I never thought my greatest achievement in ministry would be to convince the Body of Christ that the Father demands it to be holy. This is what the perfection message is all about. Our concordances and bible dictionaries defined perfect as, having integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, full, sincerity, and sound, without spot, undefiled, upright and whole. But in layman's terms, to be perfect simply means one is committed to pleasing the Father everyday of his life here on earth. Why is there such a commitment to the idea of failure? Is it that the Body of Christ has fallen in love with the darkness of this world, and has come to prefer it more so than the Light?

I have found that many ministers preach certain Scriptures as a matter of hearsay. In other words, they simply preach what they have heard without adequately investigating or consulting with the Lord as to their true meaning. Case in point, there are many Scriptures relative to our relationship with God and Christ. These Scriptures have not been adequately defined in a manner that allows the saints to identify with them.

Ministers of the Gospel, hear the heart of the Father. Consider all the bible teaches on this matter. Let us take a journey through the Word to see if the Father placed the burden of perfection on any other generations. In order to do so we must first identify the standard for each dispensation we visit.

ADAM…

Adam was created a living soul. He was given a spirit, soul and the conscience to judge to deeds of flesh. The conscience is the knower. It is the candle of the Lord. It is the place of understanding the law of God. Therefore, when the Lord instructed Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was Adam's conscience that made him understand what it meant to disobey God.

Adam had every opportunity in the world to live a holy, sinless life before God. He knew no sin and he had no enemies he could not subdue. The standard God set in the Garden was obedience. All Adam had to do was obey and he and all his children would have lived forever. Thus, we have perfection defined as obedience to God.

The next question is did God equip Adam with all that he needed to obey? Well, he was created the sinless, master of the world. He was the bishop of the earth, walking in the divine intellect of his God. I think he was quite able to do all that God required. Nevertheless, he was a free moral agent. He had the right to choose to obey or disobey. God wanted Adam to love Him and desired his obedience to come out of that love. But it became apparent that Adam loved his wife more than his God.

When Adam first looked upon his wife he said, this is the bone of my bones, and the flesh of my flesh. He acknowledged that Eve was a part of him. But what subsequently became more evident, was that there was a mindset which had developed in Adam. He had received something he would never be willing to give up. The Scriptures declare he was not deceived. Therefore, when his wife approached him, insisting that he sin against his God, his decision was made based upon his new mindset, “I refuse to deny myself.” Thus, Adam was perfect in all his ways until the day iniquity was found in his heart. If God had not expected Adam to remain perfect in all his ways, there would not have been any penalty for his sin.

NOAH

… Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9).

ABRAHAM…

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

Noah and Abraham walked according to the spoken Word of God. They obeyed Him and there was nothing that was withheld from them.

ISRAEL AND THE LAW

Paul was the perfect one to write about the Law and the Christ. He had an awesome revelation of both. He writes, “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God (Heb 7:19).He realized sacrifices and offerings could not perfect those who offered such. The bringing in of a better hope made reference to Jesus Christ. Moses also spoke of this better hope.

Deuteronomy 18:13-15

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

Jesus Christ would be the standard for Israel. He is the promise God made in the Garden to Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to Job, and to the Church. He is the Prophet who was raised up in the midst of His brethren.

Before we could really discuss perfection in the church we must consider the other half of the Gospel that is rarely preached in the great assemblies of God. Nevertheless, it is impossible to render a teaching on this subject without including the Gospel of circumcision. So in the next section I have barrowed a section from my book, “Be Ye Perfect.” I think this is most suitable, seeing as how this is the missing ingredient in the preaching of the Gospel.

THE CIRCUMCISION OF FLESH

Theologians have assumed that the body (flesh) was not included in any way whatsoever in the salvation process. Maybe they never really considered that the whole man had to die in order to be reborn. Because they proclaimed that the flesh has been excluded from the salvation experience, it was easy to conclude that the flesh is still under the captivity of the law of sin and always will be.

However, the Father did not neglect to deal with the flesh in the salvation process. He knew that the Law of Sin and Death working in the members (the flesh), would once again bring us into captivity. As we allow the Word to express itself without any private interpretation, open your heart to the possible assassination of your belief system.

In writing to the church at Colosse, Paul declared,“ye are complete in Him” (Col. 2:10).This means we are lacking in nothing. It also means the work of the devil is destroyed and nothing else has to be done. We don’t need to

receive anything else to accomplish that which God has called us to do and to be. The Father has given us all things that pertain to His life and godliness. When we say we are deficient, we can only be deficient in those things He told us to add to our faith (II Peter 1:5-7). God’s work is finished.

Colossians 2:11-12

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

As it relates to salvation, our error came when we only saw the regeneration of the new man from within. Circumcision in the natural is a cutting away of the foreskin from the male genitals. Spiritual circumcision is also a cutting away, a sanctifying and cleansing of the flesh. It is an operation of God wherein He cut away or removed from us the dominion of sin. It is God who put off from us the body of sin.

When the old man was slain (crucified with Christ) at salvation, God placed the soul and the spirit in the Holy Ghost. But the same Holy Ghost also quickened our mortal bodies and brought us alive unto God. We rose complete in Christ. The Father has taken away all our excuses. Our flesh is no longer the body of sin but has truly become the body of Christ.

Let us allow the scriptures to take us further into this magnificent operation of God.

I Thessalonians 5:23

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

From the time we are born-again until the return of Jesus, our body, soul and spirit should be free from sin. Some of my brothers contend that this is impossible. You have to decide which you are going to believe, the scriptures or the vain philosophy of men. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3).

The finished work of Christ condemned sin in the flesh. What would be the purpose of even writing such a Word if the Sons of God are doomed to be locked in a daily struggle with the law of sin in the flesh? This is oil and water. The two just don’t mix. God made provisions for us to live a holy, sinless life here on earth. The law was unable to do so, but the circumcision of the flesh through Jesus Christ has destroyed the power and dominion of sin within and without. Paul declares that we were sanctified wholly or completely, body, soul and spirit. This is the work and Word of God. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses (Colossians 2:13).

The sin issue was dealt with at salvation. God removed the dominion of sin in the baptism “into Christ.” We rose in the body of Christ. The truth is if sin is an issue, it is because we, as Sons of God, make a conscious decision to sin against the Father. We do this in spite of the great love and mercy He has shown us. Now, we have the mind of Christ and are able to receive the following instructions and commandments. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God (I Thessalonians 4:4-5). We could not do this before. The nature of the flesh was that of evil concupiscence and we could not help ourselves. But now we are instructed to possess our vessels in the sanctification the Father has provided. We have overcome the lust of concupiscence that worked in our members.

The law could not stop sin in the flesh because it was the nature of the flesh to sin. You cannot teach a cat to bark and act like a dog. That is not his nature. Therefore, it was impossible to live free from sin without the indwelling of the Spirit of God, which provided a new life and nature for the whole man. Christ is not merely a shield to protect us from the wrath of God. He is our life. He is the life we live right now. It is by Him that we live and move. It is by His faith that we are able to please the Father. Our life is hid in Him and He is that hidden treasure in us; …as he is, so are we in this world (I John 4:17).

To live a life vacillating in and out of sin is to live a lie. It is not the nature of the Sons of God to live in any sin. To do so is to dishonor God and undermine the work of the Holy Ghost in us. A sinner is not who you are. In spite of how the songwriter has portrayed the Sons of God, we are not

sinners who fall down and get up. We are the righteousness of God. We were created in the image of Christ Jesus. We are divine in nature and have overcome the corruption of the world that is through lust of the flesh.

To say that we have a dual nature because of our ability to sin against the Father is to say that Jesus Christ was completely incapable of disobeying the Father. If that is truth, then His temptation in the wilderness and all the trying and testing He withstood was merely a show, seeing as how He could not sin anyway. That would make Him out to be a fraud, for how could He be tempted in all points like unto us, if it was impossible for Him to sin in the first place? Yes, He could have disobeyed, He simply chose not to. We have the same choice.

Consider Paul’s instructions to Timothy. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (II Timothy 3:16-17). The Word of God was given to keep us in the boundaries of the faith. We can be perfect, whether some believe it or not.

PERFECTION IN THE CHURCH

As it relates to the matter of perfection the apostles Paul, Peter, James and John were very vocal and adamant in their preaching on the subject.

In Romans 12:2, Paul admonishes the Body of Christ not to be conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.This is consistent with what He taught the church at Ephesus when He said it was the intent or purpose of God to show principalities and powers His manifold wisdom by the Church. The apostle expects those to whom he ministers to prove that the Sons of God can indeed walk in the perfect will of God.

In I Corinthians 2:6, Paul addresses the Corinthians on this wise; Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.The inference here is that because they are of the Spirit of God they are also able to receive and understand things the devil and his angels could not perceive.

In Colossians 1:28, he states that it is the Christ whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: in the fourth chapter and a 12th vs. he speaks of Epaphras a fellow laborer who was always praying for the saints at Colossians that they may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

In II Timothy 3:16-17, he writes to Timothy, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

In Hebrews 13:20-21 his salutation reads as follows: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

In James 1:4 the Lord's brother gave instruction to the Body of Christ; But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. In the third chapter in the second vs. he cites: For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

In I Peter 5:10 the apostle gives this benediction; But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

In I John 4:17-18 the Revelator declares, 17Herein 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.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Again Paul writes to the Galatians, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Gal 3:3.It is the Spirit of God that has provided us the ability to walk in sinless perfection. It is not a hard thing to accomplish. However, perfection can only be found in yielding to the Christ within. Beloved, let us not make the same mistakes

as the Galatians. We started out in the Spirit of God, loving righteousness and never wanting to offend. Loving the people of God was no problem and holiness was not an issue to be debated. Let us go back to the old landmark. It is easy. JUST AGREE WITH GOD.