What does it mean to “be perfect”?

[Kan]

God requires sinless perfection for one to enter Heaven. Scripture teaches us that, on our own, we can never be perfect enough to gain salvation. That's why Jesus had to come and die in our place. Only His sinless, perfect blood could blot out our sins. His righteousness is placed in our account - through repentance and faith - thus insuring our acceptance before a Holy God.

Yes, His perfection is what is acceptable in God's eyes, and it is forever our substitute for righteousness, from the day we believe, it is counted on for eternity, so that we who have no righteousness, neither can produce any, through faith in Christ have a new life approved by God, not because we are sinless immediately, but because it is the work of His own Son and not our own. We are now vessels available for the Holy Spirit. Whereas, without faith we are left to our own devices, which are sinful -"for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

To count on that work, is what God considers perfection, because His Son is successful and He will "save to the utmost."

[Kan]

WilliamL,

 

could you explain what your understanding of the difference between "sinless perfection" and "maturity" is, please?

[Mr Nice]

[i prepared this post last Tuesday, but the site crashed before I was able to post it. Was then unable to get back into the site until today, from various computers tried. Anyone else have this problem?]

I prepared this post off-line, because the subject came up during a fellowship meeting last Friday [Jan. 14]. After I posted it, I then discovered that similar questions had already been posted! (Great minds think alike?)James 1:4 - This scripture is a reference to our spiritual maturity, not sinless perfection.  The testing of our faith is intended to drive us deeper into communion, trust and faith in Jesus.  Those are qualities that make us complete, or whole. ...

 

Anyway, here are the answers I was most looking for, from two other strings:

 

Willa, 16 January 2015 - 01:15 PM (Christ's Perfection)

The Hebrews passage about being made perfect means literally to be made complete. He was brought to maturity. He obeyed the Father perfectly even during ridicule, beatings, going to the cross and suffering for us.

Shiloh357, December 2014 - 01:21 PM (Christian perfection)

The word "perfect" in the Greek is not referring to flawless perfection. It refers to maturity and completeness with God as our plumline.  We are not commanded to be as flawless as He is; that would be an absurd, unreachable goal as God's perfection cannot be obtained by any creature.

 

True. The words used for "perfect" in the original post all derive from the Greek root tello, the primary meaning of which is to complete, to fulfill, to finish. When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished [tetelestai]," he was using the same root word.

 

Our task is not to become perfect like God is perfect in the sense of infallibility, omniscience, etc.: that will forever be impossible. Our task is to become fulfilled and completed in our respective callings, that is, to fulfill the unique purposes for which each of us was created. We can only achieve that fulfillment when we have Christ's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, in us and working though us. If we do, then we can say at the end of our lives, like Paul said:

 

2 Tim. 4:6  I have fought the good fight, I have finished  [teteleka] the race, I have kept the faith.

 

One final thing. God created man on the sixth day of his Creation: man was the last work of God before he took his rest on the seventh day:

 

Gen. 1:27 And God created man... 31 ...So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 ...and [God] rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

 

So all Creation was finished/fulfilled with the race of Adam. Now, at the end of the sixth millennium, both the race of Adam and all Creation is to be ultimately fulfilled in the purpose of its existence:

 

Rom. 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

 

We agree on the following:

 

We can only fulfill God's plan for us by being led by His Spirit.  

We are not omniscient or infallible.  

 

However the rest of what you wrote is not collaborated with scripture.   You  try to compare the perfection/completeness we are commanded to be to the wrong qualities of God. First, when Jesus says to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect,  He had just finished talking about what it means to truly love.  The perfection is about having the love of God perfected in us.  Just like Christ did exactly as the Father commanded to show the world that He loved the Father we are also commanded to do the same.  The only way His love is perfected in us is when we keep His commandments, 1 John 2:3-6.  So many claim they love Christ, yet do not keep His commandments, claiming it is impossible to cease from sin.  Christ says that those who keep His commandments are the ones that love Him.  This is His definition.

 

What are we called to do?  We are called to be sanctified by His Spirit, to live sensibly, godly, and righteously in the present age.  We are called to suffer for the cause of Christ.  If we have called on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21) then we must abstain from all wickedness, 2 Timothy 2:19, and that is what we do through the Spirit.  By the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh, Romans 8:12-15.  The only reason people continue to sin is because they put a limit on God's ability to turn them from all their wicked ways.

 

Tit 2:11-15  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,  (12)  instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,  (13)  looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,  (14)  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  (15)  These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

 

We have been commanded to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect?

 

Mat 5:48  "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

Christ was made perfect through the things that He suffered, learning to be obedient to the Father.  Likewise, the trials we face teach us to be obedient.  The trials bring about the perfect result, so that we may be perfect, complete, lacking in nothing.  A puzzle missing a single piece is not complete, yet you claim the completed, perfected work has sin that remains.  If we are still sinning as Christians then we are certainly lacking something.  The something would be the love of God and Christ.

 

God doesn't use His Son to declare us righteous, He uses His Son as the measuring line against which we will be weighed.  If our faith holds true, we will be like Christ in this world, 1 John 4:17, and will measure up to the likeness of Christ, having been led by the Spirit.  

 

The great commission from Christ was to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, an teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded.  

 

Mat 28:19-20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

God never commanded us to strive to obey Him as so many claim.  When god gives a command He expects it to be followed.

 

Let us remember that the sons of God are those who are led by His Spirit.

[Tinky]

 

 

God doesn't use His Son to declare us righteous

 

 

I guess you missed this verse:

 

"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)

 

 

 

He uses His Son as the measuring line against which we will be weighed.

 

If that is the case then we are all doomed. No mortal man, through his own efforts, can ever measure up to God.

[Kan]

 

 

 

God doesn't use His Son to declare us righteous

 

 

I guess you missed this verse:

 

"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)

 

 

 

He uses His Son as the measuring line against which we will be weighed.

 

If that is the case then we are all doomed. No mortal man, through his own efforts, can ever measure up to God.

 

 

 

So true and timely, and really important. 

 

What is the measure of righteousness?

It was Mary Magdalene whose life was a history, not only of self disrespect, but sin and even demon possession, and yet she is the icon Jesus lifts up as an example of the whole purpose of the Gospel. For she needed and accepted forgiveness the most, and had a sweet, humble and earnest love for Jesus. It was she who long before the crucifixion, wanted to anoint Him with her whole gift and tears of appreciation and concern for Him. She was cared more about Jesus than herself, and spent a whole years wage on Him.

No one else, no even the disciples thought that He would suffer and die. But Mary knew what suffering and humiliation was, and she identified with His plight among malicious men.

 

Perfection is tenderness, that is the measure. Either we love or we don't.

 

Does God use His Son for declaring righteousness?

 

Yes, not only that, but God used His Son to create the universe, and the Son maintains it.

When God declares righteousness, it is not a word without substance or life, but a power of goodness that actually works in us.

And He declares this righteous change for human beings through and by the Son, because it is the sinless humanity of Christ which is declared for us in His life on earth, so that no human being stands without a representative for them in heaven, and no human being is denied the good works of the Father for them, by the power of the Son, except by unbelief. 

 

The Son is God's declaration/creation/recreation of righteousness for the human race.

[Guest shiloh357]

The notion that "perfection" stems from me and what I do or don't do, takes the focus off of Christ and places it on me.  Jesus is the one who perfects us.  We cannot perfect ourselves.  If we could, we would not need Jesus.

 

I would also add that a person is "perfect" or not, depending on how a person defines what actions are or, or not, "sins."    To some people, wearing jewelry is a sin.  To  some, if a woman wears pants, she is sinning.  Some people think it is a sin to own and/or watch  TV.  Some people think it is a sin to go to a movie theatre.  Some people think that celebrating Christmas and Easter are sins because they think they are pagan holidays.

 

So if the locus of perfection lies in what we do and not who we are in Christ, it sets others up to be the victims of our judgmental attitudes because we will always be measuring others perfection against our own perceptions of perfection and thus we end up measuring others against ourselves, and we deem others imperfect if their lifestyle doesn't match our own.

[WilliamL]

Mr Nice Posted 27 January 2015 - 11:07 PM: ...  So many claim they love Christ, yet do not keep His commandments, claiming it is impossible to cease from sin.  Christ says that those who keep His commandments are the ones that love Him.  This is His definition.

 

...The only reason people continue to sin is because they put a limit on God's ability to turn them from all their wicked ways.

 

Christ was made perfect through the things that He suffered, learning to be obedient to the Father.  Likewise, the trials we face teach us to be obedient.  The trials bring about the perfect result, so that we may be perfect, complete, lacking in nothing.  A puzzle missing a single piece is not complete, yet you claim the completed, perfected work has sin that remains.  If we are still sinning as Christians then we are certainly lacking something.  The something would be the love of God and Christ.

 

God doesn't use His Son to declare us righteous, He uses His Son as the measuring line against which we will be weighed.  ...

 

William says: Sorry, these parts of your post are too extreme, as John tells us:

 

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

If anyone were able to live the commandments of God perfectly,  as you seem to be defining perfectly, he would have no need for the atonement of Christ.

Edited January 29, 2015 by WilliamL

[Keith]

The notion that "perfection" stems from me and what I do or don't do, takes the focus off of Christ and places it on me.  Jesus is the one who perfects us.  We cannot perfect ourselves.  If we could, we would not need Jesus.

 

Absolutely, 100% correct. 

 

The moment we stop relying on Him for anything and everything, we've strayed off the narrow path.  When we start looking to our own ___(fill in the blank)____  we're in disobedience.  He has to remain our focus in, for and through all things.

 

Isaiah 64:6, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

[alisonm328]

Perfection I believe is summed up in 1 word, LOVE. Does that help you understand? Lol and to become perfect one needs to live in Christ, always

[alisonm328]

I was going to also mention that the goal should not be perfection but didn't want to offend but I'm glad others said it!