How is it that we are "missing the boat"? I do not deny the power of what Jesus who IS God accomplished. Where you are missing the boat is in stating that sinless perfection is attainable in the flesh - it isn't. The ONLY way Jesus could live a TRULY sinless life so that he could offer that life upon the cross to make atonement for sin is because he IS God. We have already listed the Scripture passages that attest to this - the words of the OT prophets, Jesus' OWN words and those of the NT writers ALL state clearly that he IS God in the flesh.
Does God desire that we live holy lives? Of course! Does he empower us to live for him in victory? Yes! But will we still struggle with sins of commission and omission? YES! We are not yet made perfect on this earth in this body of flesh - though we have a spirit nature that desires to and lives for God and we are clothed in the righteousnes of Christ so that when God looks at us, He sees the perfect sinlessness of Christ. That is why God tells us in Scripture that we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ the righteous. Now why would we need an advocate if we could be sinless? What need would we have for someone to make intercession for us as the Holy Spirit does if we had no need for such? Why were we given instructions for confession to God - who is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness - if He intended us to be able to live without such needs?
But thank you for finally stating what the TRUE reason is for the denial of the deity of Jesus Christ. According to Masters, and you, Jesus was a man who attained perfect holiness and so can we. Right? You say that if Jesus was God and THAT was why he could be sinless, then living a sinless life is "unattainable" for mere men. Right? So how do you explain these Scripture passages:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21)
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:20-28)
It is clear from Scripture that we are NOT saved, born again, because we have attained perfection and sinlessness, but because of God's grace that he gifts to us. We are JUSTIFIED by faith and NOT by our works, or our good deeds, or our sinless living. This, dear Fabian, is the GOSPEL. The good news - that's what "gospel" means. We don't achieve sinlessness by any works that we do - we CANNOT attain sinlessness because we have ALL sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) Being saved is impossible for anyone to attain outside of the free gift of God's saving grace. The "wages of sin is death", Romans 6:23) says. God requires BLOOD to make atonement for sin (Leviticus 7:11), and ONLY blood. That means death pays the penalty for sin. Do you at least admit that you HAVE sinned? Will you agree that you are a sinner and that you accept the grace of God to save you from the penalty of your sins? Unless you have done this, you are STILL dead in your sins. You may believe you no longer sin, but your past sins require atonement - and Jesus is our redeemer, he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
The life I now lead I live by faith in Christ, he has freed me from the eternal punishment for my sins by his shed blood. I cannot save myself, you can't, nobody can. Without Christ, who died in our stead, we would ALL still be dead in our sins, without hope in this world. The power of what Jesus accomplished is that we have been redeemed, we have been saved, we have been made righteous, justified and sanctified by the precious blood of Christ. We do not attain this by what WE do for God. We receive God's grace through faith and we live by that same grace as he empowers us to live victoriously in Christ. It is SO much more than mere humans can accomplish. I pray that you will see your way through to this realization, that you do not allow pride to prevent you from accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior.
There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. (I John 4:18)
It’s getting awful dusty along this road...
The idea that Christians cannot sin, which state the often arrogant Masters claims for himself, has been refuted before, but the assertion that they do not is simply repeated.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " (1 John 1:8-9)
The “we” here includes Christians, and does not refer to being simply sinners by nature, or our past life.
"For in many things we offend all." (James 3:2a)
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation [duplicity, hypocrisy]" (Galatians 2:11-13)
1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The Greek scholar Robertson states,
The present active participle (poiōn) means the habit of doing sin.
1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Sinneth not (ouch hamartanei). Linear present (linear menōn, keeps on abiding) active indicative of hamartanō, “does not keep on sinning.” For menō (abide) see 1Jo_2:6; Joh_15:4-10.
Whosoever sinneth (ho hamartanōn). Present (linear) active articular participle like menōn above, “the one who keeps on sinning” (lives a life of sin, not mere occasional acts of sin as hamartēsas, aorist active participle, would mean).
Hath not seen him (ouch heōraken auton). Perfect active indicative of horaō. The habit of sin is proof that one has not the vision or the knowledge (egnōken, perfect active also) of Christ. He means, of course, spiritual vision and spiritual knowledge, not the literal sense of horaō in Joh_1:18; Joh_20:29.(WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas Robertson)
"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning." (1Jn. 3:7,8)
We see here that John is not speaking in an absolute sense, but as regards overall characteristics, as the lost can do things that are objectively righteous, such as feeding his brethren who are needy, while as seen in Gal. 2:11-13, Christians do sin.
To be perfect, as loving your enemies, blessing them that curse you, doing good to them that hate you, is commanded (Mt. 5:48) and perfection in abiding in Christ by longsuffering faith throughout all trials and temptations, (Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 1Pt. 1:6,7) and not offending in word, (Ja. 3:2) keeping His word and and only serving out of love-motivation, (Jn. 2:5; 4:17,18) is a goal of grace, fulfilling the righteousness of the law. (Rm. 8:4)
But this state is not that of being being born again as Masters teaches, but which occurs in conversion, (Acts 10:43-47; 15:8,9; Eph. 1:13) nor is achieving this a prerequisite for being a Christian and saved, as “God justifies the UnGodly by faith,” (Rm. 4:5) but who evidence that faith as salvific by growing in grace with its fruits, especially in effectual love for the brethren. (Heb. 6:9,10)
For "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit," (Psalms 34:18) and it cannot be said that the criminal on the cross, who went to be with the Lord the same day that he died, (Lk. 23:39-43) had attained perfection of character, nor were all the Thessalonians and Corinthians practically perfect, yet they were told that they would forever be with the Lord had He returned in their day, (1Thes. 4:17), except such as had "not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." (2Cor. 12:21)
Thus they were to examine themselves, whether they were in the faith, (2Cor. 13:5) their lives being characterized by walking in obedience to Christ by the Spirit, doing righteousness as John describes them, and which includes repentance when convicted of not doing do. (1Jn. 1:8,9; Rv. 2:1-6) As true faith is repentant, and this is necessary, so God works to chastens believers back to faith as necessary, so that they will not be condemned with the rest of the world, and also motivates this by warning of making Christ of none effect by falling away. (1Cor. 11:32; cf. Gal. 5:1-4; Heb. 10:35-39) While true faith versus false faith may not always be clearly manifest, 1Jn. describe the overall characteristics of those who have eternal life, which 1Jn. 5:13 refers to, including confessing sin.
Further testimony that complete perfection of character is not a requirement for salvation is seen by the fact that some believers will suffer loss of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ (at His return), because some of the material which they built the church with, insomuch as they did, did not endure the fire which tests faith. And which is a reflection of their character. See my understanding here on 1Cor. 3:8-17 (and which also does not refer to purgatory).