Wisdom Wednesday: One Perfect Day
Submitted by: Debbie’s Dad
“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
(Matt 5:43–48 9:23-24 NASB)
The last sentence of the Sermon on the Mount account passage above is astounding—Jesus tells us we are to be perfect, even as God the Father is perfect!
It was over 25 years ago, when Debbie was a small girl, that she said something that I will never forget. She told me out of the blue, looking up from her wheelchair, “I wish I could live just one perfect day”.
Of course, for her it meant she wished she could walk, use her arms, hug a friend or touch their face, eat with her hands and utensils, lift a glass to her mouth, type on the keyboard or use a mouse, brush her hair or scratch an itch, or even be alone and do things without requesting help. Perfection for just one day. She just wanted to know what it would be like.
This is how most of us live–the “perfect life” as Debbie described it. And we take it for granted until we lose an ability. But this is not the perfection that Jesus was talking about. He knows our physical infirmities but is also very concerned about our spiritual infirmities—our sinfulness. He seeks the best for us, and this includes the goal of “perfection”. The Greek word telios used in the passage refers to “completion” or reaching “the end”–in some cases it is also translated complete or mature. As we grow in our faith and our knowledge of God, we are moving toward a goal–completion. Of course, perfection in the sense of complete sinless righteousness is not achieved in this life, but this is where our life is headed.
How is this done? God works in our life as we yield to Him. Peter described it this way to suffering believers: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you (1 Peter 5:10 NASB95). Christ will ultimately be our “perfector” to confirm and establish us. Closing the book of Hebrews, the writer referred to Jesus as the “author and perfecter” of our faith (Heb. 12:2)
So, yes, believers will all live “one perfect day”. Debbie will finally enjoy a restored body where her cerebral palsy will be gone. And we all, as believers, will have restored souls where our sinful natures will be gone, and this will be the perfection of our faith!
This is what Charles Gabriel wrote about in 1900 in a wonderful hymn:
When all my labors and trials are o’er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
Refrain:
Oh, that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.