Perfection: A Paragon, A Paradigm, A Paradox

Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.  --Matthew 5:48

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise--why destroy yourself? --Ecclesiastes 7:16

 If you read my previous four or five entries, you will have noticed a theme.  Psalm 139 is so rich, so deep; and it speaks to so many of our insecurities.  The last verses sum up how we feel once we know that God searches us and knows us, has known us from the beginning, and thinks about us in the here and now: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24).  We are called to humility, to setting our goals and desires aside, and submitting to his perfect will.

Many of us, in our human mind-set, substitute a pursuit of perfection for following Jesus in faith.  We become Pharisaical, fanatics in following the letter of the Law.  We all know people like this--Holier Than Thou folks who can't see the log in their own eye, but have no qualms about pointing out the speck in yours.  These are the people Jesus was speaking to in Matthew 5 when he made the statement quoted above, "Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."  But do you see the word I just left out? Jesus used the word "therefore." As a preacher-friend of mine always says, whenever you see the word "therefore" in Scripture, you need to find out what it is there for.

In Matthew 5:43-47, Jesus started talking about love.  And he ends with verse 48 about perfection.

You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy."  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 God's love is so vast that it encompasses those who hate him.  The blessings of sunshine are there for all to share.  The challenges of the rainy season are there for all to bear.  The way that we--who recognize we are made in His image, and who bear the Name of His Son--the way that we treat nonbelievers during the boom times, and the way that we act toward one another in the bust times can reveal the love of the Father to nonbelievers.  We all pray for our friends and family members, right? But how fervently do we pray for those who despise us, who ridicule us for our faith? And not just prayer for their salvation, but also prayer for their success and well-being?  I think if we had more of that mind-set, nonbelievers would be more open to our message.

One of the hot topics of today is gay marriage.  More and more states are recognizing same-sex marriage, and the federal government has taken it up as a Civil Right.  Many Christians are dead-set against the glorification of what the Bible calls a sinful act.  Many of us have drawn a line in the sand, and have taken on a "them versus us" mentality.  In short, we have identified them as our enemy.  Last week the Court in New Mexico told a Christian photographer that he could not refuse his services to a homosexual couple celebrating a "commitment ceremony".  I guess that means that New Mexico has not legally accepted gay marriage in their state.  So many might stand with the photographer.  If I had been in that situation, I might have told the gay couple that I was booked that week.  But here is the situation in a different light: let's assume that the Christian photographer was not targeted specifically for the purpose of creating a "test case" in civil court. Let's assume that these customers saw the photographer's work, and were impressed with it.  If these "sinners" saw something about the Christian's talents, or work ethic, or artistic ability, then perhaps the Christian could have glorified God in doing the best job he could for them, and giving them a good impression of Christians in general. "In all that you do, do all for the glory of God."

There will come a time when Christians are discriminated against, when it will be uncool, unwise, or even unlawful to do business with us.  Only those with the "Mark of the Beast" will be able to buy and sell in the marketplace.  At that time we will pray for the hastening of Christ's return even more fervently than we do now.  At that time, it will not be the ones who followed the letter of the law who will survive, but those who are made perfect in Christ Jesus.  Paul said in Galatians 2:6, "We know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.  So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."  It is faith, not works, that justifies us before God.  And what tests our faith more than persecution?

This, then, is a paradox:  we are made perfect, not by doing everything perfectly, but by placing our faith in the grace of God, who is our perfection.  People may point out our shortcomings, our failures, even our sins. They may think we have not been made perfect in Christ, therefore we are not saved.  To this, Paul said in Galatians 2:21, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"  It is only by identifying with Christ, and recognizing his sacrificial death for me that I realize the grace of God and internalize his forgiveness of my sin.  For it is sin that separates us from a holy God, and "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22).

Once I have identified myself with Christ, the paragon of sinless perfection, I want to be more like him.  I want to be his disciple, to bask in his presence, to learn from him and apply his word to my life.  In my daily walk with him, I am going to stub my toe, or skin my knee.  I will fall short.  "All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." But in my pursuit of God's glory (not my own, for then I would be insufferable, as the quote from Solomon about being "overrighteous" or righteous in my own eyes), I aim for sinless perfection.  John said, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ the righteous one." (1 John 2:1)

Here is an example from the life of Peter, the Apostle of Christ and leader in the Church.  Psalm 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers."  Peter was no doubt well-versed in the Law, and he knew this passage well.  Peter was an ardent follower of Jesus.  Yet Jesus, who knew his heart, predicted that Peter would deny him. Later, when Jesus was being led away to be crucified, Peter followed, walking at a distance (Luke 22:54). Perhaps he heard many voices disparaging Jesus and encouraging His death.  When they reached the courtyard of the High Priest, someone built a fire, and Peter stood by, warming himself. One of the servant girls of the High Priest came by, "and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. 'You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,' she said.  But he denied it." (Mark 14:67-68).  He was standing among nonbelievers, and did not have the courage to identify himself with Christ.  But still he wanted to be there, so he sat down next to the fire (Luke 22:55), where the scoffers sat.  Twice more he denied knowing Jesus. "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: 'Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22: 61-62).

This was clearly sin in Peter's life, and he felt remorse for it.  Perhaps this is why, after the Resurrection, Jesus found Peter alone near the Sea of Galilee.  The two men had that famous conversation.  Three times Jesus asked, "Peter do you love me more than these," (the word Jesus used for love meant self-sacrificing love, love above all others).  Three times Peter, chagrined, replied, "Lord, you know that I love you," using a word for love meaning more of a friendship or brotherly love. Perhaps Peter could not accept the love that Jesus was offering him.  But three times, Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep."  This was the commission that Jesus gave to Peter: you don't have to be perfect, for I am perfect; I only want you to tend to my flock, to minister to those who believe in Me.  In this way, there was Restoration in Peter's life and ministry.

Contrast that with Paul's dealing with Peter in Galatians 2.  Both Peter and Paul were preaching the Gospel, and had opened up their ministry to Gentiles as well as Jews.  Some of the Jews were murmuring, saying that the Gentiles had to be circumcised (thus fulfilling the Law) before they could come to Jesus.  Acts 11:2 says, "So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them'." Peter then explained how God had sent him a vision, and that the gospel was open to all, Jews and Gentiles alike.  "When they had heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So, then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life'." (Acts 11:18).  But apparently, Peter was sensitive to the concerns of the Judaizers (those who believed that you had to become a Jew before you could become a Christian), because Paul called him out:

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.  Before certain men came from James, he (Peter) used to eat with the Gentiles.  But when they (the Jews) arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.  The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.  When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile (i.e., you do not observe Jewish customs, especially the dietary restrictions.)  How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?"

Now, I don't know if Paul later followed up with Peter to restore him in grace, like Jesus did.  But I can see the same pattern Peter followed: he walked among the Judaizers, he stood with them, and sat with them at their table, following the exact pattern that was outlined in Psalm 1:1.  From this passage I can also see that Paul publicly pointed out Peter's shortcomings.  Again, whether Peter repented or whether Paul forgave, I do not know.  But when we look to people, even people in high positions in the church, we do not always get grace.  We get our sins exposed, to show our imperfections.  But when we go to Jesus, and confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  We then become perfection in him, because he alone is perfect.

For 13 years I worked for a company whose motto was, "We expect perfection, but we will tolerate excellence."  Needless to say, I no longer work there, as I could not live up to their expectations, and they were intolerant of my mistakes.  But the truism still exists: if I aim for perfection and miss, I will do better than if I only aim for mediocre. In the same way, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3).

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea. (Heb 4:15-16)
A great High Priest whose Name is Love (Heb 4:14)
Who ever lives and pleads for me. (Heb 7:25)
My name is graven on His hands, (Isa 49:16)
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart. (Rom 8:34) 

When Satan tempts me to despair (Luke 22:31-32)
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there (Acts 7:55-56)
Who made an end of all my sin. (Col 2:13-14)
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me. (Rom 3:24-26) 

Behold Him there the risen Lamb, (Rev 5:6)
My perfect spotless righteousness, (1 Cor 1:30; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
The great unchangeable I AM, (Heb 13:8; John 8:58)
The King of glory and of grace,
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood, (Acts 20:28)
My life is hid with Christ on high, (Col 3:3)
With Christ my Savior and my God! (Tit 2:13)