Bible verses about "perfectionism" | Thomson

¹⁵ For the law operateth to produce wrath; for where there is no law, there is no transgression.

¹ Therefore laying aside all malice, and all deceit, and every kind of hypocrisy, envy and slander, ² like newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that by it you may thrive. ³ Since you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, ⁴ to whom you are come as to a living stone, by men indeed rejected, but with God chosen and precious, ⁵ and you yourselves as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ; ⁶ on which account also there is in the scripture this passage, "Behold I lay in Sion a chosen, precious, chief corner stone, and he who confideth in it, shall not be ashamed," ⁷ this honour then being for you who believe: but to the disbelieving, "the stone, which the builders rejected that which was for the head of the corner," ⁸ is indeed a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence. They disbelieving the word stumble at the thing for which they were laid: ⁹ but you being a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people peculiarly set apart that you may publish the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light ¹⁰ you who formerly were not a people but are now the people of God who were uncompassionated, but are now compassionated ¹¹ beloved; I beseech you as strangers and sojourners to abstain from carnal lusts, which war against the soul: ¹² let your behaviour among the nations be virtuous, that when they speak against you as evil doers, they who have been eye witnesses may from your good works glorify God in the day of visitation. ¹³ Be subject therefore to every human establishment for the Lord's sake, whether to a king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governor as persons sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them who do well. ¹⁵ For it is the will of God that you should by such good behaviour curb the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ As freemen, but not like those who use their freedom as a cover for wickedness, but as servants of God ¹⁷ honour all men, love the brotherhood; fear God; honour the king. ¹⁸ You who are servants, be subject to your masters with reverence, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the morose. ¹⁹ For this is pleasing, if from a conscientious regard to God one endureth grief suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what glory is it, if when you commit a fault and are beaten, you suffer patiently? But if when acting well you meet with ill usage, and bear it, this is well pleasing in the sight of God. ²¹ For to this you have been called, because Christ himself suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps, ²² "Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth"; ²³ who when he was reviled, did not revile again, when he suffered, did not threaten; but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously; ²⁴ who himself offered up our sins in his own body on the cross, that we, being freed from those sins, might live for righteousness; "by whose stripes you have been healed." ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray, but are now brought back to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

³¹ He is mighty whose way is blameless. The word of the Lord is strong; is tried. He is the defender of all them who trust in him

¹⁵ Whereupon he said to them, You are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts. Because that which is high among men, is an abomination in the sight of God,

¹ Now as for me, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come with a pomp of language or of wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God; ² for I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ, even that crucified person; and ³ with regard to myself, I was among you in weakness and in fear, and in great trembling; ⁴ and my discourse and my proclamation was not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, ⁵ that your belief might not be by the wisdom of men, but by the power of God. ⁶ We, however, speak wisdom among them who are perfect, but a wisdom not of this age, nor of the chiefs of this age to whose operations a stop is put; ⁷ but we speak a mysterious wisdom of God that hidden [wisdom] which God determinately marked out for the benefit of the ages, to our glory ⁸ which none of the chiefs of this age knew [for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of the glory] ⁹ things indeed, which as it is written, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived; " which God hath prepared for them who love him; ¹⁰ and which God hath revealed to us by his spirit. For this spirit searcheth all things, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For who of mankind knoweth the things of a man, but only the spirit of the man which is in him? So no one knoweth the things of God, but the spirit of God only. ¹² Now we have not received the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is from God, that we may know the things which God hath freely granted to us; ¹³ which things we indeed speak, not in set words of human wisdom, but in the dictated words of a holy spirit, explaining spiritual things by spiritual words. ¹⁴ Now an animal man receiveth not those dictates of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them, because they are to be spiritually examined; ¹⁵ but the spiritual man examineth all things, and is himself examined by no man. ¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Who can instruct him? As for us we have the mind of Christ.

³ Are you so unwise? Having begun with spirit are you now perfecting your selves with flesh?

² for in many instances we all offend. If any one offend not in discourse he is a perfect man, and able to bridle in the whole body.

²⁰ Because there is not a righteous man on earth who will do good and not commit sin,

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful, and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹² not that I have already received, or am yet made perfect, but I continue the pursuit, that I may lay hold that for which I have been laid hold on by the Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold on it, but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and intent on the things before, ¹⁴ I press forward to the mark, for the prize of the call of God from above by Christ Jesus.

¹ There is then no condemnation now to them who are in Christ Jesus and who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. ² For the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the law of sin and death; ³ for as it was out of the power of the law to do this, inasmuch as it was weak through the flesh, God having sent his own son in a likeness of sinful flesh, and to be a sin offering, hath condemned this sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the morality of the law might be confirmed by us who walk not after flesh, but after spirit: ⁵ for they who are followers of flesh have their minds bent on the things of the flesh; but the followers of spirit, on the things of the spirit. ⁶ For the bent of the flesh is death; but the bent of the spirit is life and peace. ⁷ Because the bent of the flesh is enmity to God, [for it is not in subjection to the law of God, nor indeed can be,] ⁸ they therefore who are in a carnal state cannot please God. ⁹ But you are not in a carnal state, but in a spiritual state, if indeed the spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any one hath not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰ But if Christ be in you, the body indeed is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive, because of a justification; ¹¹ and if the spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he who hath raised up the Christ from the dead will quicken even those dead bodies of yours by his spirit which dwelleth in you. ¹² Therefore we, brethren, are not debtors to the flesh, that we should live according to the flesh; ¹³ for if you live according to the flesh, you are dying; but if you by the spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the spirit of God, are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶ This very spirit beareth joint witness with our spirit that we are children of God; ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ if we suffer with him so that with him we may also be glorified. ¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be set against that glory which is about to be revealed for us. ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of mankind is waiting for the manifestation of the children of God. ²⁰ For to vanity this creation was subjected, not as a voluntary agent, but by him who subjected it to a hope ²¹ that this very creation shall be freed from the slavery of this corruption, that it may enjoy the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that this whole creation are groaning together, and even till now are all in pain as a woman in travail. ²³ Nay, even they who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves are groaning within ourselves, waiting for an adoption the redemption of this body of ours. ²⁴ For to this hope we have escaped. Now hope which is attained, is not hope; for why should one hope for that which he enjoyeth. 25 But if we hope for what we do not enjoy, we wait for it with patience,

²⁶ and in such a manner as the spirit joineth in helping our infirmities: for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit itself intercedeth for us with groans which cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And he who searcheth the hearts knoweth the bent of the spirit, that it pleadeth for saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that all things are working together for good to them who love God"to them who according to a previous purpose are now actually called. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew, even these he marked out beforehand to be of a form the same as that of the image of his son, that he might be a first born among many brethren. ³⁰ And those whom he marked out beforehand he actually called, and those whom he called, even these he acquitted, and those whom he acquitted even these he glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely grant us all things? ³³ Who shall lodge an accusation against them whom God hath chosen? God who acquitteth? ³⁴ who is he who shall condemn? Christ who died? Rather indeed who is raised up, who is actually at the right hand of God, and who maketh intercession for us? ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of the Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ [As it is written, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long, And accounted as sheep for slaughter" ³⁷ We indeed in all these things are more than conquerors by means of him who hath loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created being shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁸ If we say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹ Whereupon he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is perfected in weakness. Therefore I will with the greatest pleasure, rather boast of my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may shelter me. ¹⁰ I feel therefore a complacency in weaknesses, in reproaches, in difficulties, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ; for when I am weak, then am I strong.