Perfection? - UBM [David Eells]

A believer is accounted perfect by faith! He claims his perfection by faith(Heb. 10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. As he walks in this faith, God is able to manifest perfection in him. If the unbelieving apostate Christian claims that he is always going to be a sinner (contrary to Gods word) he will have what he says according to Jesus (Mk. 11:23) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. (24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mt. 8:13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. (Mt. 9:29) ...According to your faith be it done unto you. The same thing can be said of Sanctification or Holiness.

Study and see if these things are not so. There is no more important study if we want to grow up in Christ for "as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee". We must believe only the Word. The "seed" in the parable of the Sower is "sperma" in Greek. Jesus said that the seed is the Word. Only the seed of the Word can bring forth the fruit in our heart. It is Gods' sperm and brings forth after His kind, but only in the good ground. Jesus said some would be "a hundredfold". This is not souls won by us for this crop is grown in our heart (Mt. 13:23) And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Mt. 13:19) When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, [then] cometh the evil [one], and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. If we believe man rather than God we will miss the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phl. 3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing `I do', forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (15) Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you.

Perfection is ascribed to:

Noah: (Gen. 6:8) But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. (9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, [and] perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.

Jacob: (Num. 23:21) He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

David: (1Ki. 11:4) For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father. (6) And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and went not fully after Jehovah, as did David his father.

Asa: (1Ki. 15:14) But the high places were not taken away: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Jehovah all his days.

Job: (Job 1:1) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil.

Zacharias and Elizabeth: (Lu. 1:6) And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Perfection is implied concerning many others:

Enoch: (Gen. 5:24) and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Elijah: (2Ki. 2:11) And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Daniel: (Eze. 14:14) though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Scriptures relating to perfection:

(Gen. 17:1) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

(Deut. 5:32) Ye shall observe to do therefore as Jehovah your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

(Deut. 18:13) Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.

(Josh. 23:6) Therefore be ye very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

(1Ki. 8:61) Let your heart therefore be perfect with Jehovah our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

(1Chr. 28:9) And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind.

(1Chr. 29:19) and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.

(Job 9:20) Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse. (21) I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life.

(Ps. 18:32) The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?

(Ps. 37:31) The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.,

(Ps. 37:37) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; For there is a [happy] end to the man of peace.

(Ps. 101:2) I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

(Ps. 106:3) Blessed are they that keep justice, And he that doeth righteousness at all times. (Ps. 119:1) Blessed are they that are perfect in the way, Who walk in the law of Jehovah. (2) Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart. (3) Yea, they do no unrighteousness; They walk in his ways.

(Ps. 119:96) I have seen an end of all perfection; [But] thy commandment is exceeding broad. (Pr. 2:21) For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it.

(Ecl. 7:20) Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

(Mt. 5:6) Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

(Mt. 5:48) Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 19:21) Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. (Lu. 6:40) The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher. (1 Cor. 2:6) We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought;

(2 Cor. 7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor. 13:9) For we rejoice, when we are weak, and ye are strong: this we also pray for, even your perfecting. (2 Cor. 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

(Eph. 4:11) And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: (13) till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;

(Phl. 1:10) so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ; (11) being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (Phl. 2:15) that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world.

(Col. 1:21) And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, (22) yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him. (Col. 1:28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

(Col. 2:9) for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, (10) and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power: (11) in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

(Col. 3:14) and above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of perfectness. (Col. 4:12) Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. (1Th. 3:10) night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?;

(1 Th. 3:13) to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (2 Tim. 2:1) Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 3:17) That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. (Heb. 6:1) Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,;

(Heb. 10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Heb. 13:20) Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, [even] our Lord Jesus, (21) make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Jas. 1:4) And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

(Jas. 1:25) But he that looketh into the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and [so] continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. (Jas. 3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

(1 Pet.5:10) And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. (1Jn 2:5) but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him;

(1Jn. 3:6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. (7) [My] little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: (8) he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (9) Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God. (10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

(1Jn. 4:12) No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us; (1Jn. 5:18) We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not.

We are commanded to be:

(Mt. 5:48) Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

(2 Cor. 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

(Gen. 17:1) ...I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

(Deut. 18:13) Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.

Perfection is maturity in Christ likeness:

(Eph. 3:14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, (15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, (16) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.(Eph. 4:11) And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: (13) till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;

(Col. 1:27) to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

(Mt. 13:23) And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

(1 Cor. 13:9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; (10) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. (12) For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.

In the way to perfection:

(Ps. 101:2) I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. (101:6) Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall minister unto me.

(Ps. 18:32) The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect.

Perfection is the high calling and prize of God:

(Phl. 3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (15) Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you:

Perfection is by Gods power not ours:

(Ps.18:32) The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect;

(Ps. 138:8) Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, [endureth] for ever;

(Phl. 1:6) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Saints have by faith:

(Heb. 10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.(Phl. 3:15) Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you;

(1 Cor. 2:6) We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought;

(Col. 2:10) and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:

Only to those who believe receive the power to be:

(Eph. 1:19) and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might.

Ignorance prohibits:

(Eph. 4:17) This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, (18) being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; (19) who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (20) But ye did not so learn Christ; (21) if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: (22) that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; (23) and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Saints don't claim to have manifested:

(Job 9:20) Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse;

(Phl. 3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

Pray for:

(Heb. 13:20) Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, [even] our Lord Jesus, (13:21) make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Patience leads to:

(Jas. 1:4) And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

Suffering leads to:

(1 Pet. 5:10) And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.

The Word leads to:

(2 Tim. 3:16) Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. (17) That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.(2 Cor. 7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

(Jas. 1:25) But he that looketh into the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and [so] continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

Ministers appointed to lead saints to:

(Eph. 4:12) for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ;

(Col. 1:28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

Saints on the path of:

(Prov. 4:18) But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

(Phl. 3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

Impossibility of attaining to under Law:

(Heb. 10:1) For the law having a shadow of the good [things] to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.

Love unites the church in:

(Col. 3:14) and above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of perfectness.

The Church shall attain to:

(Jn. 17:23) I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.(Eph. 4:13) till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,

(Eph. 3:18) may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.

Blessedness of:

(Ps. 37:37) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; For there is a [happy] end to the man of peace.(Pr. 2:21) For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it.

Perfection is forsaking the world to follow Christ:

(Mt. 19:21) Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Perfection is purity and holiness in speech:

(Jas. 3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

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