Perfection.
In Heb.6: 1-2, Paul tells us to leave the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ (Messiah), not laying again the foundations but go on to perfection. The elementary teachings are doctrines about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. In Heb.5: 12-13 Paul tells us that solid food belongs to those who are of full age. What is this perfection that Paul is talking about?
Once we call ourselves Christians, born-again Christian, it is assumed that we have been taught the basic principles about baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit by lying on of hands, resurrection and judgment. Once we have been taught these things, we do not spend our whole life meditating on them but go on to the next stage of Christian life by trying to change our life to be holy and more like Jesus (Yahshua) (I Pet.1: 16) We do not keep on digging and building the foundations forever. Once the foundations are laid it is time to build on the foundation. In Luke.14: 29, Jesus (Yahshua) tells of a man who is mocked by all because he began to build but could not finish. Once we learn the basics of the new life we should grow higher, vertically. We should aim for perfection.
Perfection means completeness (in various applications of labor, mental and moral character) ripeness or fullness of God (Yah), without spot or blemish. In the Old Testament, a perfect man was one whose heart was truly and wholly devoted to God (Yah). Our sense and mental faculties are trained by practice to differentiate between good and noble, evil and corrupt. (Heb.5: 14)
One way of attaining perfection is written in Eph.4: 22-25. Put off the former conduct and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which was created according to God (Yah) in righteousness and true holiness. Stop speaking lies, put away all anger and malice, do not let satan take control of your emotions. He who steals, let him stop stealing but work sincerely for his living. Let all bitterness, anger, filthy language be put away from you once and forever and be kind to one another. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.
Rom.12: 2-3, ‘be not conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’
This perfection is like the seed which fell on good ground (Luke.8: 15), ‘ but those on the good ground are the ones who, in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.’
This perfection does not come easily. ‘May the God (Yah) of grace …perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.’ (1 Pet.5: 10). God (Yah) Himself will make us perfect. When Nicodemus asked Jesus (Yahshua) what he should do to have eternal life, Jesus (Yahshua) told him,’ if you want to be perfect, go sell whatever you have, give to the poor... come and follow me.’ (Matt.19: 21). Here He was telling Nicodemus to forget and forsake all the worldly things, give his time and love to the poor in spirit and then follow Him. Another excellent passage is Matthew chapter 5, which is also called the Sermon on the Mount. Apart from the beatitudes, the rest of the passage tells us how to be perfect. Such a man is like a house built on strong foundations on a rock, which does not fall when the floods come or when the winds beat on it, but stands firm. (Luke.6: 48).
Man cannot reach perfection by his own works, but he can become perfect by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit protects you from evil and teaches the path of right living. The Bible mentions many people who have lived such perfect lives in spite of trials and tribulations and temptations. Chief among them are Job (Job.1:8), Noah and Daniel (Ezek.14 14), and David (Acts.13: 22)
What are the rewards of perfection?
The first is peace. (Psalms.33: 37) ‘Mark the perfect man…for the end of that man is peace.’ A man who is perfect will not give place to anger, he will always be calm even in troubled and difficult times, because he is filled with the ‘ peace of God (Yah) which passes all understanding’ (Phil.4: 7)
When we are in temptations our patience grows because we are growing towards perfection. (Jas.4: 4). When we are perfect we will have confidence in the day of judgment because the Lord will strengthen us. (2 Tim.4: 17).
Prov.2: 21. The upright will dwell in the land and the perfect will remain in it. The Lord has promised us this land as an inheritance if we are perfect.
Love or charity is another reward of perfection. It is called the ‘bond of perfection’ (Col.3: 14). As we grow towards perfection, our love for our neighbor also grows.
It is not so easy to be perfect, we will stumble occasionally,’ When things are going well, we look again at the world and we stumble in our faith. At the smallest hint of trouble our faith wavers. Jas.3: 2, ‘ in many things we stumble, if anyone does not stumble, he is a perfect man.’
Paul says to the Corinthians, ‘be comforted, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God (Yah) of love and peace will be with you.’ (2 Cor.13: 11).
Even today we as His children can live and grow towards perfection according to His will in our lives
The message that is repeated often in the Bible is, ‘be like Jesus (Yahshua), follow His footsteps. Perfection should be the Christian ideal and aim, “Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt.5: 48) - absolute perfection must be forever beyond any thing, living or non-living. It is a divine ideal forever shining before us, calling us upward, and making endless progression possible.
It is the wish of God (Yah) that we should be perfect. Even before we were conceived in our mothers’ womb, He has laid out the path that we should walk in. And whom He knew before we were born, He also determined that we should be conformed to be in the image of His Son. (Rom.8: 29)
As seen before, the perfect man, in the Old Testament phrase, was the man whose heart was truly or wholly devoted to God. Christian perfection must also have its base in such a heart, but it implies the whole conduct and the whole man. The Christian should be continually moving onward toward perfection, looking to Him who is able to “make you perfect in every good thing (or work) to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb.13: 21).
May we grow towards that perfection and be worthy to be called His children! |