by John H. Gerstner

Christian perfection is an ideal for which we all must strive. Although there is a double standard of morality in Roman Catholic theology, Protestant Christianity knows no such distinction. The priesthood of all believers is a well-known Reformation principle. The perfection of all believers (as a duty) is another cardinal Protestant principle. Some professing Protestants expect their ministers to be perfect while they think of themselves as under a less demanding ideal. Officers of the church are expected to strive for the ideal, which for the others is regarded as a mere word.

Officers in the church cannot for a moment allow their people to get away with this double standard. Not that there is any objection to demanding perfection of ministers--God does this--but there is an objection to laymen not demanding perfection of themselves. Still, granting all this, there is peculiar propriety in church officers applying themselves to the pursuit of perfection. The fact that all Christians are required by God to be perfect does not make that duty less binding, but even more binding on those who are to lead and correct the people in the things of God. As Matthew Henry observed, the snuffers in the ancient tabernacle were made of pure gold.

The fine theologian W. G. T. Shedd wrote:

It appears singular to the reader of St. Paul's epistles that the apostle in one passage speaks of Christians as perfect, and in another as imperfect. At one time he describes them in terms that would lead us to infer that they are holy as God is holy; and at another, he speaks of them as full of sin and corruption. In the text, he denominates them "the elect of God, holy and beloved," and yet immediately proceeds to exhort them to the possession and practice of the most common Christian graces--such as humility and forgiveness. In a preceding paragraph, he tells the Colossians that they are dead to sin and their life is hidden with Christ in God, and then goes on to urge them to overcome some of the most gross sins in the whole catalogue--"mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:3-5).

The Bible teaches these three things concerning perfection: First, that the Christian is in one sense perfect; second, that in another sense he needs to be perfect; and, third, what he is to do about it. These points will determine our treatment of the theme of the Christian's sanctification.

In What Sense the Christian is Already Perfect
The Bible clearly states that there is a sense in which the Christian is already holy. Colossians 3:12: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."

Christians are already holy and perfect in two respects: First, they are actually justified, or declared righteous; second, they are sanctified (set apart as holy) in principle, or potentially righteous. This first form of holiness is that which is imputed or reckoned to us, namely the holiness of Christ which becomes ours by faith. He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Christ took the guilt of our sin, and we received the merit of His righteousness. We are now clothed in the white garments of the spotless Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. This is the righteousness we received when first we believed. To quote the Catechism: "Justification is an act of God's free grace wherein He pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed unto us, and received by faith alone." So then, in this sense, a person is holy, perfectly holy, from the moment he first becomes a Christian.

We are already holy in a second respect; that is, we are sanctified in principle. We have a new living principle within which is guaranteed to conquer our old and sinful nature. It is so certain that this new principle is dominant, and shall win out over the evil principle which is mortally wounded at conversion, that we Christians are spoken of at times as if we had already won the victory and were already perfectly holy.

This is a common way of speaking. One Friday evening, after working on a paper I was preparing, I reached a stage in my writing where I knew that it was as good as finished. I considered my work virtually completed; the outcome was a practical certainty. To be sure, there was a good deal more work to do, more research to complete, but the work was fundamentally done. So I was able to go mow the lawn with peace of mind. J. W. A. Stewart put it this way: "When the 21st of March has come, we say the back of winter is broken. There will still be alternations of frost, but the progress will be towards heat. The coming of summer is sure; in germ, the summer is already here."

So the believer is holy in the sense that that which is in him is mightier than that which is in the world. The ultimate triumph of this principle of life in Christ Jesus is certain. The saint is as good as sanctified. God's seed abides (1 John 3:9). This is present holiness, which every Christian now possesses, and without which no one will see the Lord.

The holiness of imputed righteousness and principial sanctification are illustrated in the following simile: "The steamship whose machinery is broken may be brought into port and made fast to the dock. She is safe, but not sound. Repairs may last a long time. Christ designs to make us both safe and sound. Justification gives us the first, safety; sanctification gives us the second, soundness." (Quoted by A. H. Strong in Systematic Theology, p. 869).

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This is part nineteen of John H. Gerstner's small book entitled Theology for Everyman, originally published in 1965 (Moody Press, Chicago). That book was subsequently republished in 1991. It has since fallen out of print and we thought it would be good to revisit this book here on the blog. Over the next couple of months, we'll work our way through the book. Here is where we've been so far: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 and Chapter 6.