What does it mean to “be perfect?”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

There has been no shortage of discussion and controversy as to what exactly the Savior meant when He commanded us to “be perfect.”

Typically, it is argued that Christ meant one of the two following options:

(1) Perfect = free from sin
(2) Perfect = perfectly developed Godlike attributes

Both of these options seem to miss the mark. Consider the following:

(1) Free from sin … this is kinda difficult since we are all mortal, we have all sinned, and we have all fallen short (Romans 3:23). Unfortunately, a lot of us end up meeting ourselves up over something that we know we simply cannot do.

(2) Perfectly developed Godlike attributes … since we are human, and prideful, we are prone to compare ourselves to others. When we do, we get discouraged when we realize we fall short. Needless to say, if we were ever to compare ourselves to God the Father, we wouldn’t just fall short, we wouldn’t even be found playing in the same ballpark. Surely, attempting to develop Godlike attributes – such as patience, wisdom, charity, judgement, etc – is a noble endeavor. But we need to remember that we will never come close to even remotely matching our Heavenly Father in these characteristics while in this mortal life.

Either way, whether we are overly anxious about being (1) free from sin, or (2) developing comparable godlike attributes, we need to “stop it,” right now.

Both of these viewpoints are flawed.

One interesting thing about words and languages is that they are constantly evolving, and their meanings are constantly changing over time.

To begin with, the original Greek and Hebrew words that were translated into the English word for “Perfect” never meant “perfection from sin.”

Furthermore, from the original Hebrew perspective, there is no concept for “Perfect” as we commonly use it today – meaning being “free from sin” – so we can go ahead and quite beating ourselves up over our shortcomings and imperfections right now. Jesus never told us to be something we realistically cannot even remotely achieve.

Rather, the original words that were translated into the English word for “Perfect” could have meant any one of the following (among others):

(1) Innocence or integrity of mind
(2) Blameless
(3) Perfect in love or complete in love

This is interesting to note because the scriptures clearly teach that both Job and Noah were “Perfect.”

Job 1:1 reads “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”

Genesis 6:9 reads “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

Although there could have been any number of meanings layered within these 2 versus, it is interesting to note that the word “Perfect” could have been replaced with the word “Innocent,” meaning that they had no evil intent towards other, or in all things, they acted with love and grace.

Furthermore, they were “Perfect” because they were made “complete in love,” or they were made complete as they served those about them (grace for grace).

They lifted up the hands that hung down, and they strengthened the feeble kneed, they were preachers of peace, and in all things they acted with selflessness.

In short, they were “Perfect” in all things, because they earnestly sought out and embraced the will of the Father as their own, with full purpose of heart, and hence they walked blameless before God.

Likewise, we too can seek out and embrace the will of the Father as our own, with full purpose of heart, we too can be made “Perfect” as Christ has asked us to be.

Perfection is simply about seeking out and embracing the will of the Father with full purpose of heart, so that with the aid and assistance of one mightier than ourselves, we can be made perfect.

Ultimately, it is about actively seeking out the Lord and playing on His team by His rules, and putting our time, energy, and efforts into accomplishing His goals and designs (which at times might seem mundane, since it involves lifting and serving and loving one by one). It is likened to climbing a ladder. As we reach down and lift others up a rung (we show other grace), the Heavens reach down and lift us up a rung (we are given grace) … until over a long period of time we eventually reach the top.

Alone, we are not perfect. Together with Christ, we are perfect. (Perhaps Christ was simply giving us instruction on the process by which we are to overcome selfishness … we are to rely upon one mightier than ourselves – the Father. There is no perfection in being separated from the Father. We simply cannot do it on our own. We need Heaven’s help.)

Finally, it needs to be noted that being “Perfect” can be equated to being “Confident.”

In short, being “Perfect” (as Christ intended) is not equal to being “free from sin,” but rather, it is being “Confident.”

Our Father in Heaven wants us to both treasured and confident.

As we act on His team in doing His will, we receive assurances from Heaven that the Heaven’s are pleased with us.

We could look at it this way. As one receives tender mercies and assurances from Heavenly sources that one is on the right path, over time one might be led to exclaim “although I know that I am not perfect as of today, I am perfectly confident that I am standing exactly where Heavenly Father would have me be standing today.”

Said differently, “Perfection” could be equated to being perfectly confident that one is standing exactly where the Lord would have them stand.

It is having perfect confidence that as one is playing on the Lord’s team, the Lord is pleased with the role one is playing in bring about His purposes.

So how does one gain this confidence?

In sum, as we serve those about us with a pure heart, as we lift others to a higher plain, the Heavens will smile down upon us, and we will receive witness that we are standing exactly where He would have us stand, that we are doing exactly what He would have us do, and that in all ways, our Heavenly Father is please with us.

Ultimately, isn’t this what perfection is all about … our pleasing our Heavenly Father?

Surely, as we selflessly serve and lift those about us, in time, we ourselves will be lifted up, and we too will be made perfect.

We must never loose sight of what we are to do today, to seek out and minister to the one, to feed His lambs.

And although we may not be perfect as of yet, we can be perfectly confident that our Heavenly Father is pleased with us, that we are standing exactly where He would have us stand, that our feet are firmly planted on solid and holy ground.