A medical problem recently found my beloved wife and me seated in a doctor’s examining room. After listening to her symptoms, the polite, young doctor carefully proceeded with a thorough examination. When finished, she seemed puzzled. “This is something I’ve not seen before” words which certainly did nothing to bring comfort to either of us! She added, “I’m going to consult with another doctor.”
Soon two doctors were carefully examining my wife. Thankfully, they both agreed that though neither was certain what had caused her condition, it was not serious and would clear up. One of them said, “But just to make sure, we’ll take a blood test and give you the results in a few minutes.”
About ten minutes later the door opened, the doctor poked her head in, and, with a big smile, said the most comforting word imaginable: “Perfect!”
Perfect in Christ
How much more blessed and comforting to hear, by faith, our blessed God and Father speak that word to each one who has accepted the Lord Jesus as personal Saviour.
His Word provides a solemn, unquestioningly accurate (though seemingly hopeless) diagnosis of each person born in this world. “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “The wages of sin is death.” What a grave, inescapable verdict of the soul’s moral condition before holy God!
For the believer, however, our Lord Jesus Christ has “abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:1010But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: (2 Timothy 1:10)). God has made “Him [ Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)), thus once and forever judging the root sin in the flesh. Each who has believed the report that God has been fully satisfied forever about sin, by the shed blood of His Son which “cleanseth... from all sin,” can now joyfully say, “Jesus was my Substitute at the cross.” He made full payment (atonement) for every sin of every believer the fruit produced by the root, sin.
In short, we may say (in all reverence) that God has come into the examining room of each believer in the Lord Jesus and pronounced their previously hopeless condition as now being “perfect.”
Oh! the infinite value of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ! Oh! the eternal perfection of our standing in Christ, as seen by the eye of holy, righteous God. In Christ we have been “justified freely,” there is “no condemnation,” we are a “new creation,” we are “children of God by faith,” and we are “blessed with all spiritual blessings.” Absolute, divine, eternal and unchangeable perfection is ours in Christ.
May our daily life our state confirm rather than contradict the perfection of our standing in the Lord Jesus Christ. “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me” (John 17:2323I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)).
Ed.