What Is Perfection?
Perfection, at its core, is the state of being free from sin. Only actions untainted by sin can truly be deemed perfect. To understand perfection we must understand sin.
Where did sin come from?
Before God brought anything into existence, there was only Him—a singular, triune, perfect being. In this pre-creation state, the concepts of perfection and sin were unnecessary as there existed only absolute perfection. As God expanded His creation to include angels, the emergence of sin followed. The origin of sin can be traced back to a point where God’s perfect creation diverged from God’s perfection. At one point one of God’s creations displayed a moral attribute that did not belong to God. In doing this the concept of sin was born and its antithesis, perfection.
Can perfection refer to achievements or objects?
The contemporary usage of the term “perfection” has reshaped our understanding of it, often associating it with achievements or objects. Phrases like “Johnny got a perfect score on his test” and “Susan’s event went perfectly” have become commonplace. Even within the church, we frequently characterize God’s creation as perfect, highlighting the perfection in nature. While the notion of God’s creation being astounding in its design is undoubtedly accurate, it’s crucial to revisit the biblical perspective. In the beginning, as God formed all things, His consistent and deliberate proclamation was not “perfect” but rather “good” (Genesis 1:31). This choice of terminology prompts reflection—why “good” and not “perfect”? It wasn’t due to any flaw, for His creation was indeed flawless. However, objects like God’s creation and achievements like Johnny’s test and Susan’s event lack the moral attributes necessary for the scales of sin and perfection, devoid of character or heart to attach intent to. In order to engage in sin or embody perfection, one must possess a soul. For one’s soul to embody biblical perfection one’s intent must be fully aligned with God’s moral attributes. Of course this is not to say that we must stop using the word perfect to mean 100% on a test, we just have to be careful to separate biblical perfection from worldly perfection as it can lead us to error. These classifications may not seem of vital importance but they are necessary classifications as we begin to look at the concept of intent in relation to perfection.
We have established that perfection is not attached to achievement or objects. I would further argue that it is not attached to any human action but only the intent behind the action. If I give to charity with the intent of being glorified by men, then my action is sinful but if my intent is to give glory to God (even if it fails to) then it is a sinless action. If man can be ignorant and perfect then we must be able to err and remain perfect. Consider a perfect person driving down a road at 60 mph, unaware that the speed limit was reduced from 60 to 50 mph the day before. In the eyes of God, their faultlessness remains intact, as their heart and intentions were pure. Sin does not originate from our actions; rather, it emanates from our desires and intentions. Subsequently, we witness these desires and intentions manifesting in our actions.
The preceding statements are probably not highly contentious. It is widely acknowledged that God prioritizes the state of our hearts—an idea reinforced by Jesus in Matthew 5:28-29: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus instructs us that sin first takes root in our hearts before manifesting in our actions. Is Jesus suggesting that merely thinking about sin is equivalent to committing it? Certainly not. When we engage in the act of sin, it signifies more than a passing thought; rather, it reflects a greater submission to the sinful desires embedded in our hearts.
Why is this important?
Discerning the intentions and desires of a person’s heart is beyond our human capability, unlike God who comprehends our every thought and desire. Consequently, we tend to categorize sin and perfection more practically. Our focus often shifts towards observable expressions of sin in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We question what we must do to live a perfect godly life. While these practices are helpful for managing and making judgments about sin, they may inadvertently divert attention from the true focus—the heart. It is easy to focus on actions when it comes to sin. The sins we can see seem easier to tackle as they are clear and apparent. Moreover, they influence how others perceive us, a concern we often prioritize over God’s opinion. We may also fight the sin in our mind, we think sinful thoughts and drive them away from our minds. We both attempt to halt the advance of sin on our bodies and our minds to the detriment of our focus on our sins’ source. Our hearts, where we give birth to desire, our desire leading to thoughts and our thoughts making way for action. Though it is essential to detest sin in all its manifestations, including actions and thoughts, genuine transformation occurs when we prioritize the disposition of our hearts. This focus fosters meaningful change, aligning us with the Lord and allowing the Holy Spirit to perform His transformative work. We can spend all our time suppressing our sinful thoughts and actions but they will continue to attack us with the same force until we change the disposition of our hearts.
How do we change the disposition of our hearts?
This is a big question worthy of full books. A great one being the book Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane Ortlund. That being said, I will give a brief answer here. If we are to change the disposition of our hearts we start by focusing on three areas. The first is searching your heart. We need to know ourselves and our sin. Instead of only focusing on changing your actions or suppressing your thoughts, search your heart to understand your sins. Name them and understand them. What sins am I inclined toward? Where do I need the greatest help? The second area is getting help. For the heart we find help through prayer. Pray to the Lord about your sins, pray about your findings when searching your heart. Pray that the Lord may fill you with the Holy Spirit, for it is through the Holy Spirit that we can not just avoid sin but eliminate it from our hearts. Lastly, fix your gaze upon Christ. As we progress towards our Lord and Savior, collapsing into Him as our all in all, and cultivating a heart for Christ alongside the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, we gradually release sin’s grip on our hearts. Closing our eyes to darkness isn’t enough; we must continually turn our heads towards the brilliant light of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
