Just what is perfection? God calls us to strive for completeness, ripeness, and the fullness of the stature of Christ. Perfection, as described, includes being without spot or blemish, complete, full, sound, undefiled, whole, mature, and ripe—traits embodied by Christ Himself. Paul admonishes us to become perfect and complete, urging diligence and endurance through trials. We must expect to suffer during this perfecting process, as Christ learned perfection through what He endured. Perfection is linked to human relationships. Christ urges us to be as perfect as our Father in heaven, tying this process to how we treat each other. We cannot withdraw from others and still develop necessary relationship skills, just as God never leaves us but works to perfect us through His relationship with us. Even those who reach a degree of spiritual maturity will face jealousy and opposition. Job, declared perfect by God, suffered bitterness from friends and family at the slightest perceived imperfection. Christ, the paragon of perfection, was despised more than any man. The fruits of perfection include peace, soundness, patience, faith, and good works. We must check our progress by whether our tongue is under control and whether perfect love has cast out fear, as seen in the challenge to the young rich man to give up what was dear to him. Perfection in everyday life means maturity and completeness. Though we can attain increasing spiritual maturity, true completion awaits our transformation into God's nature, when we can be perfect as our Father in heaven, have the mind of Christ, bring every thought into captivity, and never utter a wrong word. There is hope in this pursuit. Paul, though not fully perfect, pressed on with a perfect attitude, maintaining a mind ready, willing, and seeking after the prize of Christ's high calling. Promises associated with perfection include an eternal inheritance. Even the spiritual giants of old, mature and complete as they were, await us in their graves, and together we will inherit God's Kingdom.

As human beings, we often consider ourselves mature, unable to imagine being anything less. Yet, while we agree that God desires us to become perfect or spiritually mature, we tend to lower the standard when measuring ourselves against our own definition of maturity. God, however, has not left the standard to us; it is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Our Savior set the example of spiritual maturity, never sinning even once. Though it is too late for us to live a sinless life, we can strive to be blameless or perfect like Abraham. We may not reach absolute perfection or spiritual maturity until our change comes, but that remains the ultimate goal. In the spirit-inhabited Kingdom of God, our every thought will be under control, and until then, the best way to reveal any remaining immaturity is by comparing ourselves against the absolute perfection of Christ. Should we strive for perfection? Rephrased, should we strive for spiritual maturity or try to be complete Christians? Of course! By making the effort to grow and working to become complete, we are carrying out our responsibility. We must overcome and grow, striving for excellence in all we do, working with our might to become the complete, mature, perfect Christian. A life of overcoming and growth is not easy, and because of that, at Christ's return, a mere Participation Trophy will not suffice; our trophy will read Eternal Life. We will make mistakes and commit sins along the way, yet we can still become perfect. As unfinished puzzles, God, the Master Puzzle Builder, is working to fill in our empty spots. As we build character and endure trials, more pieces are added, and true, godly love binds all the virtues together in perfection. So, when anyone claims that God knows us too well to demand perfection, do not believe it. We indeed can, and must, become perfect.