What do you think of when you hear the word perfect? Some would say, “Someday I’ll have the perfect job, career, wife, and family. Others would say, “I’ll never be perfect, I’ll never measure up.” We have a bumper sticker that says’ “I’m not perfect just forgiven.” Just hearing the word perfect can create unwanted pressure, performance, dread, and condemnation. Why? because we know our weaknesses, failures, and fears. We say, “I must be perfect to have acceptance, appreciation, and value.” We have a culture that grades us on our performance. Are we striving to be without fault, satisfy all the requirements, and live up to an ideal standard we have for ourselves? It leaves one living in a constant cycle of trying to be good enough. We can even look at the Word of God and feel, “I’ll never measure up to Jesus’s standard.” Jesus was perfect, right? This is what religious legalism does and how it makes us feel. We are under constant condemnation instead of living in the love and grace of God. Webster Dict. defines perfect as being entirely without fault or defect, satisfying all requirements, corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept.
When we talk about being perfect and what the Bible means are they two different things. Look at Genesis 6:8-9 (KJV)-8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. That is quite a reputation. Yet if you read the whole story of Noah getting drunk from wine and naked in his tent. Not so perfect, right? He was a preacher of righteousness ( 2 Peter 2:5). Noah found grace and I believe he had perfect-mature faith, not always perfect-mature actions. The Hebrew Word for perfect is tāmîm-entire, perfect; blameless; sincerity; entire; whole; complete; full. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament. His faith was blameless, sincere, whole, and complete. How we see ourselves and how God sees us is different. Noah found grace in the eyes of God because of His faith, not a perfect life. His faith produced the right actions in his life(Hebrews 11:7 ).
Let’s look at scripture, in Matthew 5:48 (KJV)48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Well, we know God is perfect. He is completely holy, just, and righteous. The Greek Word for perfect is teleios– complete, completeness, ripe, mature, whole, accomplish, consummate. Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. In this chapter, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus doesn’t discuss living a sinless, perfect life. He is talking about matters of the heart not just the act of sin. Remember Jesus is operating under the Law of the Old Covenant as the sinless Son of man. The religious people would see and judge the sin according to the Law and say you’re guilty. Obeying the Mosaic law, the commandments could never make us perfect ( James 2:10). Jesus’s point is what is behind the sin, the heart (Matt 15:19 ). If you deal with the heart and the thoughts you can prevent the act of sin. He ends with verse 48 “be complete, whole, lacking nothing, mature as your Father in heaven is complete, whole, mature, lacking nothing. Here is JMNT-Mat 5:48 “Therefore, you folks will continuously exist being ones that have reached the purposed and destined goal: finished and completed ones; mature and perfected ones – in the same way as your heavenly Father (or: your Father which has the qualities of, and is characterized by, the atmosphere) constantly exists being One that is the goal and destiny: finished, complete, mature, perfect! Jesus is telling us to, “be whole, complete, mature, and reach your destined purpose in Christ.”
If we understand that we are spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess. 5:23 ), how does “perfect” play in these areas? I believe in our Born Again recreated spirit we are perfect, complete, whole, mature, and reached the destined goal by the Father because of and through Christ. He is the Father of spirits( Hebrews 12:9 ).It goes on to say .” the spirits of just men made perfect ( Hebrews 12:23 ). In 1 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV)-17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. We are yoked together with Christ. It is our soul that is in the process of becoming perfect, mature, complete, and whole as we renew our minds with God’s Word ( Phil 3:15 ). Look at Colossians 1:28 (KJV)-28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Also in Philippians 3:12 (NKJV)-12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Our body is just a vehicle that manifests the character of Christ. The Word of God brings about this completeness and maturity. (2 Tim 3:16-17). The goal is Christ-likeness. ( Rom 8:29, Eph 4:13. Gal 4:19 ). especially in the area of our tongue ( James 3:2 ). Our tongue is like a rudder steering the course of our lives.(James 3:3-4 ). A mature Christian knows how to control his tongue.
Why is this all so important? If we are striving to be perfect in a worldly sense, to be performance-driven, to do everything right, and to be better Christians by willpower, self-effort, and religious works we will fall short. If we are trying to be perfect and do everything right to earn God’s love, acceptance, and blessings we will be very frustrated. We will feel more condemned, and more like a failure. Our focus is on what we do rather than what Christ did for us at the cross. Galatians 3:3 (KJV)-3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (John 6:63, Phil. 3:3 ). We are not perfected by adding the commandments and law to our born-again Christian experience. We are saved by grace through faith ( Eph 2:8-9). We are already accepted, and valued by God because of Christ.(Eph 1:6 ).
In 1 Peter 5:10 (KJV)-10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. The Greek word for perfect is a different word it is katartizō–“to render fit, complete” (artios), “is used of mending nets, Matt. 4:21; Mark 1:19, and is translated ‘restore’ in Gal. 6:1.Vine’s Expository Dictionary. We were spiritually dead in trespasses and sin before Christ. When we gave our hearts and lives to Christ we experienced salvation. Our spirit was recreated and we became alive to God. In our spirit, we are perfect yet growing, maturing, reaching our destiny in our soulish area, and walking out Christ-likeness daily. At times we need mending, and restoration. This is in our soulish area. (Mind, will, emotions, personality)The suffering refers to hardships, trials, and persecution. Thank God for the grace of God to empower us, restore, heal, and strengthen us. (2 Cor 12:9 ). God isn’t looking for perfection but he is looking for maturity. This maturity is focused on Christ.
Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)-2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. The Greek Word finisher is perfecter (teleiōtēs) –completer, consummater -Strong’s Talking Greek Dictionary. It is used only once here in this verse. That takes the pressure off of us. Jesus is the perfecter not us of our faith-our life in Christ. No wonder His yoke is easy, his burden is light! ( Matt 11:29-30 ). Worldly Perfection is stagnation, there is no moving forward. Understanding grace, who we are in Christ, and how God sees us is what moves us forward free of any guilt, condemnation, or a works mentality. Philippians 1:6 (KJV)-6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: The word perform comes from epi–teleō-to fulfill, execute, accomplish perfectly. What a promise. Reaching God’s purpose and design goal for my life. It’s all about Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)-10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Amen! You are His poem, his artwork and it is beautiful!
Under the Old Covenant, the Law we could never be perfect before God. It is only through the New Birth, the New Covenant are we perfect in our spirit before God. It is by grace through faith in the work of Jesus on the cross. We are accepted, valued, and blameless in the sight of God not because of our performance but because of what Jesus did for us. We are perfect in Christ. That is to say, again we are perfect in our spirit and walking out that Christ-likeness by renewing our mind to God’s Word. Don’t use the phrase “I’m not perfect”, to justify or excuse bad sinful behavior. That is a fleshly, carnal, and self-centered attitude. Grace empowers us to resist sin. So free yourself from the pressure of trying to be a perfect person. Free yourself from legalism. Focus on Christ. Focus on maturing in the Word of God. Set your mind on the grace and love of God (Col 3:1-3).
Deuteronomy 32:4 (KJV)-4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
In Christ’s love;
Brent and Linda Bushen
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