and the holy angels shouting praises, how
can you entertain a hope of ever entering that glorious land without
holiness?

Perfection.

Many have stumbled at the command to be perfect. That finite man may be
perfect in this sinful world sounds ridiculous to many unregenerated
hearts. This is because they do not understand God nor his power to
deliver man from sin. With the many exhortations and commands to
perfection contained in the Holy Scriptures is it not singular that man
will yet say, "We can not be perfect in this life"? Many people who oppose
the doctrine of Christian perfection do not at all understand it. They
consider it to be an end of all growth, consequently they do not
understand its nature. There is a perfection of celestial beings not to be
experienced by mortal man; but there is a perfection unmistakably taught
in the Scriptures which Christians are privileged to experience and enjoy
in this life.

Christian perfection relates to right desires and actions and purity of
affections. Paul in closing his epistle to the church at Corinth says:
"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one
mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."
Surely every one must concede that there is a perfection to which
Christians can attain. When Christians are exhorted to be perfect is it
not folly to say, "They can not be perfect"? Could we not with equal
propriety say, "We can not be of good comfort"? "We can not live in
peace"? "The God of love and peace will not be with us"? etc.

The apostle in writing to the Philippian brethren uses language which
clearly implies that some of them had attained to the experience of
perfection. He says, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus
minded." Phil. 3:15. Some of them certainly were perfect. In verse twelve
he does speak of a perfection to which he had not attained. This he
expected to attain in the glory world. Christian perfection is a life that
accords with the Holy Scriptures. Whosoever receives the correction, and
reproving and the instructions in righteousness contained in the Scripture
will become a perfect Christian. 2 Tim. 3:16.

Whosoever lives as the Word of God says that Christians should live, the
same is a perfect man. Paul prays that God would make the Hebrews perfect.
Heb. 13:20, 21. Peter petitions the God of all grace, who hath called us
unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suf