***The command to be "perfect" is a legitimate command, but as you might guess, no being except God will ever attain to the perfection of God.***
Well, take your complaint up with fortheDeclaration. He is the one who thinks that it is unfair: "God never commands anything that we are unable to do, only unwilling."
Perhaps you Arminians might ought to huddle up and figure out what is fair and what is not fair. Obviously, some of you think that, because God commanded it that man must be able to do it, in this case, be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect. Of course, that is the very heart of Pelagius' error. He, too, thought that man followed Adam's example into sin and thought that man could obey God's commands, which is exactly what this belief of some of you Arminians leads to.
In the service of the Lord,
Christian.
I stated that it must mean otherwise than some take it to mean.
For example, if I had said to George Patton Jr., "Be a soldier, as you Father was a soldier." that could mean "Your father was a 4 Star General, and you should achieve that, too."...."To the same degree be a soldier..."
Or it could mean simply, "Be a soldier, regardless of the rank you attain."...."In the same tradition be a soldier"
What we Arminians do is actually read the Bible.
You should try it once in a while, it would clear up alot of confusion in your mind (but maybe God has simply not decreed you to understand these truths, so it is really His fault-praise God)
Check the context out of the passage you cite.
The passage is dealing in context, with the Father's kindness not His sinlessness.
The word implies full development, growth into maturity of godliness, not sinless perfection. see Eph.4:12-13. (Scofield note-p.1001)
Imagine a Christian who could say that God could be dishonest!
What a 'faith'you guys have!
The command for unregenerate man is to be saved (Jn.6:29, Acts.17:30) which he can do if he will accept the free gift of salvation (Jn.3:16)
The regenerate man (saved, born again) is told to 'walk by faith'and 'grow in the knowledge and wisdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ'(2Pe.3:18) and provides the filling and indwelling of the Holy Spirit do so (1Cor.3:16).
So, God never asks man to do anything man cannot do, but man fails because man will not do it.
Either at the point of salvation or at the point of spiritual growth.