Perfection

What does perfection mean to you? We live in a fallen work in which perfection has been lost. Yet, this is what the Bible tells us God expects from us. Matthew 5:48 instructs us to be perfect just as our Heavenly Father is perfect. At the same time the Bible tells us this is not possible. James 2:10 tells us that if a person where to keep the whole law but stumble at just one point, they would be guilty of breaking all of it. There is no almost in God's book. He doesn't ask for near perfection but total perfection. No one has ever nor will ever achieve this. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God's demand for perfection. Earlier in verse 10 we are told that there is not even one righteous person. Psalms 51:5 tells us that we were sinful from birth, even from the time of conception. There is no inherent goodness in us. We are not born perfect with the opportunity to remain that way. We are not born with a small defect that we can work towards overcoming. We are conceived in sin. Born sinful. This truth is far from the world's view of inherent goodness of mankind or the innocence of children. We don't have to look far to see that the world's view of perfection doesn't match God's.

In baseball a perfect game is one in which a pitcher does not allow anyone from the opposing team to get on base safely. In basketball a player who doesn't miss a shot may have his performance referred to as perfect. But would these performances meet God's definition of perfection? Probably not. To meet God's view of perfect that pitcher would have not only needed to prevent anyone from getting on base, they would have needed to not throw a single ball or foul hit. That basketball player would have needed to make all his shots, connect perfectly on all passes and commit no errors at all. This is the kind of perfection God demands. Total perfection.

So where does this leave us. God demands total perfection from us. We are not capable of that kind of perfection. Even when we think we are doing good it can never undo the sin we have done. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteous acts are like filthy rags. This leaves us with a grim outlook. But God would not leave us in a state of despair. Yes He knew that we could never meet his demand for perfection. Yes he knew that there would be nothing we could ever do to get out of our fallen state. So  He did the only thing He could. He took matters into his own hands. He sent his one and only Son to do what we couldn't. He came as our substitute. He lived the perfect life that we couldn't. He died the death we should have. He suffered the torments of hell that we deserved. His innocent suffering and death made atonement for our imperfection. He paid the price for our sin to take away our imperfection and once again make us perfect in God's sight. The record has been erased. In its place God sees Jesus' perfection. We are clothed in Christ and his righteousness. Through faith we take hold of that forgiveness and righteousness.

Many people and religions throughout the world feel the need or want to earn their salvation. We see from the Bible that this is not possible. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for another way. The answer was that there was no other way. God would not have given His one and only Son over to such treatment if there were. Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth and the life. There is no other. Certainly not one by our own doing. What comfort this should bring. It's not up to me. God has already done it for me. He did all the work. For all that He has done we thank and praise his Holy Name.