Moving Forward in Christ Jesus

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.
  (Matthew 5:48)

To the church in Corinth, Apostle Paul calls the believers "saints" which means "sanctified ones.” 

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:  1 Corinthians 1:2

Yet in the same letter he corrects these "saints" because of sin. They were believers and sanctified in Christ, but some of them were not living right in their daily conduct.  These believers had received initiation to perfection. They were forgiven of their sins through redemption from dead works. These sins were forgiven once and for all.

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14) 

They had begun the process of spiritual maturity at the time they accepted Jesus as Savior. But these Christians had not gone on to perfection. They had not continued to put off the "old man" of sin:  

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  (Romans 6:6)

Apostle Paul told them it was not right to continue living in sin after conversion. He said:  

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As a believer you should live a new life. It is not right to continue in sin.  

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  

God forbid.   How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

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 6:1,2,4)

We must not be conformed to the world once God calls us out of it.  We are new creatures in Him.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.   2 Corinthians 5:17

We must go on to perfection. 

Initial perfection from sin at the time of salvation is the start 

of a progressive life of sanctification. 

After salvation, you are to live a new life in Christ:  

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. (Galatians 2:20)

Apostle Paul described progressive perfection in his own life:  

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. (Philippians 3:12)

Apostle Paul had not attained complete perfection, but it was his goal. He described his struggle for perfection in another passage:  

For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that is good.  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me [that is, in my flesh] dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:15-23)

Apostle Paul wanted to live by God's standards, but he realized that by himself [in his self-nature] he could not achieve this goal. There was a constant battle between his flesh and his spirit.  His spirit wanted to keep God's laws. His flesh wanted to sin. He discovered that the only way he could achieve perfection (spiritual maturity) was through Christ:  

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  

But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you. 

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:10,11,13)

It is only through the Spirit of God that you can overcome the evil desires of the flesh and conform to God's standards. 

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  Galatians 5:16-18

When the flesh results in you doing those things we would not, God has provided a way to restore you to perfection.

For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

You do not have to try to live this new life in your own strength. You couldn’t do it anyway.  You live it through the Holy Spirit residing in you and faith in the Son of God.  If you fail, you can be restored before God by confessing your sins and asking forgiveness.  When you are born again, you are just like a baby in the natural world. You have much to learn spiritually. While you are learning, you make mistakes. When you make mistakes, you must confess your sins with godly sorrow and repentance and God will forgive you.  As a believer, you fight your enemy, Satan. This is a spiritual battle which takes place in your mind and through the circumstances of life around you. On occasion, you may lose a battle to the enemy. But this does not mean he has won the war. You may temporarily go down in defeat but through the process of confession of your sins, you can rise again in righteousness to continue on to perfection.  

(Biblical Studies)

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06/20/16
04/23/20