Monday, March 03, 2008

Perfect Love #1 : What Christian Perfection is Not

What is Christian Perfection (Entire Sanctification) not? John Wesley answers this question first in his sermon on the topic. Here is a broad outline of what he decides.

Christian perfection is not perfect knowledge:
Christians know what other men know and what the bible reveals but beyond this they are ignorant. Christians cannot know or understand God perfectly either. Christians do know, however, all that is essential for salvation. I-1&2.
Christian perfection does not mean to be free from mistake:
According to Wesley many of these mistakes are rooted in ignorance. These mistakes that Christians make apply to mistaken actions and mistaken interpretations of scripture.1-4&5.
Christian perfection does not mean that one is free from infirmities:
According to Wesley these are inward and outward imperfections which are not of a moral nature. Such as mental defect, aging, illness, disease, lack of memory, and confusion to name a few. Wesley would not consider addictions to be infirmities, though most of us would recognize them to be to one degree or another. 1-7.
Christian Perfection does not mean that Christians are perfectly free from temptation:
Christian perfection is not measured by “degrees of perfection” nor is anyone absolutely perfect until heaven: According to Wesley, every one who has “been made perfect in love” has need to continue growing in grace. Furthermore, Wesley indicates that there is no measurable standard of perfection. Rather, the standard is different for each of us

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