IF GOD DIDN’T MAKE LITTLE GREEN APPLES IN MINNEAPOLIS
There is a false doctrine called “sinless perfection” that teaches that we can reach a state in this life where it becomes impossible for us to sin. We are NOT teaching this false doctrine. However, there is another false doctrine, which teaches that ‘we cannot keep from sinning”! Please carefully note the difference:
LIE #1: ‘Impossible to sin.” = ‘Sinless perfection”
LIE #2: ‘Impossible to keep from sinning”. = Lie of the devil.
THE TRUTH: ‘Possible NOT TO sin!!!” = Given the POWER of God, and the Grace of God, and the Spirit of God, and the Life of God, and the Word of God, and the King’s Greatest Secret, etc, etc. etc.!
Paul, in Philippians 3, uses the word ‘perfect’ in two different ways. In verse 12 he says he’s not perfect and inverse 15, he says that he IS!!! (I wonder why we only always hear that he’s not?) Imagine, if you will, a little green apple, just barely past the blossom stage, a little bitty nubbin of a thing. But it’s perfect! No worms, germs, dust, crust, must or rust. It’s not dashed, bashed, crashed, slashed, hashed or gnashed. And now, can you picture a perfectly perfect apple that’s ruby, rudy, rosy, red, ripe and juicy’? If it were any more ripe, it would be rotten: and if it were any less ripe it would be sour and woody. Please ask yourself this question. What particular things are necessary for a smaller apple’s growth and development into this mature apple? Are bruises, or worms necessary? Is ‘hanging in there”necessary? - To endure the long cold nights? - The hot summer days, the wind, and rain? Some folks seem to think that rebellion, backslidings, detours, lapses, luke-warmness, wrong attitudes and spastic silliness are all necessary to our growth and development in God. There IS a discipline, but it is a discipline that pertains to the new person or new man in Christ Jesus, and not the old man or old self or nature. The old life HAS BEEN crucified with Christ - not ‘is being”. We don’t believe in beating the dead carcass. That would be wasted effort, and futile. (Rom. 6)
So, we see that the flesh is neither good nor bad, in or of itself, BUT depending upon the use to which it is put. Adam, before he fell, had flesh, and our redeemed bodies will be flesh. Even Jesus had flesh! Hebrews 5 speaks of Jesus, ‘Who in the days of His flesh - - offered up prayers with strong crying and tears - - and - - though He were a Son, yet He learned obedience through the things which He suffered. And BEING MADE PERFECT, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.”
Wasn’t Jesus already perfect? Of course! But here we see that He also needed to “become perfect”! Can we be perfect in the I John 1:9 ‘cleansed from ALL unrighteousness” sense? Of course, but we also need to become perfect in the ripe apple sense of ‘growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Son of God” and in the sense of Paul’s pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” - the fulfillment of our adventures and destinies and callings of God!!!
Good news! We can be totally forgiven now, and the power of God and His Life within, can KEEP us pure, but we can grow in increasing levels of faith and love and encouragement. Our increasing appreciation of God and His creation need never cease!!!