"No one is perfect."
At first glance this appears to be a very reasonable and true statement. Starting from our knowledge of ourselves and our contact with other human beings like us, we can easily be convinced that perfection is a non-existent or very rare thing. Is it really?
Among humans perfection is certainly missing. Perfection in the universe, however, is not rare. Perfection is actually the norm because God is perfect and we live and move and have our being in God's perfection. Perfection has imperfection surrounded.
If we observe the beauty of creation around us it is easy to see that many things are living as they should. When something lives as it was created to live it is accurate to say that thing is perfect.
Perfection is fully being what we were created to be. When we observe the flowers and the birds in our world we can still glimpse creatures being what they were meant to be. That is why Jesus told us to observe the birds and flowers to calm our minds and hearts.
When we do observe them, they seem to be able to be what they were meant to be without great effort. They seem completely at peace being what they are. When we observe ourselves and other humans trying to be who we should be, we certainly do not see peace or perfection.
When we see Jesus we do see relaxed human perfection. Being fully what He was created to be was not hard work for Jesus. He was perfectly natural and at peace being Himself. Perhaps that is the main reason some people loved Him and others hated Him. To some He was perfection and they wanted that. To others He was something they were not and they hated that.
Jesus was human and perfect so we should not say "No one is perfect." What we should say is "Jesus was perfect. Can I hope to be perfect like Jesus?"
The answer is yes! Jesus' perfection is contagious to all who believe in Him and receive Him. Perfection is not something we can do, but it is someone we can receive into our spirit. As Jesus abides in us by His Spirit, He begins to work His perfection into every corner of our life until we are returned to what a human was meant to be.
C.S. Lewis called this new life in Jesus the 'good infection'. Acording to Lewis, once you get this 'good infection' you are headed for nothing less than perfection. You are on your way to being a human who is able to easily do what humans were meant to do which is love God and love neighbors.
Not everyone who gets this 'good infection' shows the symptoms of perfection at the same speed. In some disciples Jesus' perfection is barely noticeable. Even so, make no mistake, if you have received the perfect life of Jesus in your spirit you are on you way to perfection. You might as well relax and cooperate. You will be perfect eventually in Jesus.
At first glance this appears to be a very reasonable and true statement. Starting from our knowledge of ourselves and our contact with other human beings like us, we can easily be convinced that perfection is a non-existent or very rare thing. Is it really?
Among humans perfection is certainly missing. Perfection in the universe, however, is not rare. Perfection is actually the norm because God is perfect and we live and move and have our being in God's perfection. Perfection has imperfection surrounded.
If we observe the beauty of creation around us it is easy to see that many things are living as they should. When something lives as it was created to live it is accurate to say that thing is perfect.
Perfection is fully being what we were created to be. When we observe the flowers and the birds in our world we can still glimpse creatures being what they were meant to be. That is why Jesus told us to observe the birds and flowers to calm our minds and hearts.
When we do observe them, they seem to be able to be what they were meant to be without great effort. They seem completely at peace being what they are. When we observe ourselves and other humans trying to be who we should be, we certainly do not see peace or perfection.
When we see Jesus we do see relaxed human perfection. Being fully what He was created to be was not hard work for Jesus. He was perfectly natural and at peace being Himself. Perhaps that is the main reason some people loved Him and others hated Him. To some He was perfection and they wanted that. To others He was something they were not and they hated that.
Jesus was human and perfect so we should not say "No one is perfect." What we should say is "Jesus was perfect. Can I hope to be perfect like Jesus?"
The answer is yes! Jesus' perfection is contagious to all who believe in Him and receive Him. Perfection is not something we can do, but it is someone we can receive into our spirit. As Jesus abides in us by His Spirit, He begins to work His perfection into every corner of our life until we are returned to what a human was meant to be.
C.S. Lewis called this new life in Jesus the 'good infection'. Acording to Lewis, once you get this 'good infection' you are headed for nothing less than perfection. You are on your way to being a human who is able to easily do what humans were meant to do which is love God and love neighbors.
Not everyone who gets this 'good infection' shows the symptoms of perfection at the same speed. In some disciples Jesus' perfection is barely noticeable. Even so, make no mistake, if you have received the perfect life of Jesus in your spirit you are on you way to perfection. You might as well relax and cooperate. You will be perfect eventually in Jesus.
"Be perfect as you Heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48
Bud McCord
Abide International
No comments:
Post a Comment