What does it mean to be a ‘Perfect’ Christian?

Matthew 5:48

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.”

In The New Testament, the word here for perfect is ‘teleios’ which is derived from the ancient Greek word ‘telos’, which means purpose, end goal, or fulfilment. This ‘perfect’ we read of in the New Testament, is not in the form of the unblemished lamb, it is not the perfection of a flawless diamond, free from mistake, free from sin, this is a concept of perfection that is more closely aligned to Aristotle's theory of causation; telios is the final cause, not the faultless, but the fully realised. Jesus is asking us here to fulfil our ultimate purpose. Just as an acorn’s telos is to become an oak tree, or a caterpillar’s telos would be becoming a butterfly, Christ is asking us to live a virtuous life and flourish. 

James 1:4 “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” Again we find this word ‘teleioi’ from the root telos, in this verse it translates as ‘mature and complete’. James is referring to a state of spiritual and moral maturity, the full potential of Christian character. When Christ is asking us to be perfect alike the heavenly father, he is doing so in terms of the spirit. The modern world is one with a deep fixation on external appearance as a means to validate a person, a world that indeed judges the book by it’s cover. Yet Christ calls us to reframe our models of perfection and asks not for a perfection of our looks, but a perfection of internal wholeness.

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of Gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

God’s will is for us to beautify ourselves from within.

To follow Jesus’s call for us to be perfect is to embark on a journey of spiritual growth, one that will see our faith mature as we continue to align with the image of Christ, to fully and completely allow ourselves to be shaped and formed by the holy spirit and become our own final cause, a perfect Christian.

The Apostle Peter is a powerful example of this process of spiritual perfection. Peter doubted, he denied, and often misunderstood the teaching that came directly from Christ himself, yet through his failures, Peter grew. Peter goes from nearly drowning through his lack of faith to raising Tabitha from the dead due to the strength of his faith. Peter embodies ‘teleios’, he most certainly is not flawless, but he becomes whole and fully developed in faith and Christian character as he moves from doubt to sacrificial leadership.

Peter 2:2-3

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

Peters example of the road to being a perfect Christian becomes not only a prime example of the maturity of the spirit that we should follow, but also a reminder that even in times where we may fall short, in whatever form that may be, to turn back to Christ and continue to learn, grow and be shaped into perfection. As we allow God to work in us, we shall be increasingly guided toward spiritual completeness, just as the heavenly father wills it.