PERFECTION

Pretty much we are taught that nothing is perfect, yet we use the word a lot.  Used 103 times in the Bible, 34 in the Old Testament and 69 times in the New Testament.    The word perfection is used 14 times in the Old Testament and 8 times in the New testament.

And in Gen. 1:26 the word is implied.  As God is perfect, then to make man in HIS Image and Likeness would mean God’s original vision for man would be perfection.   For me, it is interesting that Jesus was the first to be perfected and come to be in the image and likeness of God.  “Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [ rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God]. Rom.5:11.  Col. 1:19,  
The writer of Hebrews (Paul I believe) had this to say about perfection:   “Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of teaching about washings (ritual purification’s), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.] 3 And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.  Heb. 6:1-3      Peter says it this way:   “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  1 Peter 2::9-10

And we clearly see Perfection as being God’s plan for those who are HIS.   “and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 And this, so that I may know Him [experimentally, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did];  [a] so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead.”       “Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on [b] so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. [c] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us stay true to what we have already attained.  Brothers and sisters, together follow my example and observe those who live by the pattern we gave you.  Phil. 3:9-17

So how come our churches don’t preach this and we have such a difficult time doing it?   So let’s look at it sort of like an archery contest.  When you practiced for the contest did you aim at the side of the target or the center of the target.  With enough practice you learn to hit what you are aiming at.  So for Christian, what is the center of the target?   If course it is Jesus or the Holy Spirit if you are a Christian.   If you are a just a church member or a social christian then it does not matter as your name may not have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, as yet, anyway.   As was lucifer (as prior to his defection) he was even made perfect. Ezekiel 28:12, “You had the full measure of perfection and the finishing touch [of completeness], Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. And due to free will,  chose badly, lost out.  And the same with Adam, he was made in the image and likeness of God, but chose poorly, lost out.  We also if we choose poorly can loose out as in Rom.11:20-21, “ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by your faith [as believers understanding the truth of Christ’s deity]. Do not be conceited, but [rather stand in great awe of God and] fear [Him]; for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.”  This goes right along with 2 Pet. 1:4, “For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.

So we see that the more we find and believe in the Precious Promises (2 Pet.1:4) of God the more like God that we become.   And the more of the world that we believe in, the more like the world we become.  It is a battlefield of the heart but we have the Victory as per Paul in Romans.   “What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? 32 He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. 34 Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. Who shall ever separate us from the love of [d] Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 Just as it is written and forever remains written, “For Your sake we are put to death all day long;  We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.”  37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:31-39……   “ In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.  1 John 4:17