Perfection must be our aim.

by Pastor George Lehman

Perfection is not just a word, it’s an attitude of the heart.

“The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.”- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Amazing how we love this word: Perfect.

When someone says you did a perfect job.

Our child does well on the report card - we say that is just perfect.

You hit a hole-in-one golf shot – perfect.

That’s a Perfect opportunity.

But when it comes to our Christian walk, we don’t like the word in fact we avoid the word perfect. Because we believe it’s not possible.

In our own strength and sinful nature, we will never attain to perfection.

Jesus was stretched out on the cross for us!! He fulfilled God’s perfect plan.

God didn’t call us to be perfect in our imperfection.

It’s when we understand our utter limitations and start to live a life of obedience – then the new life Christ purchased on the Cross for us. - A life of perfection will begin to grow, develop and flourish. The stuff you have laid down – You are already making progress.

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection – not when there is nothing left to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away.”  - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Malachi 3:3 (Amp) – He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness.

Story of the silversmith:

Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to read the scriptures and make them the subject of conversation.

While reading the 3rd chapter verse 3 of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the 3rd verse.  “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

One lady’s opinion was that it was intended to convey the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ.  Then she proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them what he said on the subject.  She went accordingly and without telling the object of her visit, she asked to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her.

“Sir,” she said, “do you sit while the work of refining is going on?” “Oh, yes madam,” replied the silversmith, “I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured.”

The lady at once saw the beauty and comfort too, of the expression, “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

As the lady was leaving the shop, the silversmith called her back and said he had still further to mention, that he only knows when the process of purifying was complete, by seeing his own image reflected in the silver.

Beautiful example!  “When Christ shall see His own image in His people, His work of purifying will be

accomplished.”  - Author unknown.

“Redemption is not perfection.  The redeemed must realize their imperfections.” - John Piper

“The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.”   - George Orwell (People just plod along in their imperfection.)

The general comment on perfection is:  Nobody is perfect.  We all make mistakes.  We are just human.

It’s really sad when someone keeps using these excuses when they are acting poorly – because they’re not ‘perfect’.

Not being perfect does not excuse disobedience, acting badly compromising or remaining in habitual sin.

Paul encouraged the church to this life:

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)  - “Finally, brothers, good-bye.  Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace.  And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:48 (Amp) – You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

A clear positive command:

Matthew 19:17-21 (NIV) – 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”  18 “Which ones?” he inquired.  Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honour your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’”  20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”  21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

It will clearly cost you everything.

Perfection comes when we lay down the things of the world.

We have to have an aim in life as Christians – our goal is to aim for perfection.

So many Christians merely drift through life.

“If you aim at nothing – you’ll hit nothing.”

There are two levels of our Christian life:

External:  It’s what we do for God. We can be so busy doing and not aiming for perfection...Inwardly.

Internal:  It’s what we are becoming in Him.

God’s truth spoken by Samuel:

1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV) – But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Most importantly it’s who we are becoming - not so much what we do!!

Perfect:  Jesus is not talking about something that is unreal or unattainable

It’s something, by the grace of God that can be attained, but we have to aim for perfection.

We have no right to bring God’s standards down to our level of ability.

We have to trust God to raise the level of our ability to His standards.

God’s standards are perfect.

The word ‘perfect’ can be translated as mature, fully developed, complete, lacking nothing.

Here’s an example in maths:

A circle is round.  It can never be square or oval or oblong.  It’s round – that’s the standard.

Using this analogy:

God is the Great Circle it encompasses all He is the Great God of the universe - and He expects for us to be a smaller circle in character – in our homes, church, job, sports, everywhere. We cannot be satisfied with a square or oblong life our aim is the standard which is Round....

Paul states his life goal – his aim.

Philippians 3:12 (Amp) – Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

The life:

Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV) – 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Those who choose to remove the compromise of a, lack of prayer, bible reading and being a witness from their lives...

...those who make the commitments to do away with bad habits and lukewarm living and persevere...will...

...come so much nearer to perfection than those who make excuses, are lazy, compromise, and give up because they believe they can’t be perfect.

If your goal or aim is not perfection, then what is it?

Where is your AIM? Do you AIM?