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William Penn, 1644-1718 (This is from some writing about Penn in 1834 that I hand copied a few months back)
"The goodly tree of doctrines... First, repentance from dead works. Which comprehends 3 operations. First,a sight of sin. Secondly, a sense of godly sorrow for sin. Thirdly, an amendment for the time to come...
For of the light came sight: and of sight came sense and sorrow; and of sense and sorrow came amendment of life. Which doctrine of repentance leads to justification; that is' forgiveness of sins that are past, through Christ the alone propitiation, and the sanctification, or purgation, of the soul from the defiling nature and habits of sin present, by the Spirit of Christ in the soul; which is justification in the complete sense of that word: comprehending both justification from the guilt of the sins that are past, as if they had never been committed, through the love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus; and the creatures being made inwardly just, through the cleansing and sanctifying power and Spirit of Christ revealed in the soul; which is commonly called sanctification.
But none can come to know Christ to be their sacrifice, that reject Him as their sanctifier: the end of His coming being to save His people from the nature and defilement, as well as the guilt of sin: and therefore, those that resist His light and Spirit, make His coming and offering of none effect to them.
From hence sprang a second doctrine they were led to declare, as the mark of the prise, of the high calling to all true Christians, viz. Perfection from sin, according to the scriptures of Truth; which testify it to be the end of Christs coming, and the nature of His kingdom, and for which His Spirit was and is given, viz. to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, and holy because God is holy. And this the Apostles labored for, that the Christians should be sanctified throughout in body, soul, and spirit; but they never held a perfection in wisdom and glory in this life, or from natural infirmities, or death, as some have, with a weak or ill mind, imagined or insinuated against them... This they called a redeemed state, regeneration, or the new birth; teaching everywhere, according to their foundation, that unless this work was known, there was no inheriting the kingdom of God."
* Of note: I do not ascribe to everything the Quakers taught, such as sinless perfection, though I believe in something close to that, and that Enoch & Elijah most likely did attain it in their walks, hence they were translated directly into Gods presence. There's also the possibility Moses attained it after his disobedience at the rock of Horeb, because he appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration along with Elijah.
I do believe in seeking the LORD through His Spirit, and returning to the primitive faith that was once delivered unto the Apostles.
(Would that this were preached today in the modern Laodicean era, that also sees many professing Christians as dead as the church of Sardis, having left their first love for their Saviour as Ephesus, and as idolatrous and immoral as Pergamos and Thyatira.
The Scripture most certainly does declare "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48) The Greek, "Telios" also indicates, perfect, finished, completeness, mature. This is referred to not just by Yeshua, but in the epistles: Philippians 3:15, "as many as be perfect, be thus minded," Colossians 1:27-28, "Christ in you, the hope of glory; Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."
Colossians 4:12, Epaphrus labored fervently in prayers, "that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." James 1:4 "Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 3:2, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body." And many other passages refer to being made perfect in Christ. Indeed, a high calling.
When he says "Christians should be sanctified throughout in body, soul, and spirit" - this is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:25, "And the very God of peace SANCTIFY you WHOLLY, and I pray your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved BLAMELESS unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Again, indeed, a high calling, a high mark, as Phil. 3:13-16,
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."
I made mention of 2 Peter 1:3-10 after someone said we will fall, we will struggle, and so forth - to the extent it sounded like an excuse. 3:10 says if you do the things listed in verses 5-9 "ye shall never fall." To which the man said, "Well, that's only if you do all those things," as if he felt they were unattainable. Peter would NOT have put that there if Yahweh by the Spirit did not give the power to DO THOSE THINGS! Amen. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. Those are the things that if you do , you will never fall.
Psalm 101:1-4,
"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person."
The first "perfect" there is "tamim" תמים = without defect, blameless, perfect, innocent. The second time, where it says a perfect heart, perfect is "tam" תמ = blameless, faultless, perfect, undefiled, upright. It is indeed the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Psalm 4:4, "Stand in awe and sin not..."
Finally, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Here perfect means to be fitted, complete, perfect, fit for use.
Would that more believers, yea, that ALL believers who profess a faith in Christ strive to enter into this race so as to reach the mark of the high calling; He gives the grace to do so, and the power and gifts to equip us for victory.
Amen
"The goodly tree of doctrines... First, repentance from dead works. Which comprehends 3 operations. First,a sight of sin. Secondly, a sense of godly sorrow for sin. Thirdly, an amendment for the time to come...
For of the light came sight: and of sight came sense and sorrow; and of sense and sorrow came amendment of life. Which doctrine of repentance leads to justification; that is' forgiveness of sins that are past, through Christ the alone propitiation, and the sanctification, or purgation, of the soul from the defiling nature and habits of sin present, by the Spirit of Christ in the soul; which is justification in the complete sense of that word: comprehending both justification from the guilt of the sins that are past, as if they had never been committed, through the love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus; and the creatures being made inwardly just, through the cleansing and sanctifying power and Spirit of Christ revealed in the soul; which is commonly called sanctification.
But none can come to know Christ to be their sacrifice, that reject Him as their sanctifier: the end of His coming being to save His people from the nature and defilement, as well as the guilt of sin: and therefore, those that resist His light and Spirit, make His coming and offering of none effect to them.
From hence sprang a second doctrine they were led to declare, as the mark of the prise, of the high calling to all true Christians, viz. Perfection from sin, according to the scriptures of Truth; which testify it to be the end of Christs coming, and the nature of His kingdom, and for which His Spirit was and is given, viz. to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, and holy because God is holy. And this the Apostles labored for, that the Christians should be sanctified throughout in body, soul, and spirit; but they never held a perfection in wisdom and glory in this life, or from natural infirmities, or death, as some have, with a weak or ill mind, imagined or insinuated against them... This they called a redeemed state, regeneration, or the new birth; teaching everywhere, according to their foundation, that unless this work was known, there was no inheriting the kingdom of God."
* Of note: I do not ascribe to everything the Quakers taught, such as sinless perfection, though I believe in something close to that, and that Enoch & Elijah most likely did attain it in their walks, hence they were translated directly into Gods presence. There's also the possibility Moses attained it after his disobedience at the rock of Horeb, because he appeared with Jesus at the transfiguration along with Elijah.
I do believe in seeking the LORD through His Spirit, and returning to the primitive faith that was once delivered unto the Apostles.
(Would that this were preached today in the modern Laodicean era, that also sees many professing Christians as dead as the church of Sardis, having left their first love for their Saviour as Ephesus, and as idolatrous and immoral as Pergamos and Thyatira.
The Scripture most certainly does declare "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48) The Greek, "Telios" also indicates, perfect, finished, completeness, mature. This is referred to not just by Yeshua, but in the epistles: Philippians 3:15, "as many as be perfect, be thus minded," Colossians 1:27-28, "Christ in you, the hope of glory; Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."
Colossians 4:12, Epaphrus labored fervently in prayers, "that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." James 1:4 "Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 3:2, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body." And many other passages refer to being made perfect in Christ. Indeed, a high calling.
When he says "Christians should be sanctified throughout in body, soul, and spirit" - this is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:25, "And the very God of peace SANCTIFY you WHOLLY, and I pray your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved BLAMELESS unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Again, indeed, a high calling, a high mark, as Phil. 3:13-16,
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."
I made mention of 2 Peter 1:3-10 after someone said we will fall, we will struggle, and so forth - to the extent it sounded like an excuse. 3:10 says if you do the things listed in verses 5-9 "ye shall never fall." To which the man said, "Well, that's only if you do all those things," as if he felt they were unattainable. Peter would NOT have put that there if Yahweh by the Spirit did not give the power to DO THOSE THINGS! Amen. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. Those are the things that if you do , you will never fall.
Psalm 101:1-4,
"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person."
The first "perfect" there is "tamim" תמים = without defect, blameless, perfect, innocent. The second time, where it says a perfect heart, perfect is "tam" תמ = blameless, faultless, perfect, undefiled, upright. It is indeed the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Psalm 4:4, "Stand in awe and sin not..."
Finally, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Here perfect means to be fitted, complete, perfect, fit for use.
Would that more believers, yea, that ALL believers who profess a faith in Christ strive to enter into this race so as to reach the mark of the high calling; He gives the grace to do so, and the power and gifts to equip us for victory.
Amen
