Imperfections
Have you ever strived to be perfect? Was it a good experience- did you feel satisfied in the pursuit? It can be quite draining when you acknowledge how imperfect you are. It is especially more difficult if you view perfection as the only acceptable mark, and anything outside of that equalling failure.
For people who believe into a greater being, or an entity which supersedes human capabilities, this struggle should be less applicable to us. Yet I’ve found in my personal experience that the knowledge of my insufficiencies have made me even more incessant in my pursuit of perfection, especially when granted the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT: “17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image”.
2 Corinthians 3 speaks about the glory of the new covenant that was instituted through the life of Jesus Christ. Due to His death, burial and resurrection, we now have access to the Holy Spirit who grants us this freedom from sin and death. He then begins the work of progressively changing us to resemble the character of Jesus. But the imperfection of our bodies does not disappear; in fact it is further magnified by the presence of the Spirit in our life. Galatians 5:17 mentions how our flesh is continually at war with our Spirit, seeking to obstruct us living out the good intentions that we may have, however verse 18 of Galatians 5 speaks of how living by the Spirit frees us from the law. The reason why this is very much profound is because it reemphasises the new agreement that was made between man and God. For many, before and during the existence of Jesus Christ on earth they battled with how to enter the kingdom of heaven and qualify themselves to be partakers of God’s chosen people. They questioned Jesus on the Sabbath, the holy commandments, marriage and divorce, and many other contemporary issues. Yet He’d always point them back to Himself, His mandate, and what he sort to accomplish on earth. The gospel (good news) of salvation through Christ was the answer to imperfection, the Spirit was the one who would guide us into living out this truth, and the law magnified the completeness of Jesus. Without the law we would not be so acutely aware of our shortcomings, and without the Trinity we could not see love and sacrifice (through the Father and the Son’s atoning agreement) nor could we see the enablement of the Spirit in Christ’s work.
Through Christ mankind was able to partake in the union of the Trinity, as we’d enter into the relationship that the Spirit had with Christ, and Christ with the Father. The search for perfection through our willpower was rendered futile and we could rely on the supernatural help of the Lord, who is the Spirit. Now when I revert back to mindsets and moments of striving, the type of striving which is born out of insecurity and bondage to my conception of ‘good’, I need be reminded of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 4:3-7 (AMP): “3 But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing; 4 among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.”
The light-bulb moment, the moment you realised that Christ was God and believing into Him was the beginning of life, that’s when the veil was removed. Far too long had we failed to recognise that darkness was the absence of the true knowledge of God made real in our lives. And the treasure which is the gospel, which is further emphasised in Matthew 13:44-46, was made known and displayed in our imperfections so that we would quite clearly distinguish the fruit of our bodies and the fruit of God.
The topic of imperfection also makes evident the fruit of love, faith and hope, as when all else fades and our bodies are swallowed up and returned to dust, these three shall remain:
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 AMP: 12 For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God]. 13 And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.
In closing, I hope in times where the contention between our bodies and our spirit becomes too great to bear, and we begin to grow weary in doing good, we remember the perfection of the gospel and the freedom of peace that it provides.