CAUTION: Studying the subject of perfection can be dangerous to your spiritual health!

We shouldn’t avoid the study of perfection, however, for perfection is a Bible teaching. But it can be a dangerous study if it focuses our attention upon ourselves. Any time our attention is on ourselves, instead of upon Christ, we will fall and fail and sin. We can safely study perfection only when we remember that it is God’s work in us, not our own work.

And if perfection is God’s work alone, then a study of perfection will focus our attention upon Him and away from ourselves.

The Bible describes three kinds of perfection. We can be perfect in birth, perfect in growth, and perfect in character. Sometimes you hear people discuss a text like Matthew 5:48,

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

And they will say, “It doesn’t mean ‘perfect,’ it means ‘mature.’ “

But mature is a stronger word than perfect. A baby can be a perfect baby as it gurgles and coos.

A child can be a perfect child as he sits on the curb and goes “Blither, blither” to the neighbor children across the street. But if he were still behaving that way at age 20, we’d be concerned!

To be perfect in character is not only to be perfect in birth and in growth, but in maturity as well.

Mark 4:28 says,

“First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.”

A blade can be a perfect blade; an ear can be a perfect ear. But the full corn in the ear means to be both perfect and mature. Christ’s Object Lessons, page 65, says that we can be perfect at every stage of our development.

So the Bible teaches that perfection is possible. The Bible also teaches that perfection is God’s work, not ours, as we noticed in the previous chapter. And the Bible teaches that we should never claim to have perfection–in fact, such a claim would prove that we are not perfect! Job 9:20:

“If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”

“No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered as holy in the books of heaven are not aware of the fact, and are the last ones to boast of their own goodness.” – The Faith I Live By, p. 140.

“The truly righteous man … is unconscious of his goodness and piety.” – The Sanctified Life, p. 11.

“The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.” – Steps to Christ, pp. 64, 65.

If the closer we get to Jesus, the less perfect we seem to be in our own estimation, then perfection can never be intended to capture our attention, for we won’t know when we have re-ceived it. Our part in the process of perfection is to continue to draw close to Jesus and keep our eyes upon Him. He will take care of the rest.

“Each one will have a close struggle to overcome sin in his own heart. This is at times a very painful and discouraging work; because, as we see the deformities in our character, we keep looking at them, when we should look to Jesus and put on the robe of His righteousness.” – Testimonies, vol. 9, pp. 182, 183.

But as long as we remember that perfection is God’s work for us, and as long as we look to Him to accomplish whatever needs to be done in this area, we can safely study His promises about it. We can rejoice in the abundant provision He has made to reclaim us from sin.