- Mar 16, 2004
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The form of perfectionism I'm most familiar with, if it's properly called that is the Wesleyan entire sanctification doctrine. John Wesley believed that if a person could do everything from a motive of love (agape) such a person could be sinless. They could make mistakes that could be seen as sin, but he himself did not. Wesley was heavily influenced by the Eastern Church Fathers even publishing their works. While I'm not entirely sure I suspect it is related somehow to the Orthodox teaching known as deification (Theosis):The Biblical "proofs" put forward in favor of Christian perfectionism are unsuccessful. Christian perfectionism is a doctrine taught by Pelagians, Semi-pelagians, Roman Catholics, some Arminians, some Wesleyans, and some others. It is the idea that a redeemed person can, in this life, attain to a state of sinless perfection wherein they no longer sin. It's a false and unbiblical teaching that diminishes the true requirements of God's Law and misunderstands the profundity of the sinful human heart. Here are the "proofs" often put forth in support of perfectionism and a few brief words as to why they are unsuccessful.
- The Bible commands believers to be holy and perfect. Scriptures like Matthew 5:48, James 1:4, and 1 Peter 1:16 (among others) call believers to a life of perfect holiness. Because believers are called to perfection, it is supposed that it is indeed possible and perhaps necessary for believers to reach perfection. The problem with this is that the Scriptural demands for holiness and perfection are not limited to believers. All people - even the unregenerate - are called to be holy and perfect. The Law of God demands holiness from all and it has never been revoked. If the command implies that the one to whom it comes is able to fulfill the command, then we should expect that the unregenerate are also able to be perfect and holy.
- Believers are often called "holy" and "perfect" in Scripture. Consider 1 Corinthians 2:6, Ephesians 5:27, Philippians 4:13 and others. If believers are called holy and perfect, it must mean that they are without sin and therefore believers can be without sin. The problem with this, though, is that being called "holy" does not necessarily mean that a person is without sin. Someone may be "holy" in an objective or positional sense but not holy in an existential, moral sense. The Old Testament priests were, for example, holy - set apart for service to God. But this did not mean that they were morally perfect or existentially holy. Likewise, the children of believers are called "holy" in 1 Corinthians 7, but this does not mean that they are without sin.
- There are Biblical examples of people who lived perfect lives. Consider Noah, Job, Asa (Genesis 6:9, Job 1:1, 1 Kings 15:14). The problem with this is that the holy men in Scripture are obviously not sinless, these people included. Noah, Moses, Job, Abraham, and all the faithful men of Scripture are presented as very conflicted individuals who have all kinds of faults and unbelief.
- John says that those born of God do not sin. 1 John 3:6-9, 1 John 5:18. The problem here though is that John is not saying that a believer cannot or does not commit a sinful act. John is saying that a believer cannot continue in habitual sin as a way of life. John makes it clear elsewhere that believers still have sin in their lives (1 John 1:8-10). Furthermore, the sinless perfectionist cannot use John's words to prove their point because they would end up proving too much. The sinless perfectionist wants to say that sinless perfection is possible. But John would seem to be saying that believers are indeed sinlessly perfect if we take John's words as the sinless perfectionists want us to take them.
We become united with God by grace in the Person of Christ, who is God come in the flesh. The means of becoming “like God” is through perfection in holiness, the continuous process of acquiring the Holy Spirit by grace through ascetic devotion. Some Protestants might refer to this process as sanctification. Another term for it, perhaps more familiar to Western Christians, would be mortification—putting sin to death within ourselves. (Mark Shuttleworth. Theosis: Partaking of the Divine Nature. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese)
I discussed it briefly here:
You mentioned the Treasury of Merit, it's interesting to note that Martin Luther was addressing that very issue when he ran a foul of the RCC. At first intending to defend the practice against the crass tactics of certain Catholics, he eventually rejected the practice entirely:
these arguments of the Scholastics abou the merit of confruence and of worthiness (de merito conguri et condigni) are nothing but vain figments and dreamy speculations of idle folk about worthless stuff. Yet they form the foundation of the papacy, and on them it rests to this very day. For this is what every monk imagines: by observing the sacred rules of my order I can earn the grace of congruence, but by the works I do after I have received this can I can accumulate a merit so great that it will not only be enough to bring me eternal life but enough to sell and give it to others. (RC Sproul quoting Martin Luther, Faith Alone 1996)
The Reformation itself was sparked over this very issue to include the priesthood of all believers and a rejection of the authority of Popes and Councils he claimed contradicted one another.
Mind you, I have fellowshiped with Wesleyans and had no qualms about doing so. I accept all Catholics and Orthodox brethren who profess faith in the risen Savior even when they might not be as eager to extend the right hand of fellowship. Yet this peripheral doctrine potentially detrimental, even though I'm well aware that the intention is to take sanctification seriously and to pursue it to the utmost. I would encourage any believer to pursue sanctification by submitting to the Holy Spirit and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. What we are talking about here is a watershed doctrine that continues to be an issue, that those who work in doctrine, need to address in detail. We are getting into the gospel here and how it works and let me be clear on this point, your merit counts for nothing, the atonement of Christ at the cross is the sole deposit into the treasury of merit.
Grace and peace,
Mark
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