withoutspotorblemish

Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:48, instructs all of His disciples to, "Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Perfect means, spiritually complete or finished, without spot or blemish, without sin. Christ said the Father in heaven is perfect, without spot, or blemish, without sin, and He says His true disciples are to be, or become as He is. Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, commanded Abraham, the father of many nations, in Genessis 17:1,----"I am the almighty God: walk before Me, and be you perfect." This was said to Abraham only a short time before God tested him, to see if Abraham truly would obey God, and God's first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me." When God tested Abraham to see if he would put the life of his own, greatly loved, flesh and blood, son, before God and His commandments, Abraham passed the supreme test of his life. Abraham proved to His Lord that he loved God more than his own son. Abraham walked in the Spirit before God and became perfect, came to be without sin, without spot, or blemish, and Christ said because of his obedience to Him, He really knew Abraham, Gen. 22:12.

What about the seed of, or decendents of Abraham, are they to walk before God and be perfect--without spot, or blemish? Christ commanded His disciples early in their life, even before their conversion, to "be you perfect," to grow to be converted, by growing to be spiritually mature and complete, a finished spiritual work to the point in their life, whereas, they are without spot or blemish--perfect! Later, after Christ's death and resurrection, Christ appeared before the disciples and asked Peter did he love these (fellow brethren and disciples) more than he loved Christ, and Peter answered that he did, and went on to prove that he did love Christ first and foremost, by serving and feeding Christ's sheep and lambs. Peter and the other apostles such as, John, Paul and James became perfect before Christ before their death.

Christ, through the writings of Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, in the 5th chapter, was instructing the church brethren to, "be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is," verse 17, "be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit," verse 18. After Paul warns the Ephesians, in verses 3-6, which is a warning to all professed to be, brethren of Jesus Christ, that the sins of "fornication (all unlawful sex acts), all uncleanness, coveteousness (idolatry), as well as filthiness, nor foolish talking, (vain or obscene language), and jesting--speaking in a light, put down, and joking way, against Christ, the teachings of Christ's Word, and eternal life, that these sins should "not even be named once among the brethren, as becoming saints." Christ says know this, that brethren with such sins, "will not inherit God's Kingdom."

Paul goes on to say in verses 11-13, that Christ's true brethren are to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (brethren as such) but reprove them," or expose them by the light, those sins and things done in secret. In verse 11, Paul says the brethren, representing the church, are to be cleansed "with the washing of water by the Word." Paul continues by saying , ---"That He, Christ, might present it (the church) to Himself, a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish (without sins and offences)," Ephesians 5:27. Christ, through His servant Paul, in verses 21-23, uses the husband and wife relationship, and love they should have for each other, to give the example of how Christ's love is to the church, and how the church should be to Him, as their Head, and their submission, respect, and love to each other, in the body of Christ.

Do brethren desire to be without spot and blemish? Do brethren today, confessing to be of the body of Christ, desire to be perfect as their Father in heaven is perfect? Do they even believe that this is possible, through the working power of God's Holy Spirit? Whenever these and other like verses about being perfected, to be without sin, are taught and are the instructions, inspirations, corrections and exhortations of God's Word to the church, there is nearly always a rebuttal and argument, "that no one is perfect, nor no one can become perfect, without spot and blemish." They nearly always run to their favorite, church taught, but misunderstood, mis-interpreted, Scriptures, such as, Romans 7:5-25, and I John 1:8, to justify their sins, to justify their church's traditional teaching, and to justify their lack of spiritual growth, which only proves their lack of submission, and desire to become without spot and blemish! They usually always give the Worldwide Church's taught answer, of understanding and teaching, that perfection will only come at the resurrection, when, as they have been taught, they all, at that time will be "born anew, or again," to be perfect. For those that have ears to hear, it will be too late at that time to overcome your sins, and become without spot and blemish!

Yet, at the same time that brethren of the churches of God, will not accept the admonition of Christ, to be without spot or blemish, they, on the other hand, can't understand why they can't all be unified. Look at what Christ prayed and teaches in John 17:11, "that all of the disciples given to Christ by the Father, are to be as one, as Christ and the Father as are one." Also again in verses 17-23, He states that His disciples are to be sanctified, set apart, by His Word, and are to be one in Christ, and the Father, v. 21--"That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us---", v. 23-- "I in them, and you in me , that they may be made perfect in one;----" (at one) without spot and blemish, perfect in love.

Paul, in II Corinthians 13:11, exhorts the "brethren to be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind.-----" In Galations 3:3, Paul said to the church brethren of the Galatian Church of God, "Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?" Because after they had begun their Christian life in the spirit, they thought they could be made perfect, complete in the spirit, without spot and blemish, by the flesh. It is the same thinking in the Churhes of God today! Brethren think by being baptized, and having begun in the Spirit, that they can continue to live by the flesh, and they will be made perfect at the resurrection. Paul, in Romans 8:6, says, those living by the flesh will not receive eternal life. Church brethren living by the flesh, are not desiring perfection in Christ, so their conversion to be spiritually minded, creates the mindset they can never be without spot and blemish.

Without question, this is one of the main reasons they cannot understand unity in the spirit, or Christ's teaching on being born again, to be converted to become completely developed in the spirit, whereas, Christ lives in them, and whereby they know Christ, and Christ knows them, and lives in them. Even though starting out as babes in Christ, if they do not develop spiritually, by and through the power of God's Holy Spirit, they will be aborted spiritually, and cut off from God's Kingdom. Many church brethren have accepted the false teaching that to become perfect, without spot or blemish, is an unattainable goal! They are deceived, and do not realize that this false doctrine is all part of the gospel of man, his church government in the flesh, and Satan's teaching, and denys the power of God's Spirit. II Tim. 3:5--"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Why would God give a command to the brethren, that is unattainable and impossible?

Christ says in His word in Ephesians 4:11-15, "That He gave some apostles: and some, prophets: and some, eveangelists: and some pastors and teachers: v. 12. For the PERFECTING of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: v. 13, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT man, unto the measure of the stature (maturity) of the fullness of Christ." Christ goes on to say through Paul, that the children of God are not to be tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of false doctrine, but speaking truth in love. Is this the situation in the churches today?

Where are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors today that are teaching perfection, and teaching God's children are to be, or become perfect--without spot and blemish? The only ones that are around today, that are teaching brethren to be perfect, is the apostles, evangelists and pastors in the Word of God, and they are the only ones a believer can truly trust, knowing that God has approved their teachings, they speak, or write with inspiration, and they do not have to be questioned!

Paul said in Colossians 1:28, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we, (he and his company of servants), may present every man perfect, (spiritually mature, without spot and blemish) in Christ." In Colossians 4:12, Paul speaks of one of Christ's servants, "Ephaphras, who was "Always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Once again, perfect means without spot, or blemish, and complete, (spiritually mature) in all the will of God!" Paul was speakiing of perfection in their life time, not at the resurrection!

Christ says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect(complete and mature spiritually, without spot or blemish), throughly furnished unto all good works," II timothy 3:16-17.

If one studies the parable of Christ in Luke 14:28-30, you will see that Christ is instructing His disciples to finish the spiritual work that the Father has started in them. In verses 28-30, Christ says--- "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he has sufficient to finish it? Lest haplly, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finsh it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish." In verse 30, Christ gives the conclusion of this parable by saying-- "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that the has, he cannot be my disciple," and is like salt that has lost its flavor, is not fit for the land or even a dunghill, verses 34 and 35. Any brethren that refuses to finish the work that the Father and Jesus Christ has started in them, by not giving up the flesh, and forsaking all the desires of the flesh and all its pursuits, that stand in the way of your entering God's Kingdom, and is preventing you from becoming perfect in the spirit, to grow to spiritual maturity, and to be without spot, or blemish, will be cast off as salt that has lost its flavor.

Are you one that has began to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, but you are not able finish His work in you? Why is this? Is it because you have accepted a false theology taught by man, that Christ's called and chosen disciples can never be able to come to be without sin, to be without spot or blemish, in this present life, which in reality, denies God's mighty power to do His work in you, and denies Jesus Christ living His life in you?

Jude warned the brethren of his day and today, even though He has called you out of Egypt, that does not mean that he will save you, verse 5, because when brethren speak evil of those things (Christ's Word) that they know not, verse 10, they corrupt themselves. Jude continues with Woe unto them, verse 11, brethren, that follow men such as Cain, who do not understand about the blood sacrifice of Christ and its relation to sin, or who follow men such as Balaam, who desire the tithe check and preache a stumbling theology, or whatever he has been told to receive that bit of money, or brethren that follow men such as, Core who belittles, puts down, contradicts what the true servants of Christ and His Word says. Jude says these are spots in your feasts, feeding themeslves without fear, clouds without water (God's Spirit), to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, verses 12-13. Jude then in verses 24-25 encourages the brethren to look to Christ, the only wise God, our Saviour to finish His work in you, and "that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless (without blame, without spot or blemish, without sin) before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy--"