Perfection

What does it mean to be perfect? I listened to a sermon yesterday that linked trials with joy and patience with endurance and the end result being made perfect in love to God and our fellow-men. The speaker clarified that perfection does not mean we no longer sin. Of course that would be nice, but even as saved sinners, we still sin. What it does mean is that we don’t remain in sin, and we repent. And during the inevitable trials that befall us, we chose the right attitude to respond to those adversities. If we behave like Job, who lost his possessions, his family and friends and his health, but he responded with the most awesome attitude “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”(Job 1:21). That should be our response when financial woes come over us. That’s what we should say when sickness and death come into our lives. That’s what we should cling to when we face relationship problems. Whining and complaining and getting angry at God is not the right response. Our heart should be so close to God’s that we know that he does not want anything bad to happen to us. Regardless of the bad things that actually happen. God does not rejoice over them. He does not throw trials at us to see if he can make our lives miserable or to punish us beyond our capacity. If God allows hard times, he is testing our faith in him. Because we can do all things through him who strengthens us (Philipians 4:13). So let us be found perfect due to our heart’s response to the hard times we may be facing right now. And therefore put a smile on God’s face, because we trust that He can carry us through, and that He loves us unceasingly.

Colossians 1:28 (New King James Version)
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 5:48
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

James 1:2-3
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. “

James 1:12-15
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

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