LAWTON CHURCH OF GOD, LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

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34 PERFECTION AND GROWTH

The perfection enjoined by scripture and possible for all Christians, is the perfection of a heart cleansed from all sin and filled with pure love—the perfection of love.

The term, perfection, has reference to quality rather than quantity.

We have met those who objected to Christian perfection on the grounds that if one were perfect, it would exclude the possibility of growth and development in grace. It is urged by such, that if one were perfect there could be neither necessity nor opportunity for growth. Such need only be reminded that Christian perfection refers to the quality rather than the quantity of love in the heart. All Christians have love; but all Christians have not the perfect love, which casteth out fear.

What perfect health is to the body, perfect love is to the soul. Holiness means spiritual wholeness, or, soul health. Sin is a malady, a disease, and is always an abnormal condition.

Because a child enjoys perfect health gives no reason why it may not continue to grow; indeed the facts are that perfect health is the pre-condition for growth. The child with perfect health will grow far more rapidly and symmetrically than will the child with impaired health.

We need ever bear in mind, that it is not perfection of action, but perfect love, which has respect mainly to kind or quality, we are contending for. In the language of the Rev. J. A. Wood, in “Purity and Maturity” we insist: “A thing may be said to be perfect when it possesses all the properties or qualities which are essential to its nature. The fruit of the Spirit is perfect when it exists in the soul in exclusion of every opposing principle, every contrary temper—perfect in quality.”

As already intimated, growth in grace will be more rapid when the heart is cleansed from all sin and perfected in love, than it otherwise could be. One of the essentials to growth is knowledge. We can never love a person of whom we have no knowledge. In proportion as our knowledge extends, in that proportion have we an intellectual basis for the action of love.

“Accordingly, every new manifestation of God’s character, every new exhibition of His attributes, every additional development of his providences will furnish new occasions for love. It is the privilege, therefore, of a person perfected in love, and consequently a holy person, to increase in holiness in exact proportion with his increase in knowledge.” (Upham.)

When a heart is cleansed from all sinfulness it can not be made any more pure, but there may be an unceasing increase of pure love in a purified heart. There can be no growing into perfect love, since growth does not change the quality or nature of any thing, but there is an endless flood of growth in grace when love is perfected in the heart.