We are all familiar with this worn out excuse. "Nobody`s perfect." People often use it to justify their own actions or avoid the consequences of their mistakes. But instead of that typical take on the phrase let`s meditate on it a little.
What is "perfection" really? Is perfection merely an ideal or is it attainable? Will perfection satisfy us? If everything we did was perfect would we be completely happy?
If we know we can never be perfect why try to be perfect? Can we even imagine what "perfect" looks like. Is it physical? Spiritual? Moral?
Jesus states in Matthew 5:48 that we ought to be perfect as the Father in heaven is. So He clearly ascribes perfection to God. God is not lacking or flawed in any area. He is the complete image and essence of perfection.
God`s actions, laws, and words are perfect. Psalm 19:7, Deuteronomy 32:4
So when God gave his perfect Law to humanity through the people of Israel, He knew they would fail to follow it so He established a system of justification. So essentially God was not requiring perfection apart from Him but rather through the rituals and priesthood people would be brought to a place of remembrance and reverence of Him and His commandments. So that they would be a people like Him, perfect and holy.
God wants to give us perfection through this process called sanctification, holy living through failure and repentance. He wants us to be whole and complete, a perfect creation in His image.
Jesus being both God and man came to bring the ultimate fullness of God into our lives just as the Old Testament system of justification did in the past for Israel. Jesus gave up His own blood to reconcile the gap that sin created between man and God by taking the penalty of sin upon himself. This is the extent of God`s grace, though none of us are perfect, that He would give up everything so that we could be.
So in our attempt to improve, we need not look to our own strength but firmly grab hold of His grace. It is not something we deserve but it is the requirement on the path to perfection and completion of the human soul.
Thisis a very important message. People constantly beat themselves up trying to attain perfection. We let the devil and our own conscience continually beat us up, when in fact we should be realizng that we need a savior.
ReplyDeleteHalf the time we spend sinning the other half of the time in self loathing and regret. This is the cycle the Evil one wants us in. Grace saves us and pulls us out so we can stand on the work of the cross and rebuke evil in His name
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