05/16/2021
When God says something is good it is good, and when He says it is perfect that is true too. So it is that we strive to do good things because we seek to imitate the goodness of God, and we are confident that we can be good, but why is it that when we are told to be perfect we quake with fear, feeling that perfection is beyond our ability? We fear perfection even though scripture tells us there are others who have been perfect. So, if only God is good, but others have been perfect, then why do we feel that we can actually be called good, but never perfect?
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
Psalm 100:5 ESV
Scripture such as Psalm 100 tells us that God is good, and Jesus tells us the same, but did He call anyone else good except God? No, He didn’t call anyone else good other than the Lord... not even Himself; listen...
“And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.””
Matthew 19:16-17 ESV
So we can do good things, or think good thoughts, but in and of ourselves we are not considered good... we are not good by our very nature as men. We are told this in the Old Testament...
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV
And, in the New Testament as well...
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:8 ESV
Only through Jesus are we relieved of our sin, and only by His perfect sacrifice do we have any hope to be righteous, or truly good.
So if we are not good as God is good, what about perfection? We question our ability to be perfect as God is perfect, and some might find this thought so daunting that they would walk away from their faith altogether because of it...
“ “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:47-48 ESV
However, we should take heart. Although only God is good, we have other biblical examples of perfection in the Old Testament, and then we have Jesus. So when we read this scripture, let’s not fear. Jesus was made perfect in His suffering, and we can take consolation in knowing that by our faith in Him, and the grace of God that flows through Him, we too are perfected.
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
Hebrews 2:10 ESV
We read here that Jesus had to be perfected by His suffering, so isn’t there hope for us too? Isn’t there hope that even though we may be completely broken now, we can be made perfect in Him? He didn’t become our high priest simply by birthright, but by His perfection; Listen...
“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:9-10 ESV
So it was that by His perfection He became our high priest; even as one who knew us in all of our weaknesses. In this role he helps us overcome our temptation and sin just as He overcame them in Himself.
“For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.”
Hebrews 7:28 ESV
But lest we forget, Jesus was not the only man in scripture who was called perfect, there were two others who were identified with perfection. The first was Noah who was perfect in his generations, and walked with God...
“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”
Genesis 6:9 KJV
Then there was Abraham who God called to be perfect so that He could enter into covenant with him, and multiply him...
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”
Genesis 17:1-2 KJV
We know Abraham was perfected because God made covenant with him, and he was multiplied. So Abraham was also considered perfect...
““But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt”
Acts 7:17 ESV
We too are capable of not only doing good things, but of being perfected. The question becomes one of faith, and believing in Jesus Christ. Noah, and Abraham predated the Law of Moses, and although their perfection gives us hope, we live today under the new covenant, and our righteousness, and perfection have already been secured for us through the blood, and suffering of Jesus. Today we can be good, but only God IS good, but we can be perfected, and when we are told to be perfect we can rest assured of being successful because our Lord Jesus was perfected, and has bought us out of our slavery to sin, and established us in our perfection.
So... Are you ready to do good, and become perfect?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for being Good, and for allowing us to do good things as we imitate you in our lives. Thank you Holy Father for being perfect, and not only allowing us to seek perfection, but to achieve it through your Son Jesus Christ who, by His obedience, was perfected through suffering. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who works all things together for the good of those who love you, and who perfects us through your Son Jesus. Praised be your name for the good things we do each day to help our neighbors, and for the good thoughts we dwell on as we resist temptation. Praised be your name for perfecting us through Christ, and relieving us of the burden of perfecting ourselves under the Law. Merciful are you who brings goodness into our lives, and gracious are you who instills perfection within us by your grace that flows through Jesus. Cleanse us in the blood of your perfect lamb Jesus, and find us perfect, and worthy of eternity in Him, as we are judged on our day of reckoning. Seat us at your table Father, and feed us from your Word forevermore.
Rich Forbes