Well, I was with you completely all the way up until you began to infer "sinless perfection."
I am not espousing instantaneous "sinless perfection" from the moment one becomes a Christian.
A seed has to grow. A seed implanted in the "soil" of a human being needs watering and growth.
It is clear that the end result of the full development of the divine life produces us without spot or blemish or
any such thing.
Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, (Eph. 1:4)
And again-
That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:27)
This is our destination as the divine seed of God's life grows in and among us for complete permeation.
I don't believe the call to "perfection" by Jesus inferred "sinless perfection."
I am with you that John's audience was not in such a state. But they did have the seed of God as we also do if
believers. When John speaks of the need to confess our sins in chapter one he is speaking to the same believers.
When he delineates that there are children and young men and fathers among them he recognizes different
levels of spiritual maturity.
Are you yet seeing that I did not mean the instantaneous "sinless perfection" of, let's say, hyper "Holiness" ?
I don't believe the call to righteousness and to avoid sin a reference to "sinlessness."
Hoping that you understand better that it is a process of the growth of the sin overcoming seed, John speaks boldly
from experience no doubt, the victory ahead.
Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him. (1 John 3:6)
In some areas of my life I have not yet seen Him.
In other areas I cannot deny that the seeing of Christ as life in me has delivered victory.
So we know that we are on the right track to give that divine seed full unhindered room to grow.
Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous; (v.7)
John speaks confidently and boldly. He and others had grown mightily in the divine life.
I did not like these bold utterances of John long ago. Now I realize how important and appropriate God to have these words
in the New Testament. Some were
"inheriting the promises." And we should be imitators of those who are inheriting the promises.
That you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and long-suffering are inheriting the promises. (Heb. 6:12)
What is being called for is for our adoption of Christianity, which is a continual preference for spiritual choices over carnal choices.
I prefer the translation
"sonship" to adoption. For
"adoption" though a nice legal term does not convey well the organic life aspect of
being saved in the realm of God's divine life imparted into us.
Sonship coveys both the life and position of a born son.
Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, (Eph. 1:5a Recovery Version)
That He might redeem those under law that we might receive the sonship. (Gal. 4:5 RcV)
And again:
. . . but you have received a spirit of sonship in which we cry, Abba, Father! (Rom. 8:15b RcV)
Back to John, he was 1000% right to empasize that it is God Himself who lives in Christians.
No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)
And again:
In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit. (v.13)
And again:
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. (v.15)
This is a living union of the Triune God living in us and we in Him.
Sure, legally we have been reconciled to God. But "much more" we need a salvation in the realm of
God living in us through His Spirit, even through Himself as a divine seed.
Paul shows well the judicial aspect and the organic aspect of full salvation in
Romans 5:10.
For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled, (Rom. 5:10)
Being that we are always tempted by carnal choices indicates we were born in sin and are burdened with the need to overcome it throughout our mortal lives.
I am with you and so of course is the Apostle John. Chapter one he writes -
If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)
Can anyone accuse the apostle of teaching "sinless perfection" immediately upon being saved?
As the light within us encreases we will see shortages which we then must confess to be cleansed.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (v.9)
This is the normal route for the GROWING of the divine seed of the Triune God implanted within believers.
More fellowship ----> More growth ---> More light----> More confession and cleansing ---->
which in turn leads to More fellowship -----> More growth etc. etc. etc.
It is a cycle. It is a life long repeating cycle that cannot but bring us to maturity.
Make no mistake about it though. Our destination is a conscience void of offense before God and man.
And this purification as a cycle, a process we utilize unto the coming of the Lord.
And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure. (1 John 3:3)
And again:
Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous; (v.7)
Indeed, we are called to avoid sin. But the process involves *overcoming sin* rather than *extinguishing sin.* Sin will only be extinguished in the resurrection.
But we in ourselves run after the sin that so easily bests us.
The power is in the life of the seed of God.
And in Him is all our confidence. For we can only be dragged down.
But to turn our heart to that sinless Victor within us, and growing in us, is the overcoming.
And latter we see that it is in an evironment of divine love of one another the SEED becomes strong.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, neither he who does not love his brother.
For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, (vs. 10,11)
In the normal prevailing church life there is the vertical power of the seed of God's life growing.
And there is the horizontal power of the fellowship of life which nourishes the growth of Christ within us.
So we need to speak these promises and proclaim them and stand upon them.
Especially as the coming of the Lord draws nearer.
Love and nourishment of the life of God will give us boldness and confidence before the Lord when He comes.
In this has love been perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of the judgment
because even as He is, so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)