Paul said Jesus would grant honor, immortality, and eternal life to those who persevered in doing good (Rom. 2). James said the result for those who simply endured would be that they would “be made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Is there a greater promise in all of Scripture than this? The result of the perfection God seeks for us will not be realized in the flesh in this life, for the kingdom cannot be confined to this life, and the journey doesn’t end in this life. The result of the race run well in the Spirit in this life will be found in the rewards of the next life—the one that lasts for eternity.
The smashing point here is it’s about the journey and not the arrival—about kingdoms and which one we run in. Those who truly follow Jesus never arrive at perfection in the kingdom of man. However, until they leave this earth, they will be on a never-ending journey of seeking the perfection Jesus commanded in His kingdom through enduring faith. They can fulfill the dream and complete the mission God gave them, and that’s all He asks of us.
As long as His citizens are on that journey, there is no need to keep striving to be perfect in the flesh, and thus they will have the peace of the kingdom. But those who continue to seek perfection in the flesh will always be striving, yet peace will elude them because they will never get there. We can experience perfection now, in this blessed kingdom of heaven on earth, but we need to change our perspective on what perfection is from flesh to Spirit.
Recent Comments