LAWTON CHURCH OF GOD, LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

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40 SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED

First. If one has been made perfect, how could there be any more growth in grace?”

This is a question often asked whenever the doctrine of Christian perfection is proclaimed.

It needs to be remembered that Christian perfection has reference to quality rather than quantity. What perfect health is to the body, perfect love, heart purity, sanctification and holiness is to the soul. Sin is a disease. Holiness is the condition or state in which love is perfected, implying perfect soul health, is recovery from the malady (disease) of sin.

A child may enjoy just as perfect health and be just as perfect as a child as an adult enjoys perfect health, and is perfect as an adult. And the fact that the child enjoys perfect health—freedom from all disease—is no reason why it may not continue to grow until it reaches manhood or womanhood. Indeed perfect health is the condition for rapid and balanced development and growth. Every one knows that a child in perfect health grows more rapidly than a child that is sickly and diseased. Certainly when a heart is cleansed from all sin and filled with pure and perfect love, it cannot be made any more pure, but it may enlarge and obtain more perfect love and then it may go on and enlarge some more and obtain some more perfect love; and then it may enlarge some more and go on and obtain some more perfect love and thus it may continue ad infinitum. Amen and amen!

Second. If the carnal nature were all destroyed (cleansed/removed) and the heart made perfectly pure and holy, cleansed from all inbred sin, how could a person sin again?

This question is frequently asked with great seriousness, as though indeed it would be a great calamity should one become so thoroughly saved he could not sin any more. When one talks thus it looks a little suspicious or at least awakens the suspicion that such an one is secretly not quite done with sin, and so desires covert license or liberty to indulge in sin occasionally. (e.g. Has quit drinking, but hides a bottle so that he can grab a quick snort when necessary . . .) Thank God there are some people who are forever done with sin, and have gone entirely out of the sin business. They would still believe in holiness even if they knew that it would fix them so they could never sin again. They would be perfectly ready to say, “Good Lord if it is possible to fix me so I can never sin again, fix me quickly.” It certainly would be no very great misfortune to be thus “fixed.”

But the question may be answered by asking another question: “How could Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of God and so had no sinward bent, but were in the ‘likeness’ of God—how could they commit sin?” or “How could angels, who surely have no inherited fallen nature, but are pure and holy, commit sin?” Surely not because there were roots of sin, or sinward tendencies in their hearts. Free agency carries with it the power of choice. Sin is presented from without and in the exercise of his free agency a man can choose good or evil. “But why should he choose the evil if there is no appetite for sin in his heart?” It is well to remember that Satan does not present sin as sin, but rather as something “to be desired to make one wise” etc., and says, even though you do partake, “ye shall not surely die.” Temptation appeals to the will, and when the will yields and consents to the temptation, sin enters. Holiness does not deprive one of the use of his volition; if it did man would simply be a machine. The right attitude of the will in an eternal “yes” to God is essential to the maintenance of holiness of heart.

Third. “If, the ‘old man is crucified,’ and all inbred sin is cleansed out of the heart, how can the ‘old man’ again revive, or sin enter the heart?”

This question, too, may be answered by asking another question: “how did it first enter into Adam and Eve?” It doubtless would enter into our hearts in the same way. As suggested in the answer to the question above, the will is the gateway to the city of man-soul. (See John Bunyan's classic allegorical work “Pilgrim's Progress.”) Sin is not a material substance in the heart, though it is a very definite reality. Sin is often the mis-use and perversion of that which is God-given and so is perfectly right and legitimate within itself. When the human will unites and agrees with the suggestion and will of Satan, sin is conceived, and there is instantly a sinful state and condition, even though there has been no overt act of sin. One might as well ask how disease could enter a perfectly healthy body; the answer would be, by violating some law of nature. As with a healthy body, so with a healthy or holy soul; with this difference, that sickness and disease may come into the body without the consent of the will. As a diseased condition of the body gives a predisposition and therefore a greater liability to other attacks of disease; so where sin is in the heart there is a greater susceptibility and danger to sin. Perfect soulhealth is the safest and best condition for resisting and overcoming outward disease.