Perfecting Holiness, what does it mean?

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Hobie

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We know what being cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, but what is "perfecting holiness".
2 Corinthians 7:1
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.

Is it sinless obedience? Now we have in Gods Word the following verses that show those who were to this point of sinless obedience..
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. . . .

Job 1:8
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

And He repeats it...
Job 2:3
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

This equating of Job’s perfection with sinless obedience is demonstrated further in what we see here..

Job 1:22
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Despite the trials put on him we find that Job “sinned not”, and we see more in his defense of God..

Job 2:10
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

So we begin to see what Paul means in this verse when he says is "perfecting holiness" attaching "in the fear of God"..
 

Ronald David Bruno

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Nov 7, 2020
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We know what being cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, but what is "perfecting holiness".
2 Corinthians 7:1
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.

Is it sinless obedience? Now we have in Gods Word the following verses that show those who were to this point of sinless obedience..
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. . . .

Job 1:8
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

And He repeats it...
Job 2:3
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

This equating of Job’s perfection with sinless obedience is demonstrated further in what we see here..

Job 1:22
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Despite the trials put on him we find that Job “sinned not”, and we see more in his defense of God..

Job 2:10
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

So we begin to see what Paul means in this verse when he says is "perfecting holiness" attaching "in the fear of God"..
Holy means separate. God separates us from the curse of sin. But we cannot continue to satisfy the lust of the flesh, we must mortify it, die to it. This means being obedient, cooperating with Him. He is doing a work in us, sanctifying us.
"Be perfect as your Father ...". That seems impossible for us; and without His Grace, we could not. He enables us to abide in Him. it's not like we can receive the gift and go on living as we once did. He has prepared works, things that we are to do and when His work is accomplished, it is in that moment, perfect - not that we are perfect all the time, but when that Holy Spirit does a work in us, it is perfect. His sovereignty is historically all these moments of perfection of the billions of souls that make up His Body, continuing through til His ultimate plan is accomplished. We participate in His perfect plan. He gets the credit and at the end, He gives us a "Well done good and faithful servant" for cooperating.