The nature of God is related to perfection, and that understanding is important to anything the human being understands about God. Violation of the perfection of God, for any reason, requires some special procedure so to meet the requirements for future relationship with God. Perfection requires ransom for mankind in the imperfection which has been labeled sin in the context of the Judeo-Christian Scripture. Perfection is a problem in that it is total. God is perfect in love, perfect in justice, perfect in holiness, and so we may proceed with observations relative to his person. The common references to the attributes of God refer to these factors, and theology develops them for students interested in following descriptions of the nature of God. In this perfection there is no change. Why would perfection be changed? God is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) The Sermon on the Mount accents this affirmation. (Matthew 5)
It is the purpose of God to make perfect those who identify with him. The concept is repeated often in the New Testament. A study of the word perfect in the New Testament verifies the claim. The best persons can do in the natural environment is to gain human perfection (maturity) which is marked by wisdom, ethical conduct, truth, service and a life that seeks improvement in the direction of God’s perfection. It is a sanctifying process initiated and aided by the Holy Spirit of God for those seeking to become the integrated children of God. It is God’s purpose to make of those persons among mankind to be like-unto him. The gift to man in Jesus Christ’s earthly sojourn proved that this can be done, so insightful Christians seek to be like Christ in daily life, in faith and conduct. That model became an intense matter for the Apostles after the Ascension of Jesus. The Apostle Paul urged the replication of that effort in all Christians. (I Corinthians 11:1)
A major problem with perfection is found in its contradictions in nature. To be perfect in justice conflicts us with being perfect in love. Perfect love overlooks all negatives and embraces the object of love in identity empathy. What happens then with justice that insists on evaluation and correction (restitution) for injustice? The perfection of God made a way to meet the requirements of perfection by carrying through in payment for the violations. He took on the penalties of wrongdoing and violated human love and righteousness (from God’s love and holiness) in his offering through Jesus Christ. The perfect God took the penalty of violated perfection so to reconcile those who choose to enter his perfect love. The penalty has been paid, matters are made right, and life is continued. The Christian feels that relief. It is not a matter of turning against those who do not love God, but a witness that the privilege of God’s redemptive plan is available to all those who can find the inner humility for penitence (rejection of the current situation) and acceptance of the new condition (change in nature) to righteousness as the base of meaning in living so to honor the person and environment of God. God has, in that process, added persons with whom he can enjoy fellowship as the family of God. It is all seen in shadow in the human family in which the children become meaningful to the parents as somehow an extension of themselves, but also their own persons. The violations of the family formation do not provide the parable of the family of God. Family ideals from the Mosaic Law through the New Testament become the model of meaning for Christians, in this life and the character of God’s family. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020