Perfection

 

This image of a circle rainbow was taken by my airplane companion next to me on my flight home from Europe last week.

“For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.”  Hebrews 4:15

“He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth.”  1 Peter 2:22

 Here’s the difficult concept to wrap our heads around today, Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. This is an important part of our faith because it made Him an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world, it made Him able to identify with us in our struggles, and it gives us a true plumb line, an example to set our eyes upon that will not falter or fall.

 During the Old Testament days, when Israel lived under the Mosaic Law and the Abrahamic Covenant, the people made animal sacrifices to pay for their sins. In Hebrews 9:22 we read, “Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” And then in Romans 6:23 it says, “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The people recognized that they had sinned because of the Mosaic Law. God gave us the law to show us an example of righteousness and the reality of sin. Without the law we would not know that what we had done was wrong. With the law we see the wrong in our lives. The law came with ways to atone for your sins through sacrifice because without the shedding of blood there is not forgiveness. As I mentioned before, though, the challenge the people faced under this Law was that they kept on sinning. They would atone for one sin with a sacrifice and then turn around and realize that they had committed another. The cycle was endless because the people were not holy and perfect, like God. And so, it became necessary for there to be a perfect sacrifice. The world had seen enough evidence that it could not be righteous on its own. Jesus came down from Heaven, becoming fully man and yet still fully God, so that He could live the sinless life we could not and be that sacrifice we so desperately needed.

 Now that’s not to say that Jesus had a walk in the park of a life with no challenges to face. No, it says in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.” No, Jesus was not tempted with online pornography, but you can be certain that lust was a temptation back then just as it is today. You see, sin is as old as mankind. It may have changed its appearance some as time goes on, but the root of each sin is the same. Pride, lust, greed, etc. was just as prevalent in Jesus’ day as it is today. What was the difference in Jesus? He did not give in to that temptation, not even once. How could He do this? Because He was God. Only God is perfect, righteous and holy. So what can we learn from Jesus’ example?

 While we are not God, we do have God’s Holy Spirit living in us once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This enables us, should we choose to obey, to turn from sin. Before Jesus is a part of our lives, we are slaves to sin, unable to turn away or save ourselves. But with Jesus in our lives, “No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthains 10:13). That’s not to say that we will never be tempted again, but it does say that when we are tempted, we now have a way to not fall prey to it. Now, with God’s power living in us, we can choose NOT to sin. We have the example Jesus set for us of a sinless life. In 1 Peter 2:21-25 we learn that Jesus didn’t answer back when people maligned Him. That’s not a term we use much today, but it means when people spoke evil against Him, when they showed violent hatred towards Him and intended to injure Him with their words. Even in this, He did not answer back to them but stayed resolute. When they attacked Him physically, whipping Him mercilessly, beating Him, mocking Him, and more, He could have called down Heaven’s armies to come to His defense, to stop them and avenge their treatment of Him, but He didn’t. He bore the punishment we deserved and committed Himself to God who judges justly. Could you do the same?

Here's the Thing: My understanding is that yes, we could do the same because of the Holy Spirit living in us now. Apart from that we would be helpless. If you take some time to read the many testimonies in missionary biographies, you will see some of the incredible ways that people have bore up under evil and not given in to the temptation to renounce their faith. Time and again these have resulted in the witnesses repenting of their sins and coming to Christ for forgiveness. Would it be easy, no definitely not! But easy isn’t a very powerful testimony, is it?