Perfection in the Life of Holiness

Colossians 1:25-29; 1 John 4:15-18; Ephesians 3:14-19

by David Woods

If you had come in late for El Monte Christian Academy's graduation and award ceremonies you would have thought I had looted the school.

I attended EMCA for three years, graduating in 1994. The yearly graduation and award ceremonies soon became extremely embarrassing for me. EMCA gave trophies for almost everything you could imagine. There was a trophy for memorizing the weekly Bible verse, a trophy for being on the principal's honor roll, and numerous others I can't recall.

Each year's end, I was called to the platform to be congratulated numerous times. I don't think I was an extra-special student. I just tried to do what I was supposed to do. I studied and worked to make good grades.

Unfortunately, many of my fellow students were not as interested in school or in making good grades as I was. I (and my brother) quickly gained a reputation for being "perfect." "They're perfect!" the other students would say, with a mixture of jealousy and disdain in their voices.

To tell you the truth, I got tired of being "perfect." I didn't like the pressure. Most of all, I knew it was not the truth. On the basketball court and softball field, I was a clumsy below-average player. I struggled through my high school years in math studies. I can remember studying for hours in the evening because I was behind in my homework.

I didn't even make good grades all the time. I did my best to study hard, possibly because of a dire threat my dad said would happen if I ever made an "F". This threat was made when I was very young and sloughing off on my studies, yet it was unrealized even though I made a couple "F"s in my high school years.

I was imperfect in my social life. That's a nice way of saying I often felt extremely awkward with others and was a bit "backward." I was imperfect in my spiritual life. I tried to live a godly life, but felt my shortcomings intensely.

"Perfection in the life of holiness." The Wesleyan concept of Christian perfection - perfect love - has been an embarrassing, difficult concept for holiness people. We feel awkward in claiming Christian perfection. After all, isn't that a sign of spiritual pride? And, if it is pride, how can we claim to be perfect?

We feel insincere in claiming Christian perfection. We know our imperfections, human and spiritual, all to well. We feel like a hypocrite claiming perfect love, after struggling with that tantalizing temptation just a few hours ago.

It does not help that our claim of Christian perfection quickly gains us a reputation. Others think we are proud, hypocritical, or delusional. Furthermore, our every word and action are even more closely scrutinized. When we act or speak imperfectly, the word quickly spreads.

Today, it is my hope that we can spend some time defining the concept of Christian perfection - what it is and is not, what it means to live a life of perfect love, and what it means be human while living a life of Christian love.

Read Colossian 1:28

Discussion: What is the implication of Paul's expressed desire "… that we may present every man perfect…"?
(If you may do something, you can do it. It is possible. If it is possible to be "perfect in Christ Jesus" it only follows that we should be perfect in Christ Jesus. This speaks about our Christian obligation.)

Read Ephesians 3:14-19

Paul prays for the Ephesian believers:

• That they would be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in their inner man
• That Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith
• That they would be able to comprehend the love of Christ
• That they would be filled with all the fullness of God

Discussion: What does this verse imply concerning God's evaluation of their spiritual experience?
(Their spiritual experience was imperfect.)

Discussion: How would you describe the person 1) who was strengthened by the Holy Spirit in the inner man, 2) whose heart was indwelt by Christ, 3) who was able to comprehend the limitless bounds of Christ's love, and 4) who was filled with all the fullness of God?
(Sounds quite "perfect" to me!)

Discussion: Do you think God would inspire Paul to write a prayer to be included in the Holy Word that would be impossible to realize?

Read 1 John 4:15-18

List: What does apostle John teach us about what it means to have "perfect love"?
(1. This person has confessed Christ as God's Son. 2. God dwells in this person. 3. This person dwells in God's love. 4. This person has no fear of judgment; instead, he approaches that day with boldness. 5. Therefore, this person is able to love God and fellow man without fear.)

Discussion: Why is the entirely sanctified Christian able to love God and fellow man without fear?
(He has been forgiven of sins he has committed. He has been purged of the inclination to sin with which he was born.)

Discussion: Does an ability to love without fear imply an ability to love without mistake? Why?
(No. Perfect love frees us to love God and others as we should, but it does not necessarily mean our actions (displays of love) will be totally perfect.)

I find the thesis for this lesson in the "Pertinent Principles" on page 81.

Big Idea: "Holiness is perfect love in action." (p. 81)

Discussion: Why can we claim a Christian perfection while maintaining that our actions may not always be perfect?
(The perfection is of intent and motive that guides our actions. Our actions, while derived by pure motive, may not always be perfect.)

Discussion: "What should a person do if he makes mistakes after being entirely sanctified?"*

Discussion: "What can be done to avoid continual mistakes or even sin?"*

Discussion: How can we guard against calling "sin" a "sanctified mistake"?

Discussion: "Will there ever be a time the sanctified will be able to live without committing mistakes?"*

Discussion: "How should we live until then in light of our human limitations?"*

* Note: This question and a number of suggested answers are found in the "Teaching Tips", page 86.

In the "Doctrinal Discussion" is the following quote from Conflicting Concepts of Holiness:

There is no perfect as precludes the possibility of errors of judgment, mistakes in understanding, and even faults, failures, and defeats incident to any human effort. No reputable holiness teacher has ever claimed that there was such a perfection. It does not refute the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification to point out such obvious imperfections. None are more conscious of them that those whose hearts are truly conformed to the mind which was in Christ Jesus. . . . The perfection of which we speak, and which we attempt to exemplify to this lost world, is, as has been so often said, the perfection of love. (p. 84, emphasis mine)

While it may have been often said, I think that many holiness Christians still struggle understanding the life of Christian perfection simultaneous with human imperfection.

Remember the "Pertinent Principle": Holiness is perfect love in action. Too often, we seek perfect performance. What God requires and desires, however, is perfect love.

Let us seek a pure motive and intent of heart while realizing our actions may not always be perfect. Let us trust God to help us live a life of Christian perfection. Let us remain humble in regards to our human imperfections, but confident in our spiritual perfection.