Matthew 5:48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

No Christian or anyone indeed as a human being born of God can claim they are perfect. All are sinners, all have broken God’s laws a myriad of times over and over again. Compared to God’s holiness, we are the worst smelling garbage there is. Below is a depiction on how we see ourselves, as most would claim “I am a good person”, and how God actually sees us because of sin.

So God commands that we are to be perfect, His perfection, not our idea on perfection, but His eternal perfection. There cannot be a spot or blemish or iniquity from the day we were born until death in order to live with Him eternally. There is no good tries here that He will accept. Absolute spotless perfection is how one gains entry to eternal life.

If you are thinking this is impossible, you are on the right track. Unfortunately some world religions miss the mark, such as Roman Catholicism and will teach subjective perfection as this way to being perfect. They dismiss the demand for absolute perfection entirely and employ their own brand of imperfection of which they demand God accepts in the end. They are in for a sad surprise on Judgment Day when Jesus says “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23).

For those who know that this standard of absolute perfection is impossible, you are correct, that this is impossible for man to achieve in of themselves. No one can do it, we all will fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). However, there is Good News! It is absolutely possible with God!

How is it possible with God to be absolutely perfect? He provided a remedy by His grace and mercy alone. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in your place, to satisfy the wrath of God on your behalf and by this, you are perfect! But don’t deceive yourself, you are ONLY perfect in Him by faith alone. By faith granted by God, He imputes Jesus Christ’s perfection to your account, you are now IN HIM, so when the depiction is shown above, instead of the wicked broken down decrepit sinner that you are, He now only sees Jesus Christ’s perfection.

You cannot restore yourself or make yourself new. There is no shop or church you can go to that can fix your rotting self. This is ALL done by God! Why is it all done by God and not by your cooperation as well? Because God gets ALL the glory in this, there is no room for your boasting. You did not drive yourself to salvation, there is no special prayer or command you made, you cannot claim to have been regenerated by a ritual either. Any such additions, and you are telling God that it was possible for you, not impossible, to be perfect without His sole work in you. You are also telling God “I don’t need Jesus Christ’s redemption, I can be perfect all by my will power”.

Sadly, there are many sinners out there trying to shine themselves up, trying insanely to restore their wretched wickedness by religiosity or by boastful works and by the their fallen will power. And somehow in the end, they believe God will need to accept this disgusting imperfection, the broken down truck on the right above. And sadly the screechful wailing and gnashing of teeth will ensue for an eternity when He says “be gone from Me, you workers of lawlessness”.

Do you want to be perfect today? Place your faith alone in Jesus Christ, and IN Him is the only perfection needed! Is it that simple? Yes! Don’t believe me? Open your Bible with an open and teachful mind and God will show you that I am telling you the truth!

No one is perfect in themselves, perfection can only be granted by God in His Son Jesus Christ to you, if He so wills you to be saved, you are PERFECT already!

1 John 2:5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.