May I Ask What People Believe Perfection Of Character To Be.my View Is This,that In Reality The Perfection Of Character Or Christ Is The Obedience Of The Ten Commandments.and What We Are Doing Is Striving For Christ Character.i Am Not Perfect In Body But We Can Attain To The Character Of Jesus
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Perfection Of Character
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This thread has been moved to Traditional Adventists from Christian Forums How To. Carry on.
This thread has been moved to Traditional Adventists from Christian Forums How To. Carry on.
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From The Second Benefit: A Work on Sanctification by C. B. Whitaker, Second Edition (Wesleyan Methodist Publishing Association, 1910): pages 21-22: (I found it on Google Books)
The following extract from "The New Birth and Christian Perfection," by Rev. S. B. Shaw, sets forth the conditions of entire sanctification in a clear light. "Before attempting to obey the command to 'go on unto perfection' you should be sure that you are in the condition of those to whom the command is given--that is, fully justified before God. The Word says: The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' If your experience is not as clear as it was the day of your conversion, it is because you have left your first love and are not in the strait and narrow way. You cannot 'go on' until you go back and do your first work. To attempt to go on is only to go on in darkness. You are like a traveler in a strange country who has wandered away from his guide. You have left your Savior and must find him [22] again before you can go on unto perfection. You must seek him as you sought him at first by repentance from dead works and faith toward God. If you have drunk in the spirit of the world, have indulged some depraved appetite, or yielded to some unholy passions, the sins, whatever they be, that separate you from God must be forsaken. You must be forgiven. The soul seeking holiness must have no need of repentance--which refers only to our own actions. All accumulated guilt is washed away by the regenerating influence of the Holy Ghost at conversion. The impurity remaining is the impurity of original depravity. Being fully justified all the conviction you need in order to seek complete purity, is to feel your need of it in order to obtain it.
The following extract from "The New Birth and Christian Perfection," by Rev. S. B. Shaw, sets forth the conditions of entire sanctification in a clear light. "Before attempting to obey the command to 'go on unto perfection' you should be sure that you are in the condition of those to whom the command is given--that is, fully justified before God. The Word says: The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' If your experience is not as clear as it was the day of your conversion, it is because you have left your first love and are not in the strait and narrow way. You cannot 'go on' until you go back and do your first work. To attempt to go on is only to go on in darkness. You are like a traveler in a strange country who has wandered away from his guide. You have left your Savior and must find him [22] again before you can go on unto perfection. You must seek him as you sought him at first by repentance from dead works and faith toward God. If you have drunk in the spirit of the world, have indulged some depraved appetite, or yielded to some unholy passions, the sins, whatever they be, that separate you from God must be forsaken. You must be forgiven. The soul seeking holiness must have no need of repentance--which refers only to our own actions. All accumulated guilt is washed away by the regenerating influence of the Holy Ghost at conversion. The impurity remaining is the impurity of original depravity. Being fully justified all the conviction you need in order to seek complete purity, is to feel your need of it in order to obtain it.
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Perfection is very hard to pin done, as no one can claim it, God is the judge of it. I have found most Adventist are more comfortable with the use of Sanctification and the process of it, and there is no conflict, as in the end, those with sin and iniquity will not get into heaven.
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Here is a good explanation, "“Perfect,” in the Bible, is expressed in many ways by many translations. Perfect can be blameless, loyal, complete, mature, knowledgeable, patient, loving, and following Him. Perfect describes things such as the law of liberty (James 1:25), sacrifices (Lev. 22:21), or God’s will (Rom. 12:2). Perfection is also often linked to action: the church of Sardis is rebuked because Christ had “not found [their] works perfect” (Rev. 3:2). To the rich young ruler Jesus counsels, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have … and … follow Me”
(Matt. 19:21)....
Christ’s pure attitude motivated absolute obedience resulting in a complete Oneness with the Father. That is true perfection. It is that imputed perfection that becomes the only means of our salvation. “This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring man to his original perfection: yea more … to give him an entire transformation of character.”
The imparted righteousness of Christ is the work He does in us, of changing us into His image, a oneness with Him. This is what being perfect in our sphere truly means. It is to be perfectly one with Him. Our attitudes are changed, motivating obedience in us to reflect Him fully. The image He originally created us to be is reflected by our oneness with Him (see Heb. 5:8, 9). Oneness is not found by subtracting wrongs out of ourselves, for that will leave a vacuum. Rather, by addition we grab everything of Christ we can get a hold of, denying that which shadows His glory. By beholding we become like Him and are changed into His glory. We will not only be His image but will be one with Him...."http://archives.adventistworld.org/article/673/resources/english/issue-2009-1012/perfection
Christ’s pure attitude motivated absolute obedience resulting in a complete Oneness with the Father. That is true perfection. It is that imputed perfection that becomes the only means of our salvation. “This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring man to his original perfection: yea more … to give him an entire transformation of character.”
The imparted righteousness of Christ is the work He does in us, of changing us into His image, a oneness with Him. This is what being perfect in our sphere truly means. It is to be perfectly one with Him. Our attitudes are changed, motivating obedience in us to reflect Him fully. The image He originally created us to be is reflected by our oneness with Him (see Heb. 5:8, 9). Oneness is not found by subtracting wrongs out of ourselves, for that will leave a vacuum. Rather, by addition we grab everything of Christ we can get a hold of, denying that which shadows His glory. By beholding we become like Him and are changed into His glory. We will not only be His image but will be one with Him...."http://archives.adventistworld.org/article/673/resources/english/issue-2009-1012/perfection
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yeshuaslavejeff
simple truth, martyr, disciple of Yahshua
Sorry this is thought of as adventist 'idea'(if it is).... but no worries (maybe).....
take seven pounds of clay, and put it on the kitchen table in front of you (anyone).
watch it closely for a few years.
take seven pounds of clay, and put it on the kitchen table in front of you (anyone).
watch it closely for a few years.
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CaptainToad
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What is perfection of character?
Is it age-related? People tend to change once they get older.
Can we achieve it by our own? Does Christ achieve it in us?
Is this related to the fruits of the Spirit?
Does it have anything to do with love?
Do we need EGW in order to achieve it?
Is it age-related? People tend to change once they get older.
Can we achieve it by our own? Does Christ achieve it in us?
Is this related to the fruits of the Spirit?
Does it have anything to do with love?
Do we need EGW in order to achieve it?
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yeshuaslavejeff
simple truth, martyr, disciple of Yahshua
oh, forgot about this for a while....Not clear what your point is....
(on purpose) - it hasn't been years yet, has it ? hahahaha..... no, that's okay...
what can that clay on the table do ?
watch it,
does it move ? in a day? in a week ? in 7 years ?
does it grow ? change ? get better or worse ?
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CaptainToad
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good one! reminds me of Jeremiah
Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
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CaptainToad
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COOL! First one to "get it".....
Next is realize, EVERYONE is lump of clay......
Everyone is a lump of clay - thats for sure
However, picking up the idea, we are more than just a lump of clay, there is a godly component in us that has made us clay alive. Moreover a free will has been given to us by God. Its up to us how to use it.
As far as perfection of character is concerned, my personal view is that I dont have a view at all. I like observing what God is doing in my life and how my character has been changing over time. I believe that God will do to me what needs to be done, that He will shape me the way He wants me to be and use me for whatever He has planned to use me.
So its all up to Him.
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1. Sin is not ubiquitous - so then you are not sinning when you kneed in prayer or eat breakfast or mow the lawn -- unless you choose to sin in such instances.
2. But simply not-sinning is not perfection of Character. The lost comes to Christ and is baptized - in that baptism they are typically "not sinning" but that does not mean their character is that of Christ - they still have defects of character.
Sin is "Transgression of the LAW" in 1 John 3:4. Romans 6 argues that sin is not to be our master. But the fact that we are not sinning at some time during the day does not mean we are perfect or have attained perfection of Character. Character deals with our inclination our desires. The New Creation is in harmony with God but our sinful nature is strong and must be starved over time - feeding the new creation .. starving the sinful nature via the work of the Holy Spirit ... in prayer, in meditation, in Bible study... in service to God sharing the Gospel with those around us.
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That is only a partial definition. Don't ignore the other parts. (that is a weakness of the Wesleyan branch of protestantism)
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It seems everyone remembers the first part: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, "
But forgetting the second part of the promise: "and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
But forgetting the second part of the promise: "and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
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But that is such a misunderstood and misused term: sanctification.
I never quite swallowed it as described by John Wesley. "Total Sanctification" where the person never sins again.
Everyone that I have talked to that claims to have experienced this has a wayyyyyy tooooooo narrow definition of sin.
I take it as an ongoing life long process that changes our thoughts and actions to increasingly line up with the Word of God. Not that we ever completely get there, but we can get close.
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Your understanding is close to what we believe sanctification is... the only difference is that we believe that it is possible for a man to walk righteously through the leading of the Spirit. Enoch was one example showing us that it is possible... probable for most of us attaining to it?... maybe not.
If my goal is 10 feet I will never reached 15, will I ? Those that say perfection is not possible will, by declaration, never attain it because they won't try. All God asks of us is all we have to give...
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CaptainToad
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Sounds like work to me. Attaining sounds we have to work very hard in order to get it. How can you work hard in order not to do something?
Can a man cleanse himself?
Life is an ongoibg journey we are tried and tested along the way, we learn and develope and some of us will experience a deeper understanding.
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