You are perfected in Christ! Have you ever wondered just exactly what that means?
Let me start with saying what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that God expects you be perfect and act perfectly all the time. That just isn’t possible.
It also doesn’t mean that you can use it as an excuse to sin.
My Story
Here’s a little bit about my story. I became a Christian at an young age. However, for most of my life I felt like I had to be “perfect”. Even though I knew it wasn’t possible, I would beat myself up or get depressed whenever I failed to do something perfectly.
If I was criticized, there was many a time where I reacted with angry outbursts because deep inside I felt that if I didn’t perform things perfectly I wasn’t worth loving.
If I was criticized I would take it as a personal assault on my character instead of just on my current actions.
I have learned over the years, with a lot of help from God and the wonderful people He has put in my life to not worry about being perfect and to not take criticism as an attack on me personally.
Perfected in Christ Scriptures
It says in Hebrews:
Hebrews 10:14 NIV
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
It also says in Philippians:
Philippians 1:6
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. MEV
It’s Not An Excuse To Sin
I’ve seen and talked to people who think that “Okay. Now I’m saved. I have nothing to worry about. I can do whatever I want.”
That isn’t true either. Your salvation does not give you an excuse to sin.
However, none of us are going to be perfect in our own strength. We are going to sin even if it is unintentionally.
God knows this. He knows everything you have ever done or ever will do and already made provision for it. That’s what the cross is all about.
You Can’t Do It On Your Own
On the other hand, no matter how hard you strive you will never attain perfection on your own.
No matter how good you think you are or how many good works you do, it won’t save you and you will never be perfect in your own strength.
Jesus Did It For You
However, having said that, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior then He makes you perfect through his saving grace. God looks at us through the blood of Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross.
Additionally, He will continue to perfect you, making you more like Jesus, throughout your life. If you continue to let Him work in your life, next year you will look back and realize that you are not the same person that you once were. You will be able to look back and see how God has worked in you to change you and help you grow in faith and in your relationship with Him.
It is an ongoing process that will never end.
I look back now and can see how God has worked in me over the years. I didn’t always see it at the time. But, in retrospect I can see how he really has worked all things for good (Romans 8:28) and is continuing to perfect me in Christ.
The lessons I am learning now are different than those five or ten years ago. My relationship is deeper and I am able to discern His voice better.
Conclusion
So, although you are already perfected in Christ I encourage you to let God work in you. Listen for His voice and learn to discern it from all the other voices in your head. You truly are a “sweet fragrance of Christ”.
To find out about who God created you to be, check out my post on your Identity in Christ. You may also want to check out the guided prayer journal I created called Discover Your True Identity in Christ: A 52 Week Guided Prayer Journal.
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