Apostolic Friends Forum - Perfecting Holiness

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Perfecting Holiness

Quote:

2Co 7:1 KJV Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

While reading 2 Peter 1, one day, I realized what Paul meant by perfecting holiness in 2 Cor 7.

Quote:

2Pe 1:1-11 KJV Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, (3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. (10) Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (11) For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

There are seven things Peter told us that we must add to our faith once we are saved. We HAVE faith when we are saved. Peter said we obtained like precious faith in verse 1. And from verse 5 we are told to ADD seven things to that faith.

We are CALLED TO glory and virtue. In fact, VIRTUE is one of the things we must add to our faith (See verse 5). And when I think of this understanding of having need to ADD to our faith, I think of having escaped Egypt and now in the wilderness in need of going on to Canaan. Canaan always represents spiritual maturity.

We have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (EGYPT), and now must become partakers of his divine nature (Canaan).

This is perfecting holiness.

His divine nature is altogether holy. But the things we add to our faith in order to partake of His divine nature are listed as follows:

1) virtue;
2) knowledge;
3) temperance;
4) patience;
5) godliness;
6) brotherly kindness;
7) charity.

It is interestoing that many who tout the term "holiness" do not really know what some of these elements listed above even are!

Virtue is sort of described as getting a backbone and standing for truth. The others are pretty much self explanatory. But these things make us solid and sure.

They make our CALLING AND ELECTION sure. They make us so we never fall. They make us so we are not barren nor unfruitful. And they make us so that we obtain an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Good post. I believe I have heard this preached on once. Makes one wonder about priorities.

Good thoughts.

These are vital steps toward our spiritual growth. Also noteworthy, is that we are to supply in our faith, virtue or moral courage. Without a base of faith, we have nothing from which to draw moral courage. And so on...

So we have brothers and sisters who have never added to their faith perseverence or patient continuence, for instance. Because they cannot persevere, they have no real base from which to supply godliness or "god-likeness."

Can you tell I've been teaching on this? :D

I taught a series on this several times. Honestly us standard folks do teach other things.:sly

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Epley (Post 151442)

I taught a series on this several times. Honestly us standard folks do teach other things.:sly

Well, I will take you at your word, but the bible says from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume (Post 151392)

While reading 2 Peter 1, one day, I realized what Paul meant by perfecting holiness in 2 Cor 7.

There are seven things Peter told us that we must add to our faith once we are saved. We HAVE faith when we are saved. Peter said we obtained like precious faith in verse 1. And from verse 5 we are told to ADD seven things to that faith.

We are CALLED TO glory and virtue. In fact, VIRTUE is one of the things we must add to our faith (See verse 5). And when I think of this understanding of having need to ADD to our faith, I think of having escaped Egypt and now in the wilderness in need of going on to Canaan. Canaan always represents spiritual maturity.

We have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (EGYPT), and now must become partakers of his divine nature (Canaan).

This is perfecting holiness.

His divine nature is altogether holy. But the things we add to our faith in order to partake of His divine nature are listed as follows:

1) virtue;
2) knowledge;
3) temperance;
4) patience;
5) godliness;
6) brotherly kindness;
7) charity.

It is interestoing that many who tout the term "holiness" do not really know what some of these elements listed above even are!

Virtue is sort of described as getting a backbone and standing for truth. The others are pretty much self explanatory. But these things make us solid and sure.

They make our CALLING AND ELECTION sure. They make us so we never fall. They make us so we are not barren nor unfruitful. And they make us so that we obtain an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Excellent post. Very encouraging.

Do you think this growth is from one stage to another? Where in the state of maturity we can love each other as Jesus loved us -- the last "addition" to our faith being charity?

Is NT holiness ultimately, being matured into the image of Christ, coming to a place where we have true charity and unity?

I may be whislting in the dark here -- but 1COR13 "that which is perfect" could that be true charity?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume (Post 151481)

Well, I will take you at your word, but the bible says from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. lol

Uhoh!

lol

:lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume (Post 151392)

Very good post, Dan Segraves a long time ago, wrote a book and included a chapter about this very theme in that book.

He made the point that virture came before knowledge, some people skip the first step and go for knowledge and that produces pride and ego.

Quote:

Originally Posted by keith4him (Post 151496)

He made the point that virture came before knowledge, some people skip the first step and go for knowledge and that produces pride and ego.

amen to that

Agape is the the ultimate earthly display of Christ-likeness. I would submit that without the preceding spiritual disciplines, we cannot function well in agape.