To Be or Not Two Be, That is the Question: Be Perfect, Be Holy

Both ‘Bees’ are huge topics. They are complex and probably too much to deal with adequately in a few short articles. So, I will only cover the very basics. First, there has been some misunderstanding with both the word perfect, and the word holy. They are not what we think they are. Let’s start with the word PERFECT. JESUS told HIS disciples, “You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly FATHER is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) How is that even possible? How can this be a “MUST”? The word Perfect used by JESUS and others in the New Testament, is from the concept of something finished. We get translations using words like, completed, fulfilled, or fully matured. There are concepts discussed which show perfection as an ongoing process on our part. There are also passages which put the word perfect into a Passive context. This means what is being done for us IN CHRIST that we cannot do by ourselves within our lifetime. There is also the perfection that is only achieved in the afterlife at our resurrection. Paul, in his letter to the Philippian Church, said, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because CHRIST JESUS has made me HIS own.” (Philippians 3:12) Was Paul not obeying the LORD’s command to be perfect? Not at all. Look at verse 11 of the same chapter, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” The perfection he was talking about was the ultimate perfection found in the resurrection. So, the idea of perfection is three-fold. There is the kind of perfection, completeness, fulfilling, that only comes from CHRIST. There is the kind of on-going striving to be more complete, mature, fulfilled, or perfect in our daily walk. And there is the ultimate perfection, when our life on earth is finished and that moment when our new, imperishable bodies come forth in the final resurrection. We’ll expand more on this topic in the next few articles. In the meantime, let’s not make our humanity an excuse for not striving.

Russell Ashby