Nobody’s Perfect? The “Perfecting” Of The Saints

Col.1:28] Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

[29] Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

It is often taught and said by many that ‘nobody is perfect,’ but ‘perfection’ of the man in the sight of God holds a far more significant meaning than the wisdom of men can comprehend. And when God created man, He created man in His Image and after His likeness, He said it was “good,” when speaking about Job, He said: “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Was Job “perfect,” or sinless? Job was perfect in the LORD’S sight because he operated upon the will of God and walked by His word and not the wisdom and will of this world. And he sought after being “perfect in knowledge,” (Job 37:16) and making his “ways” perfect. (Job 22:3) This was well pleasing in the sight of God, and Job was an ensample unto the men of this world, and unto Satan of the perfect servant of the LORD.

Rom.12:1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
[2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Likewise, we too can be “perfect,” and operate upon the “perfect will of God.” Our Father has provided for us His Word to sanctify us, whereby we will renew our minds and be “transformed” by it unto a perfect man in Christ. But only the faithful Saints in Christ will be “a living sacrifice,” and “be not conformed to this world.” But those who Desire to be a living sacrifice, and have renewed their mind, they have the ability to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” in His sight, regardless what the men of this world thinks about ‘perfection’ in his sight. Man’s standards for perfection is unattainable by men in his sight, he cannot comprehend anything being considered “perfect,” and nothing else could ever exceed this perfection. This is because he would have to admit that he, or whoever deemed something to be perfect, would be wrong, if something eventually exceeded it, and it no longer ‘stood out’ apart from everything else.

2ndCor.13:[9] For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.
[10] Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
[11] Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

And simply put, our “perfection” as sons and daughters in Christ Jesus is what our Father desires, and just as ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ our Father’s standard for perfection in His sight is based upon the edifying of the saints, and being “strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might.” We are being “conformed to the image of His Son,” and our minds are being “renewed;” but this ‘process’ can only be accomplished by the Living Word of the Living God Living in us. And the “perfecting of the saints” is a vital component to the Body itself, we can see the danger to the believer if he is not a “perfect man” in the verses below. He will Spiritually taken advantage of, and referred to as “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”

Eph.4:12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

[14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Therefore, our “perfection,” in Christ is attainable for the believer, and we can be counted as also “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, in His sight.” (Phi.2:12) Blameless and harmless are also words that man chooses to uses carefully, because his standards for what is ‘harmless,’ might not be harmless to some, or his standards of what is ‘blameless’ in his sight might offend others. Our Father has provided for us “all scripture” so that we can be that man of God, and that we “may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” And notice below, that verse 16 says, “it is given,” and it is “profitable for.” It is given by our Father who desires that we ‘profit’ Spiritually by His Word working effectually within us, and that we may be “throughly furnished unto all good works.”

2ndTim.3:16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

[17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Finally, being the perfect “man of God” consists of the son living by his Father’s words, his Father’s heart, and his Father’s will. And as we have seen, perfection in God’s sight takes place by the renewing of the mind unto the “mind of Christ,” and the son being not “conformed to this world,” but “transformed.” And only a son who has become a living sacrifice will be as Ephesians chapter 4 states, which is that the saint be “of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” and godly perfection does not have to simulate Jesus Christ’s perfect sinless life, this cannot be accomplished, but His sinless life is our identity, and in our sanctified lives, we have been “quickened,” and have been made to walk in “newness of life” by Him. And our Father sees “perfection” in His sons and daughters when they are being “led by” His Word, and not by this world, and are no longer “conformed to this world,” but desire to be “conformed to the image of His Son.” This is where the ‘perfection’ is shown, because if we are in the likeness of Jesus Christ, in our Justified position, and are being conformed to His image, we also have the ability to take on His perfection in our Sanctified lives as well by Him.

Rod Jones

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Category: Christian

Published by Rod Jones

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BT January 9, 2023 at 3:01 pm

It is through the perfect work of Christ that there is to be a people who walk in His perfection. Any ministry which does not set forth the truth of perfection have failed in their mandate from God.

“He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfection of the saints…” (as you have already quoted) they who seek to populate “their” church will preach a gospel that is pleasing to the masses and forsake the ministration of the truth for the sake of their own gain.

So appreciate the heart of your post!

Blessings
BT

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