- Feb 19, 2013
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Jesus said:
“You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:48 RSV
However, I’m always hearing people say that it is impossible to be perfect. Keeping in mind that the Lord helps us, is it that hard to repent of our sin?
"Perfection" is not place we are expected to be but rather a direction toward which Christians are pointed. Like true north on your compass. Only Christ is truly perfect but, being "in Christ" keeps us moving in that direction. By the way, the Greek word here that has been translated as "perfect" means complete and mature rather than without sin.
Not sinning is not the same as being perfected, which is about maturity and spiritual growth as well. Even Jesus, who was certainly always without sin, had to grow up and mature physically, mentally, and spiritually. The two concepts (sinlessness and maturity) are easily confused. Sin is about rebelling when you know better, not about being ignorant or naive or immature. I am not fully mature, not yet perfected, I have more to learn. But it has indeed been a long time since I have knowingly rebelled and broken a commandment. I am a prodigal son, so I have a long history of grievous sinning in my past. I know the difference. But John (1 John 3) says I don't have to sin anymore, and Jesus said that if He sets me free from sin, I am free indeed. And I am immensely grateful for that! Being “in Christ,” it is His power that keeps me from sin, not my own power.
The distinction between sin and immaturity is very clear. Even Jesus had to "grow up in wisdom and stature before both God and man" (Luke 2:52) for 30 plus years. And to become mature and thus more helpful to us, Jesus had to suffer. "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses... and because He himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are likewise afflicted." (Hebrews 4:15, 2:18)
There is second important distinction. This distinction is between having placed Christ in us at the new birth (sealed by the Spirit) and having Christ formed in us over time as matter of spiritual maturity. Paul wrote: “I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” (Phil 3:2). Paul is exhorting born again Christians at Ephesus: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Eph 1:17).
Thus, it is a growth process, and we must always remember Who it is with the power to accomplish this perfecting of our faith and character: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter (KJV- “the author and finisher”) of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2, NIV) We cannot make ourselves mature and perfect.
Sanctification and Sin
Because we are not fully grown does not mean that it is somehow normal for us to keep on sinning. In fact, it is NOT expected (again see 1 John 3). We are expected, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to have victory over sin. “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning.” (1 John 3:6) "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” (1 John 3:9) So “not sinning” is more about our spiritual birth than our physical death. At some point, the elect quit sinning and John never hints that we must wait until we die to stop sinning.
But I do believe that each of us will enter the heavenly state with different levels of maturity. Spiritual maturity is one of those "treasures of heaven" wherein some will have more and some less in eternity, even though everyone will be glad to be there and no one will sin.
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