Made perfect in Christ

 

People used to call me a perfectionist. I resented it because in my mind, every person should do the best they can. Not only that, it seemed to me that most folks could excel or at least improve if they tried harder.

Then one pastor said, “If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly.” That made me think about my motivations. Was I restricting my activities to only the tasks that I could do well? Was I unwilling to attempt anything that I knew would not turn out well? Was ‘doing poorly’ a threat to me?

I still think that doing the best we can is a virtue, but have changed my mind about picking and choosing. Some things are impossible or not a good idea because of my health and physical well-being, but I’m far more willing to try new things and not worry too much about how I rate.

As for being a perfectionist, Jesus did say this: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) While perfectionism can be a sin, I wondered why tell us that when the Bible is clear that no one is perfect except God?

Today’s reading says this word is used in four ways. Job 1:8 points to one of them.

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8)

According to this writer, God uses this term to describe someone who is ‘sincere’ and says that God’s people are not deceitful, hypocritical or pretentious. While this is true of Job, the Hebrew word in other versions is translated blameless, free from guilt. This indicate that perfection is about keeping short accounts with God and trusting Jesus who bore our guilt. In other words, it is about being forgiven and knowing it to the degree that all of life is affected.

The next verse about perfection says: “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2)

This word in Greek is about maturity or completeness. Those who are in control of what they say are mature. It seems that perfection in this verse refers to Christians who are walking in the Spirit and not so much in the flesh. It isn’t so much about who they are all the time, but how they let God control their words as they obey Him.

The third use refers to the believer’s positional holiness, sinlessness, and blamelessness before God by the atonement of Christ and the imputation of his righteousness. The author used this verse to illustrate this meaning:

And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 16:14)

While perfect is used in this example, the context is a description of a sinful use of the physical perfections. The perfections of Christ imputed to us are not about the appearance of our physical bodies. Our imputed holiness is better described in the NT rather than this verse that uses the word ‘perfect’ to describe what He has given us. Not every Christian could be considered renown because of their outward comeliness, but all are perfect in holiness in Christ. 

Of course another use of the word ‘perfect’ is in describing  the ultimate glorification of all believers when we shall be made entirely conformed to the image of Christ in heaven. This verse is used:

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12)

Another author says that this use of ‘perfect’ should be understood in the sense of a functional stage of religious attainment, to be completely successful, to succeed fully. For this, I’m often drawn to this verse that describes what God is doing in my life:

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. (1 John 3:2)

In this life, I see Jesus in reading about Him, in experiencing and responding to His grace. This is the route to perfection, yet He does it. On my own I can do nothing.

PRAY: Lord, as I confess my sins, You forgive and cleanse me. As I keep my focus on You, You transform me into what I see in You, yet this task is not done and will never be until You take me to be with You forever. If perfectionism means to be a fan of the One who is perfect, then I’m all for it.

Saved by what?

 

The author of this year’s devotional seems to write for those who are in constant doubt of their salvation. I finally did a bit of research and discovered that this person was involved in the “Holiness Movement” in the USA. Churches aligned with the holiness movement teach that the life of a born again Christian should be free of sin. Their emphasis is on “a second work of grace” which is called “entire sanctification” or “Christian perfection.” The Bible says this about claiming no sin:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say 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. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5–10)

Striving to be sinless so as to be “entirely sanctified” and be a perfect Christian causes all sorts of problems. The Bible is clear that we will not have that perfection of behavior this side of heaven. It is also clear that our perfection is in Christ, not in ourselves or our ‘good works’ for we are saved by faith, not by anything we do. The verses that talk about being perfect are about wholeness in our faith, trusting Jesus alone for redemption. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8–11)

Another danger is that those who strive for perfection may not have Christ in their life at all. He was perfect and did not strive for it. Faith in Him means that I have all that He is. My striving is human effort and no one is saved by human effort. This ‘second blessing’ doctrine is dangerous for it puts faith in ‘how I am doing’ rather than in the One who does it for me. It also appeals to sinful pride.

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:9–12)

Where what I believe and what the holiness movement believes agrees is that all are sinners and depraved because of original sin. I believe that sin ruins all my choices for it makes all I do based on what I want and think. The author of this devotional believes that God’s grace gives them some sense of right and wrong and enough spiritual “light” to make a free choice for Christ. I agree that grace gives that sense, but it also grants faith — my choosing is not the issue. When faith is granted, we just know that we are saved as the Bible says: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

This may not seem an important issue. Those with either view can be genuine believers, or not. Both can be relying on their own works, either to be saved or to keep themselves saved, or to ‘grow’ in their faith. The biggest danger is not being saved at all because of refusing to admit the need to be saved. I hear “I don’t need that” and “I am a good person” far more than any claims to be a Christian for the wrong reasons.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, You know who belongs to You and You know what to do with those who do not, because You know the human heart. I’m so thankful that I don’t have to figure it out for others. I just know that You granted me the faith to trust You and not myself. I don’t like being helpless. However, it means knowing and loving You, so I’m glad to have realized it, and realize how much I need You, and how much You have done for me. Thank You.

Practical Faith . . .

The title of this blog reflects how I think about the Christian faith. If it isn’t practical, it isn’t worth anything. My definition of practical started out narrow: how I apply what I’m learning about God to the way I live. However, the Bible teaches that practical application is not about me; it is about glorifying God and yielding to the Lordship of Christ in my life. For many, that idea and the actions that go with it may not seem practical yet God’s ideas are above human reasoning.

For instance, God told Abraham to leave his home and travel to a place he did not know (Genesis 12). That does not seem practical. He also sent His Son to die on a cross and that seems foolish and wasteful to the rational mind. He tells His people to love their enemies and do good to those who hate us. That doesn’t make much practical sense either, but in the kingdom of God, we often must redefine our reasoning!

My devotional book says this: “Doctrine must not be detached from life. Correct teaching must result in holy living, else the practical purpose is lost. This is the error Jude combats—a kind of antinomianism or lawless libertinism that results in a denial of the rightful place of Christ in the life of the individual.”

In other words, if Christ makes no difference in my life, then my life is not practical as far as God is concerned. Like my son would say, it would be a ‘waste of skin’ as well as an insult to the grace of God.

Jude begins his letter with a salutation that reveals his identity as a half-brother of Jesus. He once denied the faith but eventually believed and was eager to defend it. He says:

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3–4)

Peter warned about false teachers who would come in and try to ruin the church. Jude writes that they had already come. Their main message was that since Jesus died for all sin, we can do whatever we please; it is forgiven. As Jude says, this is a perversion. It denies a strong aspect of the Gospel that Jesus not only died for us but He lives in us.

No one can have God move in without His intimate presence having a huge effect on the way they live. Our love for God should be awesome! Our love for others should overflow! Our hatred of sin should increase! We should desire to talk to God in prayer and listen to Him through His Word. We should desire to be with other Christians and serve them. The entire Bible, particularly the New Testament, is filled with descriptions of those and other changes.

I’ve often said I cannot be perfect — but God calls for it! After saying I need to love my enemies as well as everyone, Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Even though this word is often translated as “mature” here it is compared to God who is certainly far more than a mere grownup. This high standard means I must cling to Christ. He promises to meet all my needs. With this level of holiness being one of them, I know I must seriously apply His teachings to every part of everything I do.

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Lord Jesus, this is huge. I’m glad to articulate it yet know very well how big the challenge is to implement it. Obedience in the Spirit is always in contrast to the desires of the flesh. My war with Satan’s lies and the world’s allurements is compounded by a continual battle with a very selfish old nature called the flesh. I need You to live a practical Christian life. Besides, how can I defend a faith that I’m not fully applying to myself?

Today’s thankful list . . .

- God’s perfection — anything less would not deserve our worship.

- Jesus is my perfection!

- the Holy Spirit’s protection against the lies of false teaching.

- God’s grace to help in my need — which is all the time.

- a lovely opportunity to show hospitality today.

- God’s grace on our small prayer group and His answers to our prayers.

- good conversations with my friends.

“There is no perfect church” Really?

In a quilting class, one person attending brought ugly fabric and  sewed with  the attitude that this was only a class and it didn’t matter whether she did her best work or not. The class sample she made was unattractive and a disappointment. Maybe I’m a perfectionist, but I couldn’t see the sense in going to all that work with an “it’s good enough” attitude.

I’ve heard it said too often about church too; something like “There is no perfect church” something offered to those complaining about the latest church they attended. It also comes out of the mouths of members who attend year after year, grumbling but hanging in there. After a while, this begins to sound like an excuse. Maybe a “perfect church” would be better spoken of as a goal?

This morning I read a summary of the last part of 1 Timothy. Here is my summary of that summary.

First, the ideal is characterized by the prayer life of its members. Also, the emphasis is on the godly lives of those members rather than appearances.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1–2)

What ever happened to mid-week prayer meetings? What replaces prayer for political leaders? If I’m not praying as instructed, can I expect a peaceful and quiet life that is godly and dignified? Really?

Second, the ideal is characterized by godly leadership. The list of requirements is long, too long to print here. It holds to high standards of moral and spiritual qualities. I’ve attended many churches and must say that not all of them measure up to this biblical pattern. Electing church officials is too often a popularity contest rather that based on what God wants. Can I expect godly followers if the leaders are not godly? I don’t think so.

Third, the ideal is characterized by proper administration of various affairs like care of widows, the work of the elders, deacons and teachers. Each is to give attention to his responsibilities knowing that he is answerable to the Lord. In our day, we have government programs to care for the needy, doing things that the church once did. Perhaps that is a good thing but what has replaced social care? A social club? A nice bunch of people to eat with? 

As for pastors and teachers, I’m more than a little concerned when the comments after a service or a class include statements like, “Oh, is he ever good at that” instead of realizing all our goodness is a total gift from God.

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Lord Jesus, maybe I haven’t seen all the behind-the-scenes activities. Certain there are many times You exercise that wonder of “His strength made perfect in weakness.” Perhaps I’m looking in the mirror and seeing how far short I fall. None the less, we could do better. The standard is high and You never let me get away with excuses. May my prayers for Your church and efforts to be a part of it always seek to “play by the rules” and to glorify Your excellence.

Today’s thankful list . . .

Convicted of not holding to a higher standard.

Realizing Jesus will built His church and I need to cooperate.

Thankful that I can pray for the church, which is far more effective than preaching at anyone.

Feeling a bit better after two naps today.

The love of Jesus, despite our foibles and shortcomings.

My goal is to grow up . . .

Last night we resumed our weekly small group. Other than a summer break and a few times when our hosts were away, we have been fellowshipping together four years. In that time, I’ve seen how Christians obey the words of Jesus about caring for one another.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)

This morning I’m reminded that this love must go beyond those with whom we share our faith. We are also to love everyone else, just as God loves those He created in His image:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43–48)

The last line is confusing for some because the meaning of perfection is unclear. My Greek dictionaries interpret it to mean maturity, to be like Jesus. While that is a condition only Christians can be in, we do not reached in its fullness until we see Him face to face (1 John 3:1-3).

However, most commentaries go with the idea of maturity. This is in contrast to the immature who are easily drawn away by false doctrine (Ephesians 4:14), and are prone to walking in their old way until they learn how to follow Jesus in faith and obedience.

Such maturity has several characteristics. From these passages, I gather the gist of it for ordinary living.

First the above passage says the main mark of maturity is love, not just for our Christian friends, but also for our enemies. Being perfect like God is perfect must include this most important quality. It is what makes the followers of Jesus Christ different. As He said, the world will know we are His disciples by our love.

The perfect/mature person also has an utter devotion to Jesus. That person lets go of what was once very important to him and follows Jesus. As He said to a rich man, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

The mature/perfect person also understands the difference between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of this world (1 Corinthians 2:6). They are eager to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” because this is foremost in their thoughts. (Philippians 3:14–15) Another mark of maturity is full assurance of the will of God (Colossians 4:12).

Godly maturity includes a steadfast perseverance: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4)

It also shows up in being able to control our speech and therefore the rest of our activities: “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” (James 3:2)

As Chambers says, the expression of Christian character is not good doing, but being like God. This can only happen if the Spirit of God transforms a person from the inside out. It is not about performance alone, but about being a new creation, redeemed by God and transformed by grace.

Because Christ lives in me, I am able to do as He says, yet His life in me “expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly.” It is a mature/perfect life, supernatural yet made natural by the grace of God. It is expressed in everyday life and is life-changing. It is also my most important goal.