An Urgent Call to   
Christian Perfection 
An Exposition of the Doctrine of Christian Perfection 
by Tom Stewart
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest. 
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
For I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light
( Matthew 11:28-30). 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
  
    | Preface | 
  
  
     | 
  
  
    | I. | 
    Unrealistic Idea of Perfection? or, Are We Compassed About With So Great a Cloud of Witnesses?  | 
  
  
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    A.  | 
    Andrew Murray : Be Perfect: A Devotional Study of Christ 's Command  (1893)  | 
  
  
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    B. | 
    John Wesley A Plain Account of Christian Perfection  (1767) | 
  
  
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    C.  | 
    Charles G. Finney:Finney 's Systematic Theology  (1846)  | 
  
  
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    | II.  | 
    Be Perfect; What Saith the Scripture? | 
  
  
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    A.  | 
    It is commanded.  | 
  
  
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    B.  | 
    We are able to obey the command.  | 
  
  
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    C.  | 
    Christians are perfect.  | 
  
  
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    D.  | 
    Perfect means sanctified.  | 
  
  
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    E.  | 
    Sanctification is fact.  | 
  
  
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    F.  | 
    Sanctification is entire.  | 
  
  
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    G.  | 
    Perfect means perfect heart.  | 
  
  
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    H.  | 
    Perfect means sinless.  | 
  
  
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    | III.  | 
    Back to the Basics: The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ | 
  
  
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    A. | 
    Laying again the foundation | 
  
  
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    B. | 
    Existence of God | 
  
  
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    C.  | 
    Faith in God  | 
  
  
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    D.  | 
    Repentance of sin  | 
  
  
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    E.  | 
    Sin  | 
  
  
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    1.  | 
    Scriptural definition of sin  | 
  
  
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    a.  | 
    Transgression of the law  | 
  
  
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    b. | 
    All unrighteousness /td>
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    c.  | 
    Whatsoever is not of faith  | 
  
  
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    d.  | 
    Knoweth to do good, and doeth it not | 
  
  
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    2. | 
    In Adam 's fall, we sinned all? | 
  
  
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    3. | 
    Sin is criminal. | 
  
  
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    4. | 
    Objections answered | 
  
  
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    a. | 
    Genesis 5:3 | 
  
  
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    b. | 
    Job 14:4 | 
  
  
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    (1) | 
    Death to the sinner | 
  
  
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    (2) | 
    The flesh is the opportunity. | 
  
  
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    (3) | 
    Sin had physical consequences. | 
  
  
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    (4) | 
    Physical depravity is the physical consequence of sin. | 
  
  
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    c. | 
    "No man that sinneth not" | 
  
  
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    d. | 
    Psalm 51:5 | 
  
  
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    e. | 
    Psalm 58:3 | 
  
  
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    f. | 
    Romans 5:12 | 
  
  
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    g. | 
    Ephesians 2:3 | 
  
  
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    | IV. | 
    Complete: Our Salvation from Sin | 
  
  
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    A. | 
    How clean is clean? | 
  
  
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    1. | 
    1 John 1:7 | 
  
  
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    2. | 
    1 John 1:9
      
        
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          3. | 
          Titus 2:13-14 | 
         
        
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          4. | 
          1 John 3:5 | 
         
        
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          5. | 
          John 1:29 | 
         
        
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          6. | 
          Psalm 51:9 | 
         
        
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          7. | 
          Matthew 1:21 | 
         
        
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          8. | 
          Romans 6:18 | 
         
        
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          B. | 
          What must we do to be free from sin? | 
         
        
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          1. | 
          1 Corinthians 15:34 | 
         
        
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          2. | 
          Hebrews 12:1 | 
         
        
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          3. | 
          Hebrews 12:14 | 
         
        
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          4. | 
          Ephesians 1:4 | 
         
        
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          5. | 
          1 Peter 1:16 | 
         
        
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          C. | 
          Compare those who commit sin to those who commit righteousness. | 
         
        
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          1. | 
          1 John 3:6 | 
         
        
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          2. | 
          1 John 5:18 | 
         
        
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          3. | 
          1 John 3:9 | 
         
        
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          4. | 
          1 John 3:7-8 | 
         
        
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          5. | 
          1 John 3:10 | 
         
        
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          | V. | 
          Christ: Our Saviour from Sin | 
         
        
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          A. | 
          Who is Christ ? | 
         
        
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          1. | 
          Jesus (literally, Saviour) | 
         
        
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          2. | 
          The Lamb of God | 
         
        
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          3. | 
          His Blessed Son Jesus | 
         
        
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          4. | 
          The Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body | 
         
        
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          5. | 
          Our Redeemer from All Our Iniquity | 
         
        
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          6. | 
          Mercy Seat for Our Sins | 
         
        
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          7. | 
          In Him Should All Fullness Dwell | 
         
        
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          8. | 
          The Hope of Glory | 
         
        
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          a. | 
          Necessity of the Christian to continue | 
         
        
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          b. | 
          Scope of what it means to continue | 
         
        
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          (1) | 
          Continue in the love of God. | 
         
        
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          (2) | 
          Continue in the grace of God. | 
         
             
      
        
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          (3) | 
          Continue in the faith. | 
         
        
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          (4) | 
          Continue in the goodness of God. | 
         
        
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          (5) | 
          Continue in prayer. | 
         
        
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          (6) | 
          Continue in the doctrine. | 
         
        
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          (7) | 
          Continue in brotherly love. | 
         
        
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          9. | 
          The Very God of Peace | 
         
        
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          10. | 
          Our Sanctification | 
         
        
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          B. | 
          Christian perfection is to appropriate Christ by faith in all of His offices, capacities, and relations to meet our every need in life. | 
         
        
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          | VI. | 
          Christian Perfection: "Almost Thou Persuadest Me"? | 
         
        
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          A. | 
          Romans 7, especially verses 14 through 25 | 
         
        
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          1. | 
          The dominion of the law (vv.1-3) | 
         
        
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          2. | 
          Deliverance from the law (vv.4-6) | 
         
        
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          3. | 
          The distress of sin (vv.7-13) | 
         
        
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          4. | 
          The Slough of Despond (vv.14-24) | 
         
        
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          5. | 
          The dawn of deliverance (v.25) | 
         
        
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          6. | 
          Victory! (Romans 8) | 
         
        
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          B. | 
          1 John 1:8 | 
         
        
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          C. | 
          Philippians 3:12 | 
         
        
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          D. | 
          1 Timothy 1:15 | 
         
        
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          | VII. | 
          Christ: The Example of Christian Perfection | 
         
        
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          A. | 
          That God became man is astounding! | 
         
        
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          1. | 
          Prophecy | 
         
        
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          2. | 
          Fulfillment | 
         
        
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          3. | 
          In the likeness of sinful flesh | 
         
        
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          4. | 
          Made under the law | 
         
        
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          a. | 
          The law is holy. | 
         
        
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          b. | 
          Justification is by faith. | 
         
        
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          c. | 
          The law is still necessary. | 
         
        
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          d. | 
          The law is not ceremonial, but moral. | 
         
        
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          e. | 
          The purpose of the law is to define sin. | 
         
        
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          f. | 
          Christ upholds the law perfectly. | 
         
             
      
        
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          g. | 
          The law completely points to Christ . | 
         
        
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          h. | 
          Christ expects perfect obedience to His law. | 
         
        
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          B. | 
          That Christ became our servant is humbling! | 
         
        
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          C. | 
          That Christ suffered for us is sanctifying! | 
         
        
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          | Urgent Call-Conclusion | 
         
        
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          | Christ's Roll Call of Christian Perfection | 
         
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