In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus delivers one of his most challenging commands: "You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This exhortation follows his earlier command to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:43), setting an extraordinarily high standard for moral and spiritual attainment. To use a metaphor, it's as though Jesus has set the bar for holiness so high that no human has yet managed to clear it. This command might seem almost unattainable, especially given the complexity of living a life marked by such radical love and perfection.
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As someone who has been a Christian for over fifty years, I must confess that achieving this kind of perfection remains elusive for me. In fact, the longer I walk in faith, the more acutely aware I become of my own weaknesses, a sentiment echoed by many of the most seasoned Christians I know. Perfection seems beyond reach, and it is rare to meet anyone who could be described as a perfect Christian. So, if Jesus sets such a seemingly impossible standard, how are we to understand his call to perfection? What exactly is he asking of us?
Sinless Perfection Is Not the Expectation
A crucial insight into Jesus’s expectations is found in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Luke’s version clarifies this further: “Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4). This instruction reveals that Jesus does not anticipate sinless perfection from his followers, as he commands regular confession and forgiveness of sins.
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The New Testament supports this understanding through the writings of the apostles. James acknowledges human imperfection, stating, “we all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). John further asserts that claiming sinlessness is self-deception, saying, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Even Paul, despite his profound spiritual insight, admits his ongoing pursuit of perfection, saying, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own” (Philippians 3:12).
These scriptures indicate that the New Testament does not present sinless perfection as a realistic or required goal for believers in this life. For many of us, this is encouraging news, as it acknowledges our inability to meet the divine standard on our own. However, this does not mean we are exempt from striving towards Jesus’s command for perfection. Understanding what Jesus truly means by "perfection" is essential for navigating our spiritual journey.
The Requirement of Perfection and Its Solution
Even though the New Testament does not suggest that Christians will achieve sinless perfection in this life, it does affirm that God requires us to strive for moral perfection—“to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This presents a significant dilemma: God demands a level of moral perfection that is inherently unattainable for humans. This issue is central to the gospel message.
The Bible addresses this tension through the concept of righteousness. God’s righteousness represents his moral perfection, and the fundamental question is how this righteousness can be reconciled with sinful humanity without compromising divine justice. The answer is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as summarized by Paul:
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“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:23–26).
Through Jesus’s sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, God has met the high bar of holiness by satisfying the justice required for sin. Consequently, believers in Christ are granted the gift of righteousness, as Paul explains, “For our sake [the Father] made [the Son] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
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Pursuing Christlikeness While Embracing Grace
This gospel message is profoundly liberating. It means that we are not required to achieve sinless perfection to be saved. Instead, what God requires from us is “the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). This obedience is not an attempt to earn salvation through our efforts but a natural outgrowth of genuine faith. Paul clarifies this in Romans 6:12–14, where he encourages believers to live in righteousness, not under the law, but under grace.
Obedience to God, driven by faith, is what reflects our relationship with him. As James puts it, “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26), and Jesus himself said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). True faith manifests in striving to live according to Christ’s example, even though we know we will not achieve perfect righteousness in this life. The process of being conformed to Christ’s image (Romans 8:29) involves continual growth and effort, as Paul encourages believers to “excel still more” in pursuing Christlikeness (1 Thessalonians 4:1 NASB).
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God’s Gracious Disposition and Our Growth
Given that achieving perfect righteousness is not possible, how do we know if our efforts meet God’s expectations? There is no uniform answer, as discerning God’s pleasure in our obedience is deeply personal. C.S. Lewis provides a helpful perspective, noting that while God demands absolute perfection, he also appreciates even the smallest efforts towards it. Lewis reflects:
“[God] who will, in the long run, be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection, will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow to do the simplest duty. As a great Christian writer (George MacDonald) pointed out, every father is pleased at the baby’s first attempt to walk: no father would be satisfied with anything less than a firm, free, manly walk in a grown-up son. In the same way, he said, ‘God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy’” (Mere Christianity, 202–203).
God’s pleasure is found not in the flawless execution of our efforts but in the sincere intention and growth of our faith. Just as he was pleased with the widow’s humble offering (Luke 21:1–4), he values our genuine attempts to live faithfully. Viewing God as a loving Father who delights in our progress rather than perfection helps us appreciate his encouragement to “excel still more” as an invitation to deeper joy and greater spiritual maturity.
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In conclusion, Jesus’s call to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect is not a demand for unattainable sinlessness but an invitation to strive for righteousness through the lens of grace. Understanding this balance between divine expectation and grace allows us to pursue a life of faith with both humility and hope, knowing that God delights in our sincere efforts and growth along the way.
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