For the last month I have been reading through a book my Bible college professor wrote – Patterns of Redemption – and while I know a lot of the theology he is talking about (as I did have classes taught by Him), I have come to learn more about the Greek language and specific words interchanged for English ‘equivalents’.
If have read my blogs for a while, you know my favourite verse in the Bible is Romans 5:8:
For God showed His own great love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
It has been a constant reminder for me that I do not have to be perfect because Jesus died knowing my folly and my sin. He would not have died if I was perfect.
Yet, there are verses in the Bible that tell us we must be perfect as God is perfect. Namely Matthew 5:48.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This verse has haunted me since I was a child. As a perfectionist (at times) and someone who used to be highly anxious, I would avoid reading this verse because the daunting task of being perfect was too much. Being faced with the reality of being flawed every single day waged war against me. Every time I would make a mistake, I would beat myself up about it, because I am supposed to be perfect like He is.
Romans 5:8 was told to me when I was 14 or 15 and really changed my understanding. Even though I still strived for the perfection I so desperately thought God wanted, I relaxed, knowing he loved me anyway.
However, when you spend so long telling yourself you must be perfect, the idea sticks and you start to compare yourself. I have talked about on the blog how I have not struggled comparing myself against others, and I have not, but I have compared myself to Jesus.
He is the only one we are supposed to… and yet that makes the task of being perfect so much harder because he is perfection. Sinless. Without fault.
I have had the quiet battle in my mind since I was 16 between saying ‘well I sin and I cannot be perfect’ and ‘God calls me to be perfect so I must’.
Sometimes the entire thing is exhausting and I would rather give up the pursuit and argument than get to the bottom of it. After all, perfection is unattainable. It just is. We cannot be perfect.
I had people who would tell me God just wants us to be more like Him, but I would look right back at the verses that use perfect. We are to be perfect as He is.
Until about a month ago when I got a concordance and started watching Biblically based videos. The revelation of God’s true meaning began to build until it was confirmed in what my professor wrote.
See the really interesting thing is that the two Greek words used in the Bible do not actually equate to perfection. Meaning there is no English alternative for what they mean. Sometimes this happens in languages where they are more specific or there is formal language vs slang and the like.
For instance, in Dutch, there is a word ‘gezellig’. There is no English equivalent but it basically means that a place has a good atmosphere. Like it’s cozy and enjoyable. You walk into a nice little café with cute lighting and a good aesthetic and you say “het is gezellig’.
Well the Greek word telos, often translated to perfect, is actually an action word meaning transforming, transformation, and/or becoming more like Christ. The other Greek word, which I cannot remember, means matured, whole or the action of becoming fully formed.
… To me that is a huge difference. It means the process of becoming more like God. it does not mean reaching this unattainable, unexplainable standard but every day growing a little bit more like Him. It means becoming who we were meant to be – children created in the image of God.
The Bible is saying be mature and transformed as God is whole and matured.
God wants us every day to be more like Him. To talk like Him. Love people like He does. Treat people as He does. Every day He wants us to become more of what He first created, our whole self.
I am not sure about you, but that is a huge relief to me, because the ‘ideal’ is no longer this huge, unreachable goal – but a process of steps. I can do baby steps. Every day I can try to mature in my understanding of Him and allow him to transform me. I can do that.
I cannot be perfect, sinless, mistake-less, because I am human. However, I can use self-control as He does and grace when I do mess up. I can repent and allow Him to guide me and teach me.
This is my encouragement for you today. Try to be more like Him today. Don’t worry about being perfection, keep your eyes on Him, and allow Him to transform you!
Thank you Lord for creating me to be more like you. Father I am never going to be more whole than when I am with you, trying to become more like you. You are what makes me whole. Thank you Lord for maturing me and giving me grace to grow. The fact you love me even when I mess up and do stupid things blows my mind. You are too good, too incredible for me, and I love you all the more for it.
Please continue to transform me Father. Refine the grit from me and chisel me into your masterpiece.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
God bless!
~ Ashley
P.S. You’d think I would have remembered the word or endeavoured to find it for this, but I’m too lazy for that.
A Light in The Darkness 