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.

The most worthy goal

This week we received a video of a couple in their nineties dancing — fast jive with dips and twirls — for over two minutes. Inspiring, yes. A goal I want to set, not likely. If I were a few dozen years younger, I might. Dancing like that isn’t something to start now, with a pacemaker. It is good to have goals though.

Right now, I have a few. Declutter and simplify our home. Keep cooking interesting recipes. Exercise daily. Use up as much of my fabric stash as I can. Keep in touch with family, especially grandchildren. Pray often for all things. At the top of this ‘list’ is grow in faith and become more like Jesus.

Today’s devotional is about that goal. It begins by saying that truth about Christ should fill my heart, but more than that — Christ Himself must fill my heart — and it totally belongs to Him.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14–19)

Reading Jesus words make this seem impossible: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) This means spiritual maturity, being like Jesus using  all things to accomplish that purpose:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20–21)

Unlike dancing or my other goals, this one can be accomplished only by the power of Christ. Becoming like Him is by His working in me, not by me working on myself. When it seems that this purpose of God will never happen, I must remember that God is not done with me yet.

Also, when I groan with my slow progress, so does the whole world.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:19–23)

Yet the deliverance and fullness of God’s goal will come. And this promise is my hope and assurance:

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2–3)

PRAY: God, perfection seems impossible, yet You have the power to transform me and that perfection will come, and sooner rather than later as I get closer to the end of life here. In the meantime, I take all other goals to You in prayer and marvel at how You help me with progress in them. The assurance that spiritual perfection will also be mine gives me the encouragement and even the energy to keep at all that You have given me to do and more.

A perfectionist?

 

Amish quilters are reported to put mistakes in their beautiful quilts. They do it because “only God is perfect.” As a quiltmaker, my mistakes are not deliberate; as in life itself, they just happen. However, Jesus did say in Matthew 5:48, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

PERFECT, at least in this text, means being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish. It can also be translated as mature, an English word easier to handle than the idea of perfection without defects.

In the OT, the word is usually applied to animals intended for sacrificial offerings. However, God is also described as perfect in His ways, His knowledge and His law . . .

2 Samuel 22:31. “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Job 37:16. “Do you know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge.”

Psalm 19:7. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

The NT word Jesus used to say God is perfect is “teleios” and can mean “perfect, mature, complete” or refer to something of the highest standard, or fully developed, or to be perfect or complete in a moral sense. In context, Jesus is telling me to love all, even my enemies, and do good to them just as God in common grace sends rain on both the just and the unjust.

1 Timothy 1:16 adds that Paul considered himself chief of sinners, but Jesus Christ was merciful to him to “display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

James 1:4 uses the same word concerning patience under trials. James says to realize the purpose of trials is to build patience and I am to cooperate in that process by letting “steadfastness have its full effect, that (I) may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” It helps to remember that this virtue reveals the depth of my faith — without patience, I reveal that I am not trusting the Lord.

This verses also echoes the words of the prophet in Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Trust and peace go hand in hand and for that, God grants perfect peace.

Another reason to trust God in trials is in Hebrews. It says Jesus was made perfect through suffering and by that become the source of my salvation. Suffering and learning from suffering puts me in good company.

James also uses this term concerning our speech: James 3:2, “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.” Since the commands of God reflect who He is and what He is like, from this I know my perfect God does not sin or fall short in what He says! He controls all that He does and His perfections show up in His Word and His actions. His will is perfect and knowing that changes the way I think about everything else . . .

Romans 12:2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. This goal seems impossible. Unlike the Amish, I don’t need to add mistakes to show I’m not perfect. My imperfections are easily seen, yet an odd thing about human inability to be perfect makes God’s people candidates for His perfections. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That is amazing! In other words, to be what God wants, I must rely totally on Him for I cannot be perfect by my own efforts. Being perfect cannot happen without being weak and unable.

Philippians 3:12 adds another thought. I have not obtained this or am perfect, but I press on to make it my own, in faith and trusting Christ Jesus who has made me his own. It is a learning curve with lessons taught in the classroom of trials and challenges. Yet there is reason to be joyful about trials. 1 John 3:2–3 could say something like this: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him perfects himself as he is perfect.” In the plan of God, one day I will be like Jesus and that hope makes the process easier — even though most of the time it doesn’t feel like it.

 

Our Father

 

My dad was a good man, faithful and hard-working. He had a quick sense of humor, taught us practical skills, and wanted the best for us. He was frugal to a fault and didn’t like being hugged. He was my precious dad, but he was not my heavenly FATHER. He could not do what that Father did and can do.

The list is long. Just a few of the 250 verses or so that describe God as Father take up double the length of a daily blog. How can this amazing Father be described? A few biblical statements without references? A few with them?

First, He is the God of Israel but also the Father of all life for He created us and sustains us. By His will we live and move and have our being, able to breathe and walk this earth. He invites us to call Him Father and acknowledge we are the work of His hand.

The NT calls us into a closer relationship, not only as our physical Creator but as the One who gives spiritual life, eternal life. Just as He gave His OT people laws to show they were called by Him, He gives those redeemed by Jesus Christ countless truths about who He is and how we should live as His children, saved by faith and filled with His Spirit. This first one tells us a primary truth about our Father:

(Matthew 5:48) You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

His perfections include knowing and seeing all things, even the secret things. He knows our needs before we ask and invites us to rely on Him for everything. This Father-child relationship is not just about forgiven sin even though that is how it begins. He also feeds and cares for our every physical and spiritual need, hears and answers our prayers, and gives good things to those who ask Him.

Our Father reveals to our hearts the things we need to know about Him and His will for us. In Luke 10:21, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” This revealing includes an understanding of who Jesus is.

This Father is not willing that any should perish. He is merciful and calls us to be like Him. He gives good gifts to us and seeks our worship. John 4:23–24 says “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

This powerful Father raises the dead and gives them life. He has eternal life in Himself and granted Jesus also to have life in himself. Jesus is the true bread from heaven who feeds our spirits, just as manna fed those who wandered in the wilderness.

Our Father initiates salvation. Jesus said in John 6 that “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” and “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” and “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

(John 10:28–30) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Knowing the Father means first knowing the Son. In John 14, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also . . . Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.”

Those who believe are adopted into this Father’s forever family and are invited to call God the Hebrew word for “Daddy” because “You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom (you) cry, “Abba! Father!”

Our Father is the God of all comfort. By His will, Jesus came to deliver us from sin. He loves us with an everlasting love and invites us to call on Him and live holy lives, as He is holy. We are not to love in worldly ways but demonstrate that the love of God is not about selfish pursuits.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. His love means I am a child of God. My destiny is to be like Jesus and when I see Him as He is — like the Father yet visible —  and I will be like Him. “Everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as He is pure.” This is the practical goal of knowing God as my Abba Father!