THE PURPOSE OF PERFECTION

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” – Matthew 5:16

The controversy on the subject of perfection comes majorly from a misunderstanding of the PURPOSE of PERFECTION: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt.5:16). That’s the primary Purpose of Perfection: to bring Glory and Honour to God! Perfection is NOT in any way the basis of our salvation. There is no controversy about this. Even in the Old Covenant, the Psalmist recognised this truth: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake” (Psa.23:3b). He leads us for His name's sake – for His Glory, not ours.

We must never get the impression that our perfection is what saves us. Far from it! Jesus saves us through the instrumentality of His death on the cross and His resurrection. Obedience and Christian perfection are to bring glory and honour to Him; and it is Christ dwelling within us that makes it all possible. Perfection is God's work through us. Paul affirmed: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20). Christ qualifies us to be perfect, righteous, holy, and blameless in God’s sight. We must then yield to the Spirit of perfection that’s at work in us. He’ll ensure that our words, thoughts, and actions are detailed and flawless, to the glory and praise of His matchless Name.

In Christ “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col.2:9). This “life of Jesus” is in turn “manifested in our mortal flesh” (2Cor.4:11). We are connected with Christ in such a way “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom.8:4). Jesus’ life in us will produce the same kind of obedience that was manifested in His life. This Faith in Christ includes more than forgiveness, as fabulous as that is. It includes setting us free from sin, in the here and now. This doesn't imply a state of sinless perfection. When the apostle Paul said that he was the chief of sinners, he didn't mean that he was sinning all the time, but that sin had no dominion over him (1Tim.1:15). Paul acknowledged that apart from God, inherently in himself, he was a sinner saved by grace.

Perfection is not determined by comparing our performance to someone else’s. The Pursuit of Perfection comes from doing our best with what we have to God’s Glory and with a view to growing and improving, not with a view to impressing anyone who is watching from a human standpoint. Biblically speaking, this implies maximising or doing the best we can with the gifts and abilities God gives, giving our best to God’s glory. Ideally, this is done without the spirit of competition, prideful striving for superiority, or seeking to excel simply to be better than others. The reality is that God sees our work and rewards us accordingly: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1Cor.15:58).

God wants us to stand out for His Glory, not just blend with the crowd! Jesus is the Light of the world, and He lives in us (Jh.8:12). We are therefore the Light of the world as well (Mt.5:14). Light has a purpose. It is never meant to be hidden. The light that we have inside us is to show others the glory of God. We may be the only example of God for someone in our lives. They may never get to know Him, if we are afraid to shine our light, dispel darkness, and help others walk in the light. Our light must “shine before men” – project the light, life, and love of Jesus for the world to see. We must project His Glory.