Until We Reach Perfection

Q 114: But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly? A: No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments. Q 115: Since no one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly, why does God want them preached so pointedly? A: First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness.  Second, so that we may never stop striving, and never stop praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to be renewed more and more after God’s image, until after this life we reach our goal: perfection.

I’ve got bad news and I’ve got good news. Which would you like first? Let’s start with the bad news. We’ve covered all of the Ten Commandments, exploring what they require of us. The catechism does not play coy: not even converted Christians are able to obey the commandments perfectly. Even those who put their faith in Christ and receive the gift of the Spirit are unable to perfectly obey the law.

There is good news, though. That doesn’t mean that we are completely incapable of any sort of obedience to God’s law. By the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, we begin to obey. We begin to live in line with God’s will for our lives. We are slowly changed.

There are a couple of ways to look at God’s law. When we consider it from the perspective of justification (being right with God), the law is an all-or-nothing situation. In order to be right with God, 100% of the law must be kept. By breaking just one tiny part of it, you are made a lawbreaker, guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). You keep the law or you don’t. There’s no in-between.

But when considering the law from the perspective of sanctification (becoming more Christ-like), the law is not an all-or-nothing situation. We are in an ongoing process, “striving to be renewed more and more after God’s image.” We grow in our obedience.

It is not unlike a cross-country journey toward a new home. It will be one that goes with fits and starts. There will be some backtracking. There will be some bickering in the car. It may not be the smoothest, most efficient trip, but progress will be made. And there is an end, a destination.

That is the beauty of God’s law: it reveals the trajectory of our renewal. We “are being transformed into his image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Our transformation has a direction. It has an end, and the end is Christ himself – the fulfillment of the law. The end is perfection. That is a truly glorious end. So we need the law in order to guide our grateful living. We need to see how to express our thanks to God for the salvation he’s given. He has already fulfilled the law on your behalf, and when he comes, we will be made like him (1 John 3:2). May we seek him in prayer. May we rely daily on the work of the Holy Spirit within us until we reach our goal: perfection.  ~ Pastor Tim