We often say “nobody’s perfect.” That usually refers to ourselves, of course, though we are quick to note the imperfections of others. Perhaps we have written ourselves a note like this one: “Dear Self, You are not perfect nor will you ever be. Love, Me.”

As far as churches are concerned, the old saying is true “if you find the perfect church don’t join it.” Perfect is not the world we live in every day, and perfect seems so intimidating. Sometimes we don’t even like being around people who are more perfect than we are! More often we just don’t feel very perfect. And yet God uses the word perfect freely in His Word.

Does perfect mean what we think it means? Perhaps that is the problem. The perfect man and the perfect church are mentioned in Eph. 4:13.

“Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. As a result we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspect into Him who is the head – Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Eph. 4:13-16).

The first thing to understand is that perfect does not mean sinless. Only Christ is without sin (Heb. 4:15). But the word has a meaning that we must not overlook, and it just won’t do for us to say “nobody’s perfect.” God says that Noah was perfect (Gen. 6:9), that David was perfect (2 Sam. 22:24), and that Job was perfect (Job 1:1, 8). Also Zacharias and Elizabeth are described as “both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Lk. 1:7).

Never forget that God commands us to be perfect (Matt. 5:48) as He is perfect; holy (1 Pet. 1:16) as He is holy (Lev. 11:44-45). Paul said that the work which God gives to pastors is “that we may present every man perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28). And James exhorted the believers: “Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Js. 1:4). Keep in mind too that Jesus is “the Author and Perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2).

So what does perfect mean? The study of the Bible on this subject yields the answer. It means:

good and not bad…..

blameless and not blameworthy…..

healthy and not sick…..

genuine and not counterfeit…..

mature and not childlike…..

complete and not lacking…..

faithful and not disloyal…..

fruitful and not barren…..

fulfilled and not unhappy…..

progressive and not stagnant…..

strong and not shaky…..

In your own meditation on Eph. 4:13-16, you will notice how the “perfect man” (Greek teleios – just think of how a telescope brings a distant object into perfect view), is measured by likeness to Christ. Paul refers to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (4:13). As we more and more manifest likeness to Christ we are becoming perfect in the way God uses the word. “We grow up in all aspects into Him” (Eph. 4:15). And notice how Paul moves from discussion of the perfect man to the church that grows up and is built up in love. Here is the connection between the perfect man and the perfect church.

A perfect church is a local church, consisting of members joined together under the Head who is Christ, which has the same characteristics of biblical perfection listed above. The local church grows up together into the Head who is Christ. Each member does his or her part and Paul emphasizes this in the words: “fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (4:15-16).

What’s the bottom line? Personally, I want to be like Christ and obey His command to be perfect as My Father in Heaven is perfect. This means that I will be daily alert to and confessing my sins (so I will be blameless); careful how I live and walk (so that I will do good, faithful, and fruitful); and strong in my faith (so that I will be complete and not tossed and tricked like children, as Paul describes).

As I live this way I will be contributing my part to the church to which I am joined and supply the needs that exist there. As my fellow members do the same, the church will grow with a growth which is from God (Col. 2:19). The truth is that “nobody’s sinless” – except Jesus, but God’s people are striving for perfection in Christ, and their lives are supplying the great needs of their church so that the body will grow into Christ. Here is a good prayer with regard to this word perfect: Lord, shine Your light on this word, and aid me in the pursuit.

-Pastor John Reuther