“But nobody is perfect!” – Let’s grow into perfection!
Every time I hear somebody say, “But nobody is perfect!” I cringe. Why? Because most of the time, they are looking at the imperfect lives of others and using the weaknesses of others to excuse some sin or issue in their own life. This behavior is not found in scripture… as a matter of fact, we are never to excuse sin or weakness, but rather put the light on the wrong, and get it dealt with. The sooner we get things made right, the better off we will be. Let’s stop looking at the problem and excusing it, and let’s ask ourselves a very valuable question: Why are we not perfect? Why do we struggle in certain areas of our lives? Because there are strongholds (incorrect thinking patterns… spider webs in our mind), unclean spirits (which can make it very difficult for a person to resist sin), or we are still allowing other things to become more important to us than our relationship with God (lack of relationship with God).
God’s Word is clear that there is no excuse not to eagerly seek to depart from all forms of ungodliness in our lives…
2 Timothy 2:19, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Am I claiming to be perfect? Absolutely not! Am I striving to work on any areas that the Lord shows me in my life that needs to be worked on? Absolutely! Am I seeing results? YES!!!
We need to stop comparing ourselves to one another, and begin to compare ourselves to the one that we are to be conformed to His image… that is Jesus Christ… who set an example of what He wants to see in us!
Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Saying that nobody is perfect puts a serious damper on God’s ability to transform us… it turns a positive (our ability to become perfect) into a negative (we’ll never be perfect).
“But we are under grace!”
Yes, we are! But that does not mean that we are to continue in sin! Paul made this very clear in Romans when he said…
Romans 6:15,16, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
Wow! This warning was given to born again Christians, who were under grace, and yet Paul said that if we yield ourselves to sin, we can become servants of sin which can bring fourth spiritual death in our lives!
Can we come into perfection?
We were created in the very image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”), but because sin entered the world, we no longer had an image that reflects God’s image. However, God didn’t give up on us… He sent His son Jesus to pay the price so that we can get back on the right track, and be conformed to His image once again…
Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
This verse right here tells us that God’s intent is to conform us to the image of His Son! Another passage in the Bible tells us that through the washing of the Word, God intends to make us without spot nor blemish!
Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.“
Notice that Jesus had to die for us before we were capable of coming into this perfection! Before we became born again, we were not capable of being conformed into God’s image, but now that our old sinful man was crucified with Christ, we are capable of coming into perfection through the washing of Word. As the verse above tells us, Jesus wants us without spot and without blemish!
Another passage in the Bible tells us that our body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit CAN be blameless and sanctified wholly…
1 Thessalonians 5:22,23, “Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here is another one that tells us to be found without spot and blameless…
2 Peter 3:14, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
The Bible tells us that Jesus came not to abolish the law, but that we will be capable of fulfilling the law…
Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”
How is this possible? How can we fulfill the law here on earth? Simple… we have died unto sin, and been made new creations in Christ Jesus! Since we have died to sin, it’s power over us is destroyed. I have more to say about this, so keep reading…
There is a very important and vital difference between A Forgiven Sinner and a Saint. Mere forgiven sinners are still in bondage to sin… whereas saints have been set free from the power of sin…
Romans 6:18, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”
What does it mean to be dead to sin?
Did you know that when you accept Jesus and are baptized, you are baptized into His death, meaning you are now dead to your old life and unto sin?
Romans 6:3-9, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”
Sin no longer has dominion over you! How then does it feel like sin still reigns in our lives? Let’s keep reading in verse 11…
Romans 6:11, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Greek word for reckon here is logizomai, which basically means that we are to consider ourselves dead to sin. If we do not consider ourselves dead to sin, it will have power over us… even if it has no legal grounds for that power! If our minds have not yet been renewed in that area, then strongholds (incorrect thinking patterns) can exist, and keep us feeling bound to sin.
We are NEW CREATURES in Christ!
God’s Word is clear that if a man be in Christ, he is a new creation…
2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
This means that once a person accepts Jesus, their spirit becomes new. The spirit of a man is the roots, or the core of the person (the real you). If this does not become new, then it is impossible for you to enter the kingdom (meaning the royalty or family) of God, and be conformed to the image of God’s Son…
John 3:5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
So how can a person become born again, and yet still struggle with sin and bondage in their lives? Because the sin and bondage is still lingering in the person’s soul (mind, will and emotions). Even though your spirit has become new, your soul can carry over a lot of baggage from your previous lifestyle. This area of a person needs to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”), the tearing down of strongholds (see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5), and perhaps the ministry of deliverance to rid them of unclean spirits that may compulsively drive them to do that which does not glorify God.
I feel it’s worth repeating that the primary reasons why many of us are not yet walking in the fullness of cleanliness and godliness is because of these key factors:
Factor #1 Our souls (mind, will and emotions) have dirt that still needs to be cleaned up. There are likely strongholds that exist that must be torn down. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds according to the Word of God!
Factor #2 Unclean spirits need to be driven out. There are spirits behind many struggles that Christians face today, such as pornography, lust, sexual perversion and so fourth. These spirits make it very difficult for a person to overcome in that area of their life, and NEED to be cast out! Many believers feel beaten down and begin to question their love for God, simply because they cannot overcome an addiction in an area of their life, when in reality they need deliverance from a demonic spirit that is compulsively pushing them in the wrong direction. I can assure you that when these sorts of spirits are driven out, they can make for a WORLD of difference in that person’s life! Here is a passage in Matthew where Jesus was casting out demons to demonstrate how He took our infirmities (weaknesses) when He shed His blood for us:
Matthew 8:16-17, “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
Let’s take a closer look at the word infirmities here. It comes from the Greek word astheneia, which means, “From G772; feebleness (of body or mind); by implication malady; moral frailty: – disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.” This is exactly what demons cause in people… infirmities or weaknesses in body (physical) and mind (mental), maladies (diseases or disorders in mind or body), moral frailty (here comes your spirits of lust, sexual perversion, pornography, hate, etc.) along with many sicknesses and diseases. In short, when a person has a demon which causes moral frailty, it can make it very hard to resist doing what is right.
Factor #3 If we do not cultivate our relationship with God, it can become easy for us to allow other things (including sinful things) to become more important to us than our walk with God. When this happens, it can become easy to give in to sinful behavior. The cure here is simple… seek an intimate relationship with God until He is the most important and valuable thing that you have to live for!
What if we fail at times?
It is perfectly normal for us to fail at times as we grow in our walk with the Lord, and Jesus already made provision for that on the cross. When we stumble, even if it is repeatedly, we can take our failure before the Lord in repentance, and receive forgiveness. For God’s Word tells us clearly that should we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness (meaning, regardless what we’ve done)…
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What if we repeatedly keep falling into sin? I recommend seeking the root of your problem if this is the case, because it may be an unclean spirit that needs to be driven out before you will find freedom from your bondage. However, even if you fail a hundred times… Jesus told us to forgive others indefinitely (seventy times seven), and I’m pretty sure He is willing to do the same for us (why would He expect something from us that He is not willing to do Himself?)…
Matthew 18:21-22, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
A relationship with Jesus is not about Him tolerating our sin, but Him loving us as we grow into perfection.
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