Can I be perfect here on earth?

In Genesis 17: 1, Abram was instructed to walk with God and be perfect. This is a similar testimony about Noah back in Genesis 6:9.
So, in Genesis in the book of the beginning, God was giving instructions to be perfect and also making it clear that someone was perfect. Noah walked with God and was perfect. Enoch also walked with God and he was perfect too because the bible said that he pleased God. Pleasing God is another phrase for being perfect. So, to be perfect, is to please God, it also means to be blameless, that is why Jesus is coming back for the church without wrinkle or spot. See Ephesians 5:27.

Similarly, we must understand that it is God who makes us perfect, it is not by our own making. As in Hebrews 5:9, we must understand also that God first made Jesus, the flesh and blood perfect. He first made him perfect and Jesus then became the author of eternal salvation unto all of us who obey him.

So, when we obey God’s call for salvation, old things are passed away and all have become new. We are justified and declared righteous by Christ as in Romans 3 and 5. Not our self-righteousness, but by faith in God. We must therefore, having been born again (baptised of water and of the spirit), live a holy life. Not doing so means we are not of God. The scripture makes us understand that we will do God’s will if we belong to him, if we love him, if we fear and reverence him. Otherwise you will be of the devil if you are doing the devil’s will.

To be perfect therefore ultimately means to be holy. The bible says in Hebrews 12:1, without holiness you cannot see God. Meaning that without being perfect, or blameless you are not for God and you are not making it to heaven. A particularly scriptural definition I want to also highlight is Psalm 15:1-2 which says “…He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.”.

We are called to uphold and practice holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16, Leviticus 20:26, Ephesians 5:27, Isaiah 35:8, Acts 24:10-16). Separation from the world unto God (Romans 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 6:17) which is a life of true holiness is mandated for all followers of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13–21; Hebrews 12:14-17; 1 John 5:3 and John 14:21).

So, the short answer to the question can you be perfect here on earth? Is yes. In fact, God wants you to be perfect. Most importantly, you must be perfect to spend eternity with God. That is why it is very important for those who say they believe in God and believe the Holy Scriptures, yet do not believe we can and should be perfect to repent. You must repent and seek God’s perfection. Seek God’s holy way. Seek to be blameless, otherwise you will not make the first resurrection when the day comes. Revelation 20:6 says blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. So, if you are not holy, you will not be caught up with Christ on that day. If you are already dead and did not die a holy person, you will not rise to reign with Christ.

One of the confusion people have is that they don’t look at holiness from the lens of God. That is from the lens of Scripture. Scriptural holiness comes from God. It is God who orders how to be perfect and holy. Someone might then ask, how can you be holy, blameless or perfect.

 

One way not to be perfect is not to know the truth or the word of God.

That is why we must always dwell in the word – dwelling in the scriptures. We thank God for genuine and true preachers not the false teachers and prophets. Many so-called preachers are scarce with the true word of God. They impress you with their own words, but not with the word of God. They entertain, rather than challenge you. The bible says in Romans 10:14 “…how shall they hear without a preacher?”. It is not just about hearing, but about being a doer of what you have heard as in James 1:22.

 

Another way not to be perfect is to yield to temptation.

The bible says in Psalm 119 verse 11, “…Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”. Now if you hear the word, you may know the word, but if you forget the word, you may risk not being perfect. If  you know some, but not all that  you need, you also risk not living in perfection. Hence you must continually dwell in the word. You should keep the word in your heart that you may not deviate from God’s instruction and pattern of perfection for his people. That scripture says “…that I might not sin against thee”. Which suggests that you might have the word in your heart but still deviate. A common way through which this can happen is yielding to temptation. The devil will tempt you through your fleshly desires. You know even Jesus was tempted to show us how to overcome temptation. He was hungry and the devil tempted him with bread. Jesus said to the devil in Matthew 4:4 “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.

What can you do without the word. People may appear to be surviving and thriving on earth without the word of God. However, the Scriptures say, “what will it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul (Mathew 16:25-27)”. The scriptures also say in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. When God has said – you must not have another God before me or you shall have no idols; you may find yourself tempted to disobey. However, you must not succumb to it. Othrwise you may find yourself tempted with wealth and submitting to and making money your God. You must try everything not to submit to your flesh or with the temptations of the things of this life. Doing so would mean bowing to the devil in shame. You must respond like Jesus did, and stand your ground.