11/22/18
• One of the hindrances to living the Christian life
SALVATION AND PERFECTIONISM
RELT 100: GOD AND HUMAN LIFE
Professor: Rodney A. Palmer, DMin
Fall 2018
• Of Asa, the King of Judah, we read: "But the
high places were not removed: nevertheless
Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his
days" (1 Kings 15:14)
• "If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole
body" (James 3:2)
• "We speak wisdom among them that are the
perfect" (1 Corinthians 2:6)
THE BIBLE ON PERFECTION
• Noah, Abraham, and Job were all declared to be
"perfect" men.
• Yet the history of their lives shows that they were
far from being sinless.
• If one's view of sin is shallow enough, sinless
perfection would not be an impossible
achievement.
• If sin simply means a deliberate, willful doing of
what is known to be wrong, then no Christian
should commit this kind of sin.
THE BIBLE ON PERFECTION
successfully is failure to understand what the
Bible teaches on the nature of sin and perfection.
• The Bible, in applying the term "perfection" to
believers, never means "sinlessness.”
• There are at least nine different Hebrew words
and six Greek words translated "perfection.”
• Noah is said to be "perfect in his generations"
(Genesis 6:9)
THE BIBLE ON PERFECTION
• The Bible writers are not saying that these
men are sinless.
• The meaning is that of spiritual maturity, full
grown spiritually, ripe in spiritual
understanding, whole in response to God,
keeping nothing back.
• A "perfect" Christian is one whose heart and
mind are permanently committed to Christ,
cannot be moved.
THE BIBLE ON PERFECTION
• But if sin includes also a man's state of mind and
heart, man's bias toward sin, sin as an indwelling
tendency, then perfection presents a totally
different picture.
• As long as the sinful nature is present, the
Christian always recognizes him/herself to be a
sinner in need of divine grace.
• Paul declares that the only way to be right with
God is to be clothed in the perfect righteousness
of Christ – Philippians 3:8, 9
THE BIBLE ON PERFECTION
1

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN?
• Just as God sent Christ to die for His enemies
(Rom. 5:6, 8, 10), so His children are to
emulate His heart of love.
• William Barclay: “The one thing which makes
us like God is the love which never ceases to
care for men, no matter what men do to it. We
… enter upon Christian perfection … when we
learn to forgive as God forgives, and to love
as God loves.”
MATTHEW 5:48 EXPLAINED…
• This theology introduced a strong element of
legalism in some sectors of the church by
claiming that the character of God, maligned
by Satan in the cosmic conflict, will be
vindicated through the holy and perfect life of
obedience of the last generation of believers.
• This generation will reach a level of character
development unequaled in Christian history,
copying perfectly in their lives what God did in
Christ.
LAST GENERATION THEOLOGY AND PERFECTIONISM
11/22/18
• Being perfect as the Father is perfect, according
to verses 43-47, means loving (agapaō) not only
one’s friends but one’s enemies.
• The parallel passage in Luke reinforces that
message. “Be merciful,” commands Jesus in the
context of loving one’s enemies (Luke 6:27–35),
“even as your Father is merciful” (verse 36).
• The Gospel writers equated being merciful with
being perfect.
MATTHEW 5:48 EXPLAINED…
• The theology of the last
generation was developed
and popularized in the
Adventist Church by
M. L. Andreasen
• Andreasen was building on
insights from A. T. Jones
and E. J. Waggoner.
LAST GENERATION THEOLOGY AND PERFECTIONISM
• Once this happens, the Lord will return.
• This theology seeks to explain why the Lord
has not returned and the nature and purpose
of Christian perfection.
• It is based primarily on a particular reading of
the writings of Ellen G. White.
LAST GENERATION THEOLOGY AND PERFECTIONISM
2
 11/22/18

1. The tendency to think of perfection in negative

rather than positive terms.
• Instead of the presence of positive traits of
character, perfection in this view consists of
avoiding certain undesirable forms of behavior. It
makes behavior the focus of one’s Christian life.
• Instead, it must be noted that the essence of
perfection is not refraining from certain things
and actions but of performing loving actions
while in relationship to Christ
2. Its emphasis on character development as
the central concern of salvation.
• This is certainly a part of salvation, but it
is not necessarily the most important part
• What Christ does in us must not obscure
what Christ does for us.

PROBLEMS WITH PERFECTIONISM PROBLEMS WITH PERFECTIONISM

3. Perfectionism often leads to an unhealthy 4. Perfectionism is an act of unfaith.

preoccupation with oneself.
• It is certainly appropriate for us to be
concerned about our spiritual condition.
• The Bible often emphasizes the
importance of self-examination (1 Cor.
10:12), but this is not the central interest
in a Christian’s life.
• It’s isolating!
• It ultimately posits that “God is not capable
of saving mankind without my effort.”
• It is a denial of the promise of Jesus in
John 10:10 to give us life more
abundantly.
• It suggests that we must live a life that
focuses more on works than on faith in
order to earn salvation and heaven.

PROBLEMS WITH PERFECTIONISM PROBLEMS WITH PERFECTIONISM

• The basic doctrine of the Christian faith is

salvation by grace alone.
• Salvation by grace alone means that absolute
perfection and sinlessness cannot be realized
here and now.
• Christ is our sole perfection, our sole
righteousness, and so, in ourselves we are never
sinless.
• The righteousness of Christ that saves is not the
beginning of a new self-righteousness, but the
perpetual end of it.

SUMMARY