Perfection Is A Holy Goal ... Not An Accomplishment

Which will be bestowed upon believers, at the end of life's race, in the resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ. Until then there is absolutely nothing, on this earth, perfect.

When Jesus said, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt.5:48), He didn't mean we could ever be as perfect as God, but that, as God is as perfect as it is possible for Him to be, we should strive to be as perfect as it is possible for us to be ... which is not equal to God's absolute, total perfection, but as far as we can go in this flesh. The Greek word "teleios", translated "perfect" in that verse, means "complete or mature".  In another verse, Luke 6:36,  Jesus said, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."  Jesus is simply encouraging us to take on the attributes of God, as His children, to be as much like Him as is humanly possible.  It certainly does not mean that we, in the flesh, will ever be holy, perfect and merciful in equal measure as God. The same is true of Paul's admonition in Phil. 2:5 where he said, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Paul was not suggesting that we could be omniscient, knowing all things, as God, but that we, as Christians, should yield our minds to the Spirit of Christ and to think good and spiritual thoughts as He did.

I have known people, who had been convinced by some professing Christian, that perfection was possible, and they tried so hard to be perfect, but continued to fail over and over until they grew frustrated and gave up trying and quit. Though we will never reach perfection, in the flesh, we should never quit improving, rejecting sin, confessing sin, feeding on God's word and growing in grace.  Though nobody, but Jesus, has ever been absolutely perfect, and equal with God, in these fleshly bodies, we will ... one day be "glorified" and "perfect".... "like unto him"...."Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1Jn.3:2.

In the mean time, please don't try to pass yourself off as perfect. Those who know better will write you off as a dishonest hypocrite, and those who believe you, will struggle through years of effort to be "perfect like you" until they finally give up and think they are either a hopeless sinner or eternally damned.  Do not do that to anyone. That is why the Scripture says,  "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another...." James 5:16.  The Greek word translated "faults" here, isn't necessarily sin. The word means a failing or shortcoming. Confess your sins to God and faults to others only as God leads, with wisdom which will not cause further problems, so that others won't think you are without fault. The point of such confession is to prevent those who admire you from "exalting you  above measure", thinking you are holier than you really are,  as the Apostle Paul explained in 2Cor.12:7 ..."And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, ( he had been caught up to the third heaven) there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. I believe Paul's "throne in the flesh" was poor eyesight. My reasons are, he only signed his name on each of his epistles, having dictated them to a writer... maybe Luke, Mark, Silas or Barnabas. Note in 2Thess.3:17   "The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write."  Also, when he did write his own letter, he emphasized it as in  Gal.6:11..." Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand."  We know for a fact that Paul's letter to the Romans was dictated to someone named Tertius .  "I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord." Rom.16:22. Also contributing to my "poor eyesight" theory is the fact that when he was still Saul of Tarsus, before his conversion, Paul was struck down on the Road to Damascus, was temporarily blinded by a bright light and had to be led by the hand into the city. He was blind for three days, and his sight may not have fully recovered.  

Many preachers make the mistake of leaving the impression they are better than they really are, and thereby influence some to seek to be as holy as the pastor appears to be, not realizing that the pastor himself isn't that perfect either. This often results in their disillusionment with the pastor when they see his faults or they give up on themselves ever pleasing God, because their eyes are on a man rather than on Christ. Intentionally leaving false impressions is lying and can be very harmful. RB