Should We Desire to Be Perfect?
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The "perfect person” – an individual who is flawless, without shortcomings and never makes mistakes – is not often desirable to us.
People we perceive to have a perfect family, the perfect home, perfect faces and bodies, or who have a perfect life, produce a range of emotional reactions in us. We’ve all seen them as we scroll social media.
We can feel jealous or bitter as we compare who they are and what they have with our own inadequacies and imperfections. We want that perceived perfection. We mock or ridicule, maybe not out loud, people who appear perfect as putting up a façade. We can see through their false display. They are either trying to deceive us or themselves. Usually we talk about someone being “perfect” in a derogatory way.
Being perfect is an unattainable ideal in this life. We know perfection to be unreal because human beings are inherently imperfect in many ways, whether in what they do, think, say or how they look. If we are honest, we do not like people who seem perfect.
Furthermore, the pursuit of perfectionism is seen as unhealthy. It often means that underneath the façade, we struggle with fears of inadequacy, failure, or unnecessary anxiety.
Overall, we are not attracted to perfection in human beings. Instead, we are drawn to people just like ourselves who have imperfect families and difficult relationships, whose homes are messy, whose bodies bear scars, and whose lives reflect the same struggles we experience. Mostly, we like these people because we can identify with them and we have a mutual understanding. We also hope to learn from them and to know how to live with or overcome our faults and frailty.
So how are we to understand Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”?
What Does the Bible Mean When It Says We Are to “Be Perfect”?
The Greek word in the verse above for “perfect “is teleios. Teleios is used for both words in the verse, one which refers to ourselves, the other to God. It means mature, complete, fully developed and the perfection of God.
The same word, teleios, is also used in James 1:4:
“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Studying this verse can help us understand Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 5:48. In a word-for-word translation, such as the English Standard Version, teleios is translated as “perfect.” However, other translations use the word “mature,” as in the New International Version below:
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James tells us that perseverance leads to perfection. But perseverance in what? In the verses prior, we learn that perseverance is a product of our faith put to the test in difficult circumstances. Therefore, perfection and maturity comes from the hardships we experience and the faith to persevere in those trials.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).
The words “mature” and “complete” in James 1:4 also imply that becoming perfect takes time. It is not a quick process. If we wanted to turn this into an equation, it would be: Being perfect = trials + faith + perseverance + time.
Where Else Does the Bible Mention Being Perfect?
Being made perfect reminds us of other verses elsewhere in the Bible such as Isaiah 48:10:
“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
When we suffer difficulties, we often see them as a hindrance to moving forward in faith and in what we want to achieve. It can feel like a backward step as these are often times we struggle in our faith. We can feel far from perfect. Isaiah 48:10 encourages us that during these times, God is at work in us, making us into the people he wants us to be — more like him.
1 Peter 1:7 also alludes to adversity as contributing to us being made perfect:
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
Of course, we all want life to go well and to not suffer difficulties or setbacks. Some of us feel like we have more than our fair share of troubles and anxiety. Knowing that God is in control of what we are going through should strengthen our faith and give us hope to persevere. Knowing that our reward will be praise, glory, and honor should help us persist. We should encourage and pray for others who are struggling with burdens to stay strong and not give up.
So, with this biblical perspective, being made perfect should be our desire. Although, it does not sound easy. How do we approach the process of being made perfect? There are three things we can remember.
3 Things to Remember as We Strive for Perfection
1. Being Made Perfect Is God’s Work for Us
Christ’s own suffering is God’s work for us.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Before Jesus says “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), he gives what we call the Sermon the Mount, and he begins with blessings. Many of those blessings, the Beatitudes, are to those who are going through trials. His words are more than ethical exhortations; they can be seen as promises. These promises are God’s work for us, coming with the arrival of Jesus and God’s kingdom coming to earth.
2. Being Made Perfect Is God’s Work in Us
Jesus’ suffering inaugurated a new covenant: “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people — an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you” (Luke 22:20).
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Christ lives in us. We have been given new hearts. We have the Holy Spirit who enables us to become perfect. This work is known as sanctification.
3. Being Made Perfect Is God’s Work through Us
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10).
Being made perfect is not so much for ourselves but for God and his purposes. With this in mind, we are encouraged to persevere with faith through all that we face.
Finally, we cannot miss that “being made perfect” through trials, perseverance, and faith is to be a joyful experience. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,” begins James 1:2 before he exhorts us to be perfect.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Peter Dazeley
