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"LET US GO ON UNTO PERFECTION"
X II. THE IMPUTED PERFECTION OF CHRIST
x An Overview of This
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Many times we don’t realize just how wonderful Christianity really is. It is a twofold wonder. (1) By God’s grace the perfection and righteousness of Christ are imputed to us in forgiveness and as we live the Christian life. (2) Then there is the dynamic of the "new man" with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to enable and move us on unto "perfection" (not just in the imputed sense alone, but in actually becoming like Christ).

Sin and Imputed Righteousness
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Sin is an awful thing, and the book of Romans tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is none righteous, no, not one" (3:10). In the first chapter we see the Gentile sins and depravity (1:18-32). In the second chapter the Jews likewise are found unrighteous and guilty before God. Thus, the conclusion, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

The law saved no one. It just condemned man and showed his need of a Savior. Abraham, long ago, aside from the law and through faith had been declared righteous. Paul draws from this to point to Christ and his imputed righteousness. "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness…Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:3,23-25; James 2:20-23). We are clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ when we through faith are baptized into Christ (Romans 10:4-10; 6:3-5,17; Galatians 3:26,27; Titus 3:5; Acts 2:38; Revelation 1:5).

A Lamb Without Spot
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This same Paul later in II Corinthians 5:19 and 21 tells us that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation…For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Here is the key as to why we can be declared righteous through Christ. He "knew no sin." And parallel with the Old Testament lamb that had to be without blemish physically, we are redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:19). He was without blemish or spot spiritually. Repeatedly we are told: Christ "who did no sin" (I Peter 2:22); "in him is no sin" (I John 3:5). With the inferior Old Testament sacrifice in mind, the writer of Hebrews says, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14).

The Righteousness By Faith
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Now in reference to their continuing state as Christians, Paul could write to the Corinthians, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30). To the Philippians he personally could declare his desire to "be found in him [Christ], 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." And John testifies to the practical outworking of this. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:6-9).

The New Man in Christ
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What a blessed assurance it is to know, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). We are now in the context of grace. But the purpose of grace is not to save us in our sins, but from our sins. We are not to continue passively in defeat. Entering into God’s grace, born anew, we receive the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Acts 2:38). As new creatures in Christ (II Corin thians 5:17), we are admonished to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). With a renewed impetus, walking in the Spirit, we will not "fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). Victory is intended to be ours. The apostle John affirmed why.

"Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4). Not only are we forgiven when we become Christians, we now have access to the power and potential to overcome and become. We possess salvation, and if our surrender is complete, we will soon find that salvation possesses us.

The Most Favored of Times
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We live in the most favored of times. It was with this in mind that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He was concerned that they may have received the grace of God in vain (II Corinthians 6:1). He tells them that "now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation" (6:2). In other words, they had everything going for them. They were living in the most acceptable time in history. This is the age of grace and mercy. In spite of all of this, the Corinthians seemed to have botched it with all of the sins and divisions that were in the church there. Beloved, let us take full advantage of God’s grace and mercy, the imputed righteousness, and the power at our disposal to make a go of it in living for God. "Let us go on unto perfection" (Hebrews 6:1).

III. GOING ON UNTO PERFECTION
x A Great Verse of Scripture
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I Timothy 1:5 is a great Scripture. It gets right at the heart of what God says it is all about. It reads, "Now the end of the commandment is charity [love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." The word translated "end" here is telos. It means end in the sense of the goal, the aim, or end of that which is trying to be accomplished. Cognate with this word, and coming from it, is the word teleios (meaning complete and rendered "perfect," KJV, as we have already noticed). So, this verse (I Timothy 1:5) should ever be before us, representing that which we are trying to attain as we "go on unto perfection."

I Thessalonians Chapter 3
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With this in mind, read the third chapter of I Thessalonians. In his evangelistic endeavors, initially, Paul had stayed but a short time in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10). Persecution prompted them to send Paul away, leaving many new converts in an immature and troubled state with little instruction in Christianity. When Silas and Timothy finally got up with Paul later at Athens, it seems they were sent back to encourage these new Christians (and perhaps others in Macadonia). Paul was deeply concerned about them. Now at Corinth Silas and Timothy have rejoined Paul with word of their well being.

Perfecting Faith
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In this chapter (I Thessalonians 3), we see that Paul was deeply concerned about their faith. Many of them had "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (I Thessalonians 1:9), but there was so much that they didn’t understand. Paul had been praying for them "night and day." He wished to be with them again that, as he said, he "might perfect that which is lacking in your faith" (3:10). But not going himself, He sent Timothy, as he said, "to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith," (3:2) and "to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain" (3:5). Now with Timothy returning and bringing "good tidings" of their faith, Paul was greatly encouraged (3:6,7). Therefore, we conclude that attention to faith is very basic as we would "go on unto perfection." If we don’t have this right, nothing else can be realized "unto perfection."

Perfecting Love
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Along with word about their faith, Timothy had brought "good tidings" of their love (3:6). Paul would like to see this love further developed and perfected. He wrote of this pressing desire, when he said, "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you" (3:12). In II Thessalonians, a follow-up letter, he was disposed to thank God for their progress. "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet [fitting], because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity [love] of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth"(1:3). Beloved, this is basic in our going "on unto perfection."

Perfecting Holiness
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In this chapter Paul has another goal in mind for the Thessalonians, as he sums up the thoughts found here. He said: "To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints [holy ones]" (3:13). Holiness is another "must" to be considered as we "go on unto perfection."

Going On Unto Perfection
x From this we learn that faith, love, and holiness are top priorities in being a real Christian. With the admonition, "Let us go on unto perfection," these truths should ever be kept in mind. We need to perfect our faith, our love, and holiness. We should make a conscious, concerted, and continued effort to learn all that we can about each. In the process we should continually be examining ourselves in the light of what we learn, and drawing from the power of God, put it into practice, going "on unto perfection" (maturity in Christ). May we not have received the grace of God in vain.
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(NOTE: The Lord willing, we plan to have other articles about going on unto perfection in faith, love, and holiness.)

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