Saints called perfect — Saints, objects of divine complacency.

and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and lis judgments and his statutes.

Ps. 76: 11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God.-119: 106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgme ts.

Jer. 50: 5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

Ezk. 20: 37 I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. [2 K. 11: 17, Is. 56: 4.] [See 118.]

503. The appellation, “perfect," applied to saints.

Gen. 6: 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

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. 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 an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? [Job 2: 3.]

Ps. 37: 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Pr. 2: 21 The upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.— 11: 5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

1 Cor. 2:6 We speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.

Ph. 3: 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, G reveal even this unto you.

504. Do saints attain any moral perfection in which God delights?

shall

Gen. 5: 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not: for God took him.

Jos. 14: 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day; because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

2 K. 20: 3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

True love, not sinful.

Ps. 11: 7 The righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his rountenance doth behold the upright. -45: 13 The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. -119: 1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.-147: 11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Pr. 8: 17 I love them that love me: and those that seek me early shall find me.-11: 20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

Jn. 13: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 16: 27 The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Rom. 13: 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Th. 2: 10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.

1 Jn. 3: 3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.-4: 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rey. 19: 8 To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. [See 94, 505, 584-5, 659, 672.]

505. Can the "perfect love” of saints be blended with sin?

Ps. 119: 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

Ezk. 36: 26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

Mat. 6: 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and

mammon.

Rom. 13: 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Gal. 5: 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against

Millennial perfection - Inconstant perfection of saints.

the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.

1 Jn. 2: 15 If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.-3: 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.-4: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth, is not made perfect in love. [See 503.]

506. Millennial perfection.

Dt. 30: 6 The LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

Jer. 31: 33 This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. - 32: 39 And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will made an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. -50: 20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve. [See 441.]

507. Inconstant perfection of saints in this life.

2 Ch. 6: 36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near.

Job 9: 20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.40: 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.-42: 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee: 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Ps. 19: 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. 38: 4 Mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink, and are corrupt because of my foolishness. [6-8.]-119: 96 I have

In::nstant perfection Afflictions.

seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceed ing broad.

Pr. 20: 9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I anı pure from my sin?

Ec. 7: 20 There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Is. 6: 5 Then said I, Wo is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Mat. 6: 12 Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 26: 72 Again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man.

Rom. 7: 14 We know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do, I allow not for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. [Verses 16-25.]

Gal. 5: 17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Ph. 3: 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Jam. 3: 2 In many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

1 Jn. 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us. [See 166, 663.]

508. Real saints subjected to occasional afilictions and chastisements.

Heb. 12: 5 Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and Scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Rev. 3: 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten ba zea.ou therefore, and repent. [See 2, 3, 4.]

Self-deceived Perfectionists-Persecution for Righteousness' sake.

509. Would God afflict his people, had they attained perm.ment mora perfection?

Job 36: 8 If they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; 9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

Is. 27: 7 Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? 9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin.

Lam. 3: 32 Though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33 For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

Heb. 12: 10 They verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure: but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

510. Self-deceived perfectionists.

Pr. 30: 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Mat. 19: 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. [See 696, 703–4.]

PERSECUTION.

511. The righteous reproached and persecuted.

Neh. 4: 4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised.

Job 16: 10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the check reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

Ps. 14: 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD. 22: 6 I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 31: 11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. 13 For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while