Articles
Perfection
The life of a Christian has many pitfalls put there by the devil. Many of these perils on our path have been seeded by the devil, but have grown to bear fruit within our own psyche. The idea of perfection is something that many people wrestle with thinking that flawlessness is the requirement in certain parts of our lives. Either we need to be perfect at work to get that promotion or bonus, or perfect in school to get that grade, or perfect in our life to get into heaven.
In our Bible we only see one picture of perfection: Jesus the Christ. While in the case of the Hebrews, they had to offer many sacrifices because nothing on this earth, which is of this earth, could forgive sins. (Hebrews 10) Only a perfect offering could do such a thing, and only a human being without sin could be perfect. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus made no error in His life in regards to sin. His choices were the correct choices. The purpose of which is to be righteous, but can we without being perfect as well? Is Heaven truly outside the grasp of we whom "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8)?
The story of David gives us insight to the truth. Acts 13:22b gives us an interesting insight to how God thought about David's character: "I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after My heart, who will do all my will." This man, flawed by definition (Romans 3:23), was a man of obvious flaws to those who have read the story, but of great repentance, and a hunger to do what is right.
A warning is given to us about our attitude, though. We cannot be perfect, but we cannot be lackadaisical in our battle. Romans 6:1 offers the query, "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?" Like David we must always be after God's heart, striving to be like Him, but knowing where we are in that battle.
Paul understood his lack of perfection, but tells the Philippians that, "Not that I have already obtained [the resurrection of the dead (vs. 11)] or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, "because Christ Jesus has made me his own" (Philippians 3:12). Paul knew his state, and knew that Jesus was the bridge over the gap between what he could do in his life, and the perfection which could get him into heaven.
Nobody has to be perfect because "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), making perfection something unobtainable through our own means, but because God did so love the world (John 3:16) we have our means to bridge the gap which we cannot bridge. Being perfect is not the truth. Striving for perfection is the wonderful fight we all continue so that we may all have the life promised to the faithful after this life having been made perfect through grace via the avenue of our wonderful savior.
