Cleansed and Abiding: A Proposed View of Christian Perfection

"Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." -Jesus Since He uttered these words, Jesus' followers have often been quite puzzled over their meaning. How can anyone be 'perfect'? Isn't sin inevitable for all humans, even those who've given their lives to Christ? Over the centuries various theologians from various traditions have attempted to describe what it means--and what it DOESN'T mean--to "be perfect." Some Christians have claimed to have reached a state of perfection in which they no longer struggle with sin. Others have claimed that perfection is an unattainable goal so long as we are in this fleshly body. Cleansed and Abiding seeks to offer an alternative view of Christian 'perfection' than those which are commonly associated with the term. Though this is indeed a controversial doctrine (and has been for hundreds of years!), it need not be a divisive one. Believers all agree on the reality of sin, the necessity of sanctification, and the fact that Scripture calls us to somehow be 'perfect.' How these are worked out in detail is where the differences lay. It is for the purpose of clarifying the debate that this book is offered. Not every reader will be persuaded by the view proposed in its pages, but hopefully every reader will be persuaded that holiness is not some minor point of doctrine meant only to be pondered by theologians safely within the confines of academic debate. Rather, it is the call of Jesus on the life of every person who claims to be His follower.