An Unnecessary Advocate?

Tuesday’s post about the Brunstad Christian Church revealed its members believe in sinless perfection. A submission from a former member of BCC on the website BCCTheTruth contains this quote:

“BCC’s main belief is that humans can become like Jesus. Not in a figurative sense; the belief that we can fully eliminate sin from our lives through faith in God.”

Additionally, some groups of sinless perfectionists teach that anyone who does not fully eliminate sin from his life is not genuinely saved. Since it would be a major blow to me to discover in eternity that they are correct about that, let’s have one more look at the doctrine.

Error is Error

When I wrote an earlier post on sinless perfectionism a couple Sundays back, I had yet to find an entire existing modern day denomination that would cop to believing it, but here they are, providing me a convenient occasion to discuss what I consider the major problem with the doctrine of sinless perfection.

BCC is not exactly a huge denomination. As I said in that first post, the error is an obscure one. If BCC is the only denomination that teaches sinless perfectionism consistently, then the heresy afflicts at worst a couple thousand Christians in all of North America. Let’s not worry about it taking over.

Still, error is error, and we should be calling out anything that makes Christ out to be anything less than he truly is, or God’s plan for us defective in any way. Sinless perfectionism is one of those misreadings of scripture.

Two Ministries

One aspect of Christ’s involvement with God on our behalf is called mediation. Jesus is the “mediator of new covenant”. However, it may be argued — and probably should be, if we’re going to be biblical — that the act of mediation was a one-time thing. It was accomplished when the new covenant came into being. In dying on the cross on our behalf, Christ bore our sins and became the initiator of a new way of making a permanent peace with a holy God. His resurrection proved the effectiveness of his mediation.

Therefore, the sinless perfectionist might argue, it is now our job to follow the Lord’s example of living an impeccably perfect life, since the death of Christ has enabled human beings to live as he did, and never mind the scriptures that teach impeccability is impossible in this life. God, these folks would say, not only enables but expects sinless perfection from his children.

Scripture Weighs In

Unfortunately for the sinless perfectionist, there is a second aspect to Christ’s involvement with God on our behalf, which we refer to as his priestly ministry. Scripture calls it intercession and advocacy. The tenses used and the fact that the Son’s eternal nature is necessary to this ministry tell us this aspect of Christ’s work is ongoing:

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

These verses describe not just something Christ has done for us, but something he continues to do.

A Present and Continuous Ministry

As our advocate and intercessor, Christ is able to defend us against every accusation raised against us on earth or in heaven, and those accusations are coming in night and day, 24/7. He does this not by making excuses for our misbehavior as a human lawyer might for a precocious client, but by standing as evidence that the price for all our sins — past present and future — has already been fully paid in his own precious blood. Perhaps this is one reason he continues to bear the marks of his crucifixion in his resurrection body.

Emery compares the Lord’s two ministries as follows:

“These two ministries of Christ may thus be compared. His work of mediation was effected on earth, through his finished work on the cross; His work of advocacy is effected in heaven, the work on the throne, but on the ground of His propitiatory sacrifice. The former is past and final, but the latter present and continuous. As a Mediator He ‘brings us to God’; as Advocate He maintains us before the Father.”

I think that’s the best summary I’ve come across.

Why an Advocate?

Now, if the work of Christ in interceding and advocating for us is ongoing, there must be a reason God gave him that continuous ministry. Why would we need an advocate with the Father or an intercessor at his right hand if we are already not only equipped but expected to fully eliminate sin from our lives through diligent self-control of our thinking and behavior?

To me, any doctrine that boils down to “less Christ, more me” is a problem teaching. Sinless perfectionism blunders directly into that error, in that it eliminates the need for Christ’s ongoing priestly ministry on our behalf.

Now, should we make more use of Christ’s advocacy on our behalf than absolutely necessary by sinning so that grace may increase? Never. Heaven forbid. But do we have an unnecessary advocate or a superfluous intercessor in our great High Priest? Far be it from Christians to believe that.