Just what is perfection? Paul admonishes us to go on to perfection, and we need to understand where God stands on this issue so we can align ourselves with Him. Perfection, as shown in Scripture, entails completeness, ripeness like fruit, and the fullness of the stature of Christ. The biblical definitions of perfect and perfection include being without spot or blemish, complete, full, sound, undefiled, whole, mature, and ripe, all describing Christ's character who embodies these traits. Paul urges diligence in becoming perfect and complete, comparing babies to adults in his analogy. Little children are unskillful and often quit when the going gets tough, while a sure sign of approaching maturity is endurance, not passive waiting. Peter warns that we will suffer during the perfecting process, as even Christ learned perfection through the things He suffered. Perfection is also linked with human relationships in Scripture. Christ urges us to be as perfect as our Father in heaven, tying the process to how we treat each other. We cannot withdraw from people and still develop necessary relationship skills, just as God never leaves us but continues to work with us, perfecting us through His efforts. Perfection, in the context of everyday life as used in Scripture, means maturity and completeness. We can attain an increasing level of spiritual maturity, yet we cannot truly complete the process until our human nature is totally changed. Only then can we reach the goals of being perfect as our Father in heaven, having the mind of Christ, bringing every thought into captivity, and never uttering a wrong word. Though Paul urges us on to perfection, he admits he was not completely there himself, struggling to leave the past behind and pursue the future. He shows that part of the process is maintaining a perfect attitude, a mind ready, willing, and seeking after the prize of the high calling of Christ.

The concept of perfection, as understood in a spiritual sense, is not about being sinless but about being complete. In Genesis 17:1, God commands Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect, which in Hebrew means entire, full, without blemish, and complete. Similarly, in Matthew 5:48, God calls us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, with the Greek term implying finished, having reached its end, and fully grown or mature. The English definition of perfect also aligns with this idea, meaning lacking nothing essential to the whole, without defect, and complete. The common thread in these definitions is completeness, as in being done or finished. God's command to become perfect is a call to spiritual maturity, to have all the pieces of godly character in place. In I Corinthians 14:20, we are urged not to be children in understanding but to be full-grown, complete in comprehension. Ephesians 4:11-16 describes this as a process of growth, where Christians are equipped for service to build up the body until we reach real maturity, the fullness of Christ. This development is not instantaneous but a gradual journey of becoming complete, growing up in every way into Christ, the head. Striving for perfection, therefore, means striving for maturity and becoming a complete Christian. It is an obtainable goal through effort and growth, not by earning salvation but by fulfilling our role as first fruits. Mistakes and sins will occur, yet as James 1:2-4 explains, trials and temptations test our faith and produce endurance, leading to fully developed character and integrity with no weak spots. Colossians 3:12-14 further emphasizes that love binds all virtues together in perfection, acting as the glue that holds the pieces of our spiritual puzzle in place. This pursuit of completeness stands in contrast to societal tendencies to lower standards and accept mediocrity. As Christians, we are called to overcome, grow, and strive for excellence in every part of life, aiming not for a mere participation trophy but for eternal life at Christ's return. We must resist the attacks of satan that seek to dumb down our efforts and instead focus on maturing and becoming complete in the character of God.

God truly desires us to strive toward perfection, even as we recognize our own imperfections. Perfection, as defined in Strong's 5051, signifies to complete, to be a completer or perfecter, particularly one who reaches the goal to win the prize. This concept is uniquely emphasized in Hebrews 6, urging us to advance toward maturity and go on to perfection. God does not ask the impossible of us; rather, He expects each of us to aim for a completeness that aligns with our individual abilities, as illustrated in Matthew 25 where each servant is given talents according to his capacity. Christ acknowledges and takes pride in our progress, maturity, and the perfection we achieve within our personal calling, rewarding each based on what He knows we can accomplish. We are called to be perfected through the trials and obedience of life, following the example of Jesus Christ, who Himself was perfected through suffering and obedience, becoming fit to be the Savior of mankind. God knows precisely what we need and what we can do, ensuring that we are not tasked beyond our capacity. Thus, we must run spiritually with all-out effort, as Paul describes in I Corinthians 9, to obtain the incorruptible crown of eternal life and fellowship with God forever. Finally, as we resist our adversary and endure sufferings, may the God of all grace perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us, to His glory and dominion forever.

As human beings, we often consider ourselves mature, unable to imagine being anything less. Yet, God has not left the standard of maturity to our definition. Paul declares it as the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Our Savior set the example of spiritual maturity, and we are to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Though our goal is spiritual maturity or completion, the standard by which we gauge our progress is absolute perfection. While it may be too late to live a sinless life, we can strive to be blameless or perfect, like Abraham. We may not reach absolute 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. Until then, the best way to reveal any remaining immaturity is by comparing ourselves against the absolute perfection of Christ. Should we strive for spiritual maturity or to be complete Christians? Can we become spiritual grownups? Of course! By making the effort to grow and working to become complete, we carry 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, but at Christ's return, our trophy will read Eternal Life. Even as we make mistakes and commit sins, we can still become perfect. As unfinished puzzles, God, the Master Puzzle Builder, works 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. Thus, we indeed can, and must, become perfect.