duster1az (Tracey),
I'm already a son. In this new position I'm exhorted to walk in a manner worthy of my calling (Eph. 4:1; Rom. 12:1-2), but it is not a plea for something a believer must do to be saved or to continue saved; it's rather something one should do because they are saved. The exhortation is for dedication and not for consecration, since concecration is an act of God alone.
Once saved always saved. There is nothing you need to do to be saved, you are right. But you note the problem well, "something one should do because they are saved", yet many do not do that which God leads them to do. They don't listen, and in that not listening to that "still small voice" in their spirit, what happens? They have not kept the Word of His Patience" Rev. 3.10. Therefore they shall be kept from the HOUR of trial, that is the Tribulation. They are saved, just not yet matured in Christ. You are exhorted to allow God to consecrate you, set you apart as holy, as Christian not remain in your ways. Unfortunately that is not always the case in all Christians and that is why there is both a 1st rapture and 7th trumpet resurrection.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate" (Rom. 7:15). Through maturity Paul learned that in order to live a victorious life one must rely upon the indwelling Spirit to overcome the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). In the partial rapture view Paul would have missed out if the first had taken place before he'd come to maturity.
Paul would not have missed out, because, If Paul, hypothetically, was not matured in Christ then he would go through Great Tribulation, given further opportunity to mature, because he would not have yet been ready to be received, under partial rapture at 1st rapture. Simple.
In 1 thes. 4.15 Would Paul enlist himself among this class of people who are alive and are left? Not at all. He uses the word we only because he is speaking at that moment of writing, and the proof of this is that since Paul no longer lives today, he cannot be numbered among those who are left on earth. Our summary conclusion to all this is that the third school of interpretation seems to be the correct one - that is to say, that one group of believers will be raptured before the Tribulation while another group of believers will go through the Tribulation and be raptured afterwards.
I'll never understand or accept as valid the attempts at perfection in order to receive the approbation of God when we could never reach a perfection beyond our position "in Christ."
That is because you misunderstand the meaning of perfection. Perfection in the Bible means working towards maturity in Christ and being watchful prayerful and keeping the Word of His patience a working towards perfection, not sitting back as lazy-saved, but activity, not passivity. Active in spirit, soul and body. That is what makes Christianity so incredible, for the sabbath has passed away, today we celebrate the next day, the Lord's day which is positive. God has His righteousness, and man has his righteousnesses. We come before God clothed with His righteousness, and do his will with His rightreousness He bestows upon us in our righteousness that is well pleasing to Him. We are not walking zombies, but made in the image of God.
Hbr 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection (maturity); not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Keep working toward this by the leading of the Holy Spirit and then God may have for you a white stone (see each church of Revelation 2 and 3, they are given somethin special to know they would have been 1st raptured, and not needed to have gone through the time of testing, obviously since there is nothing to test them for, since they can no longer be hurt by the second death.