“The Measure of Perfection”

The Measure of Perfection [The Complete Man] What does it mean to be perfect? How do we measure perfection? Are there varying degrees of perfection? Our Father’s Day message will address these questions and more. We begin with the reading of our text from Job 1:1… [Job 1:1] There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Invariably, thoughts about our fathers evoke memories both good and bad. If we say ‘we saw nothing bad in them,’ it usually means that they were so good to us we didn’t pay any attention to their faults. If our view of them was or is not so kind, Hebrews 12:10 reminds us that NO father is ‘perfect’… “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good.” Here in Job 1:1, we have God’s own assertion that the man Job was “blameless” [“perfect,” KJV]. The Bible in Basic English translates it “ without sin.” Was that true of Job? Not quite… We know that he, like any one of us, was a flawed and sinful human being. So, how do we reconcile this seeming conflict between those who are called ‘perfect’ or spoken of in terms that hint at perfection? The Hebrew word [TAM] translated as “blameless” or “complete” (Job 1:1) describe a man of HIGH INTEGRITY. Some translations say “guiltless.” The Bible in Basic English [BBE] says “without sin.” That wording is going too far. for there’s only One who “was in all points tempted as we are, yet WITHOUT SIN.” (Hebrews 4:15) And, the Scripture clearly says of all others [except Jesus]: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) Even Enoch, Noah, and Job were not ‘perfect’ using Christ’s sinlessness as the measure of ‘perfection.’ Yet each one of them is described at times as ‘perfect ’ or in terms that hint at the IDEA of ‘perfection.’ But they were NOT perfect! But, these men are held in high regard because of their resolve and faithful record in doing God’s will. In many languages, you will find both absolute vs. relative modes of speaking. Another way of putting it might be literal vs. hyperbolic[1] ways of speaking. We read in Genesis 5:24: “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” We are told of Noah in Genesis 6:9: “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” And then there is the man of our focus, Job who is repeatedly described by God as “blameless.” (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3) We see that even Moses is viewed in a similar light of relative perfection… Exodus 33:11 says “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend,” and again in Deut. 34:10, “There has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.” Yet the Lord did not allow him to enter the Promised Land. (See Deut. 32:48-52; 34:1-5) Conclusion: This message is not suggesting that we adopt a view of ‘moral relativism,’ meaning: ‘There are no universal or absolute standards of morality that apply to everyone.’ The relativism we’ve been addressing concerns God’s descriptions of his saints where He describes their character and moral achievements as being ‘PERFECT.’ ‘Perfect’ in the absolute sense of being ‘perfect?’… NO! But it’s clear that the direction they’re moving in is toward the mark of perfection. It is the ‘target’ that God holds out for them and US to aim at and strive for. In our role as ‘father,’ we will always have critics. We should only be concerned with God’s assessment of WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE’RE CALLED TO DO, and HOW WELL WE’RE DOING IT, for He’s the only One that matters! [See Job 8:20] Our Lord has placed the ‘target’ directly in front of us… “Be ye therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. [Matthew 5:48] Paul brings a welcome perspective to this strict challenge by Jesus. He admits in his letter to Philippi that he’s not there yet [i.e., “PEFECTION”]. Take heart in what he says… Philippians 3:12-14 [12] Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. [13] Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.