I've always been a perfectionist... Everything I've done whether it be in my drawings, writings, cooking, anything I do... It's Biblical as well, we are called to be the best we can be. The most morally upright, holy, righteous, a living sacrifice.
Matthew 5:48 ~ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
It's a very high standard to live up to, but it's for our own good as well as the good of humanity. The reason we have such a corrupted society is because humankind chooses to do their own will and not the will of God, which is, perfect. Doing God's will brings about true peace... No killing or war, no stealing, no adultery or pedophilia or any sexual immorality, no lying, no greed... Humankind persists to do their own will though. They choose sin. They choose an eternal destination to Hell because men and women choose to defy God. The Lord gives free will because He wants to see His creation obey out of love/understanding and not out of programming. God does not want us to go to Hell, but ultimately it is our choice as what we do with our lives that determines where we spend eternity. It's simply, justice.
Ezekiel 11:33 ~ Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
2 Peter 3:9 ~ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Galatians 6:7-8 ~ 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
We reap what we sow, we get what we deserve... Karma as Eastern Philosophy would refer to it for example. Simply, justice. God does not want us to go to Hell, but He has to serve justice for the choices of each individual. He loved us so much that He came to die on the Cross of Calvary... The Lamb of God, the sacrifice Whose Blood blots out our past sins... Because we all have failed God once.
Romans 3:23 ~ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
So backing up to the original point on how we're called to be perfect, to be the best we can be... Dead to human will and alive to God's will. Now we cannot be perfect as God is perfect because as it says here in Romans 3:23, all have sinned... God never sinned even when He was in the flesh, He never sinned... So no man or woman is even as close to God's level of perfection, but... That doesn't mean we should be discouraged, we still need to strive to be perfect, as righteous as we can be, repentance which is a change of lifestyle.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Romans 6:1-4 ~ 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6 is the true representation of baptism and true definition of being Born Again...
John 3:3 ~ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Sinless Perfection is what we are to strive for as Christians, we must forsake sin in order to have mercy. Proverbs 28:13. There is an extreme in doctrine, an imbalance. I agree with what they teach 98%, but I find disagreement at their lack of compassion or patience for seeds to grow (conviction in a person to be seen.)
Sinless Perfectionists preach a doctrine that counters the predominant false doctrine of Calvinism, specifically Total Depravity... If you haven't read my Calvinism Exposed article I suggest you go back and read it... I do not want to be perceived as a Calvinist because I am deeply opposed to Calvinism's teachings such as O.S.A.S and T.U.L.I.P... I will expound a bit to give a reminder...
T - Total hereditary depravity
Calvinism teaches that Total Hereditary Depravity is that babies inherit the sin of Adam and are totally depraved and therefore unable to respond to the Gospel message of Christ. God has always been a God who provides choices... Gives us Free Will all the way back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden...Genesis 3:22.
Deuteronomy 30:19 - "...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."
Genesis 3:22 reveals that, after Adam and Eve sinned, they knew both good and evil. Deuteronomy 30:19 indicates that mankind still had the ability to choose either life or death. This proves one thing: even though mankind is considered spiritually depraved, this doesn't necessarily mean that we are so depraved that we cannot make the right choice to be Saved.
According to Calvinism, mankind's spiritual downfall from Adam prevents everyone and anyone from making the proper choice regarding salvation. They believe that it is impossible for us to come to God on our own. That God chose us before the foundation of the Earth. But if man was totally incapable of making the correct decision to choose life, why would God tell us to choose? Because we are to CHOOSE the path we walk. The broad path or narrow path. Matthew 7:13-14.
Lord Jesus has installed a conscience in every single one of us. Written His Law on our hearts. Romans 2:15. Based on our conscience, we make the choice. This conscience even an atheist has... The basic morality that killing, lying, stealing, cheating, etc. is wrong. Christians are called to be more than moral though, a higher standard is perfection. We make the choice to go down this narrow path, to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.
Since God has foreknowledge, He just happens to know the decisions we will make before we make them. Yes, we have a "Sin Nature" because Adam didn't deny Satan's temptation... But that doesn't mean we are so depraved that we cannot deny temptation today... We can. Yes, the temptation will always be there because of Adam's sin, but you can choose to deny your own temptation.
1 Corinthians 15:31 ~ I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Dying to temptation daily... The sin nature is an inclination to an evil will, the desire to please the flesh, self gratification that must be forsaken and denied in order to receive salvation. The human heart is desperately wicked because we seek to please ourselves, serve ourselves which is self-idolatry and is by extension not serving God... Selfishness vs. Selflessness. Satan's will vs. God's will. Denying self is the Gospel. Christ Jesus denied Himself, denied temptation and became lower than the angels. Hebrews 2:7. We must deny temptation of wickedness, die to wicked desire...
Jeremiah 17:9-10 ~ 9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.
Sinless Perfectionists teach that there is absolutely no sin nature, I agree there is no sin nature in the sense of the Calvinist definition that we are depraved... We're not depraved, it's a choice to die to the sin nature or to not die to sin nature. We have the ability to deny and purge ourselves of sin, to repent, to die daily... We choose gratification of flesh that is fleeting or sanctification of the soul which is everlasting and in order to sanctify the soul we must forsake sin.
Sinless Perfectionist tend to teach that this perfection is instant not gradual... In my own walk and seeing the walks and testimonies of other brother's and sister's it is logical to state that sinless perfection is gradual. It is not an instant thing because people who have a heart after God, wish to learn more everyday and they grow. If you ask any Christian.... "Have you become a better person over the years of being a Christian?" The answer should be, "Yes." That is the Christian lifestyle to become better everyday.
God commands that we must, "Repent (Forsake sin) and Believe". Mark 1:15. What motivates us to forsake sin though? Believing and knowing that there is a Holy God that will judge us. Acts 17:31. What motivates us to forsake sin? Being filled with the Fear of the Lord which means hatred of sin... Proverbs 8:13 & Proverbs 9:10. Why would we hate sin? Because it separates us from a Holy God. Hellfire. Romans 6:23. If we fear being separated from God though, that means we believe in Him.
So we forsake sin, that is the start of our walk as stated in Romans 6. We are to die to our sin, die to our will... We become a living sacrifice. We remove sin from our life... Stop lying, stop killing/hatred, stop stealing, stop adultery/sexual immorality, stop greediness/covetousness, stop idolatry, stop cussing, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop drugs, stop tattooing, etc. etc. etc. Now, I'm not undermining that all of these sins must stop at the beginning of our walk, the true walk of being aware sin must stop in order to have salvation, these sins must stop... Let me add though, are we perfect just because we stop all these sins at the beginning of our walk? No.
I'll explain... Someone at the beginning of their walk may repent of all these sins as they're supposed to, but a baby Christian will not have full understanding of all sound doctrine. They must be taught so that they may become a more excellent sacrifice. When we choose to start on the narrow road of forsaking sin, we become a living sacrifice, but can we become a more excellent living sacrifice? Of course.
For example... I already understand my role as a wife, to be submissive to my husband and brothers... I am submissive, but could I become MORE submissive... I'm submissive, but could I come to the level of submission of Mary Featherstone (Smith Wigglesworth's wife). As I am right now I'm not to her level of submission, I'm submissive, but I'm striving to be more submissive. A more excellent sacrifice.
In the eyes of the outside world I'm already "sinless" because I am submissive and defy Feministic ideology, because I take no part in this world's sin, the idolatry... When I pray in public with a head covering, wearing long skirts/being modest is strange to the secular world. I know in my heart though that even though I'm already strange to the world... I want to become stranger... I don't want into Heaven by the skin of my teeth, I want to get in with flying colors. I'm in a race, I don't want the bronze, I want gold for my Lord's own glory because He has helped perfect me, His Holy Word has guided me to perfection. I can't get into Heaven without Him. My righteousness is filthy rags. Isaiah 64:4.
Am I there yet? No. I don't think I'll ever claim that I am either... Because even though I'm already submissive, I sin less, I'll want to go to the next level of submission and the next and the next... My God is infinite, I don't think there is a limit to the perfection He demands of me... I don't believe there is a magical checklist... There's definitely a guideline of commandments that must be done in order to receive salvation, but then what? I'm done being perfected? Or can I still strive to be better even though I'm already righteous? That's a true perfectionist.
A true perfectionist will never claim perfection, because even though they are already good, they desire to be better. This is the heart condition that God is after. A humble heart, a contrite heart. It's the heart condition more than anything. Now before I go on rambling any longer... Let me quote some Scripture...
1 John 1:8-10 ~ 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Verses 8 and 10 are the main focus, compare both these verses... Verse 10 is obvious, we all have sinned, this was covered in Romans 3:23. "Sinned" is past tense, so it means sins committed in our pasts. Now look at verse 8, worded in a similar manner... But... It's not past tense like verse 10, it's presence tense... Meaning if you claim you have no sin then you have deceived yourself. If we say we have no sin, presence tense... If we say that we have not sinned, past tense.
As I said, we are to strive for perfection and we are to forsake sin, we are to become perfect in that manner, but to claim perfection is someone without a humble heart or a desire to become better than they already are.
All you have to ask a Sinless Perfectionist is: "Do you take confidence in your salvation? Are you 100% without sin?" There's two answers... "I am perfect." Which is obviously the Pharisee answer, the legalist who doesn't have a humble heart that seeks to please God, they are a living sacrifice, dead to sin, but they don't desire to become a more excellent sacrifice.
The other answer is: "No, I am not saved, I am not a child of God until there is 0% sin" Which is a good place to be in a sense because more fear of the Lord makes us more serious about removing sin, but controversy this doctrine can breed a sense of hopelessness and removing God from our daily lives, having a relationship with God because the Sinless Perfectionist believes that God doesn't hear the prayers of sinners... In their view God doesn't hear you if you have 0.5% sin in your life. Which, would make a prayer life be nonexistent.
John 9:31 - Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
The Greek word for, "Sinners" is "Hamartōlos" meaning, "Devoted to sin, not free from sin, pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked, all wicked men, specifically men stained with certain definite vices or crimes, heathen."
In this context, you can read it as... "Now we know that God heareth not those who are devoted to sin." Meaning those who love sin, lifestyle of sin, no intention of removing sin, no hatred of sin... These are the people that are not heard by God.
Proverbs 28:9 - He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination.
Proverbs 15:29 - The LORD [is] far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Psalms 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me]:
1 Peter 3:12 - For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil.
James 5:16 - Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not
The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared. Jonah 3:5-10. God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened.
Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael. Genesis 21:14-19. God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly.
1 Kings 21:27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah's prophecy concerning his posterity. God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab's time.
So what is the key to God hearing our prayers? A contrite heart, a humble heart. Sinless Perfectionists say that those who are not 100% sinless, absolutely perfect do not have their prayers heard... King Ahab was far from perfect, Nineveh was far from perfect as well... God heard them.
Jeremiah 29:13 ~ And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
I guess Paul didn't have his prayers heard...
Philippians 3:9-16 ~ 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
So we are not even 100% perfect until we are resurrected and no longer enduring the temptation of the flesh, we must deny temptation to receive eternal life, dying daily as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:31. Verse 13 tells us though that Paul is forgetting his past sins (Pharisee and murderer) and reaching forward to the daily perfection and eternal perfection that is before him, in his future. It is a daily striving. The keyword here is striving.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ~ 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. God only doesn't hear those who are not striving, who are not conquering sin, who justify sin.
Philippians 2:12 ~ Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
These verses about God not hearing sinners are still true, every verse is, they're just used and twisted to support false doctrine. God doesn't hear the prayers of those who practice sin as a lifestyle, those who believe they can use Jesus' Blood as a free pass to sin... Pray the sinner's prayer then make plans to go get drunk in the night time... Hypocrites... Go to confession then plan to go commit idolatry after church... The prayers of those who frustrate God's grace are the prayers that are not heard. God will not listen to those that have no intention of striving after perfection, only those who are striving are heard. Those with the Fear of the Lord in their hearts are heard.
Galatians 2:20-21 ~ 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Confirming what we read in Romans 6, dead to sin, crucified with Christ. Christ lives in those who do His will, the Holy Spirit lives in those who die to sin. Not frustrating God's grace means not using His Blood as a justification to commit sin... But if we think we can be saved by a checklist and being perfect on our own means without need of Lord Jesus then it is self-righteousness.
I've dealt with two sisters who were Sinless Perfectionists... One sister demanded that I take off my wedding ring because I was not supposed to be wearing jewelry, especially a pagan practice of wedding rings. When I got married I didn't want or expect an engagement ring or wedding ring... I'm not materialistic, but since even after I was married I had men coming up and flirting with me, who I'd have to reject, telling them I was married.
I felt bad, I felt like I was having these men commit adultery in their hearts. They thought I was single because I didn't wear a wedding ring. On my 1st Anniversary I got a wedding ring and guys have stopped flirting with me, those who would still flirt even when I have a ring are a minority that have a seared conscience.
This Sinless Perfectionist sister though... Rebuked me hard, along with other sisters over issues that are in need of conviction from God. Strained at a gnat. My heart intention was pure when it came to my ring, it was not out of vanity or materialism... It was out of guilt for other men sinning in their hearts because of me. Sinless Perfectionists can choke the seed that is trying to grow, they will cut someone off after the first rebuke and not be long-suffering to see if conviction will come or if the person will be continually resistant.
A fresh convert, an example, a woman wearing pants handing out tracts, evangelizing... She isn't aware that she should be wearing a long skirt, she's new to the faith, unaware that showing the thigh is considered nakedness... Do we condemn her for her action in ignorance or do we teach with patience? We cannot be tolerant of sin and we cannot lack compassion, aptness to teach, long-suffering.... For we may be choking the seed that is striving to grow. There is a balance that Sinless Perfectionists do not achieve. Proverbs 11:1.
Another Sinless Perfectionist I have dealt with is a lady who had the gull to call me and a fellow sister, "A child of the devil." She considered anyone who has any amount of sin, "A child of the devil." Therefore I asked her, "Are you 100% without sin?" she answered, "I haven't obtained complete perfection." My reply was simply, "Then by your own standards, you are a child of the devil and take no confidence in your salvation."
2 Corinthians 1:12-15 ~ 12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also [are] ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. 15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 ~ 4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
1 John 4:17 ~ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Proverbs 14:26 ~ In the fear of the LORD [is] strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
To close this article... I will end with Psalm 51 that is a prayer that God supposedly didn't hear because David was a sinner... No... This is a beautiful prayer from a humble heart that fears the Lord... God heard it and if you claim that God didn't hear it, then you do not know the heart of the Author of the Holy Bible. Humble yourself, your self-righteousness will not save you. You may be a living sacrifice, dead to sin, but there's no desire to become a more excellent sacrifice. A true perfectionist will never claim perfection, because they know how they can be better. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. Lord Jesus bless you all.
Psalm 51 ~ 1 [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.]] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; [that] the bones [which] thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit. 13 [Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: [and] my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
