Tell me right now Skinski, are you prefect like our Father in heaven? Have you already been glorified?
I see you are of the opinion that to teach that "repentance being connected to the cessation rebellion" is somehow equivalent, in your mind, to teaching that "one must be perfect
in every way like God in heaven as well as being glorified."
I think such a connection is a pure fallacy which is being used to excuse a continuance of rebellion. Instead of addressing the particular points I made in my post you ask that question.
I'll run with it though and break it down. Let's see what the Scriptures teach.
I'll first assert that obeying God from the heart having forsaken rebellion does not mean one is perfect like God. In fact the Bible actually speaks of the perfecting of the saints which by necessity implies that a saint is not necessarily perfect (Eph 4:12-13). The perfection in Eph 4:12-13 speaks of the saints coming into the unity of the faith and the fulness of Christ.
There is also this passage in the Bible...
2Co 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Did the Prodigal Son separate himself and come out from among them before he was received by his father? In doing so I wonder if someone would ask the prodigal if he was perfect like his father and had been glorified?
When Jesus taught "be ye perfect" it was in the context of the Sermon of the Mount in which Jesus was teaching about heart purity.
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
G5046
Perfect - teleios
From G5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness: - of full age, man, perfect.
Was Jesus commanding something that was impossible? No, he was talking about being morally perfect in the context of loving God with all your heart soul and mind and loving your neighbour as yourself. Remember he taught that our righteousness must exceed that of the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees who had a form of outward righteousness but were defiled within.
Look at this passage of scripture...
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 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.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be
perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
You asked have I already been glorified. The obvious answer is no and neither had Paul when he wrote that passage. He actually used a word which we translate as perfect in the context of the resurrection of the dead.
G5048
Perfect - teleioō
tel-i-o'-o
From G5046; to complete, that is, (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character): - consecrate, finish, fulfil, (make) perfect.
Yet if we look at verse 15 he uses another word which is translated as perfect and he uses it in the context of those who are already perfect.
G5046
Perfect - teleios
tel'-i-os
From G5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness: - of full age, man, perfect.
You'll notice it is the exact same word as Jesus used in Matt 5:48.
Here is another passage with the word
Perfect (G5046)...
Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
The question I ask you Bookends is...
Why do you have a issue with the cessation of rebellion being associated with repentance in the context of being a mandatory condition for reconciliation to God to take place?
If you deny that the cessation of rebellion is essential for reconciliation to take place and also deny that moral perfection is possible then you have a gospel where a sinner is not truly redeemed from ALL iniquity and made PURE zealous of good works.
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that
he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Is Titus 2:14 true or is salvation a mere judicial cloak for the ongoing rebellion and defilement of a sinner?
Is salvation purely forensic and abstract in nature or is it more than that.
You have the scriptures to lead you to the truth.