrighteous works of the flesh, is to declare it impossible to walk as Jesus walked and always please God on earth.

By their own unbelief of heart unto righteousness, they undo even the possibility of walking virtuously as Jesus. Rather than simply acknowledge their own unbelief and unwillingness to do so, they reject the help of grace to be truly transformed and conformed into the image of His dear Son on earth. Afterall, they say, that's not possible.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

We must first be honest with ourselves and the word of God, before we can possibly keep His word righteously unto the end.

Some Christians delacare our calling to be impossible to do at all times, just because they themselves aren't doing it. That is not an honest heart of faith in God's written word. The lie of our calling to virtue, as being that of perfectionism is by unbelief.

The world declares it is impossible to live like God on earth, and unbelieving hearts declare it is impossible to live as Jesus on earth. Why? For the same exact dishonest reason: they say the life of Jesus on earth is being as God on the throne of glory in heaven.

Our calling is virtue and godliness and charity from a pure heart daily walking with the Lord, with peace of heart on earth and good will toward men. That is not the perfection of God in heaven, with ne're even an unkind thought.