Wrestling with Perfection: Response to Tim
Posted on December 5, 2007
Filed Under Worldview |
Tim wrote:
I think that God demands perfection even though we cannot obtain it. Every loose end in my life will come under scrutiny at the day of judgment. I will have to produce every sales receipt, all insurance policy paperwork, all auto maintenance records even though I am a poor record keeper. I will learn how every single decision I made in life would have turned out better if I had done something differently, and will spend eternity in the shame of that knowledge. That is why I don’t really want to go to heaven.
Tim, first of all, I want to thank you for writing and for your honesty. Second, I want to commend you for recognizing the kind of scrutiny that will occur on the day of judgment. Here are the words of Jesus:
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Matt 12:36
There is a breath-taking depth to this kind of scrutiny and we are, no doubt, horribly lax in recognizing the absolute ugliness of sin that will be exposed in the presence of absolute holiness. It is a horrifying scrutiny from which no idle word or thought or deed will escape exposure. The righteousness of man will be revealed to be “as filthy rags”. All will wither under the omniscience eye of the Holy God.
However, this is the basis for the greatest news that has ever been declared to mankind. In the midst of this hopelessness, God became flesh and took our place under that omniscient eye. We don’t have to face that, because He has done it for us.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21
Think of the amazing benefit of what Christ did for us: “…that we might become the righteousness of God.” Wow!
Tim, I don’t know where you stand with the Lord. But if you have confessed Jesus as the Christ…if you are now one of His children…then you have become the righteousness of God according to His Word and “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) No condemnation…even for poor record-keeping or imperfect decisions.
If however, you are not “in Christ Jesus”, then consider what He offers to you now:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“ (1 John 1:9)
Consider the amazing promises of God:
–“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12)
–“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25)
–“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)
Think of it: He removes our transgressions from us; He blots them out; He remembers our sins no more.
If you are in Christ, Tim, then you will be in heaven some day, with nothing to fear. And if you were to somehow approach God and tell him how sorry you were for falling short, He would look at you and say “I don’t know what you are talking about”…because He will have blotted it all out. He will have somehow removed it from His omniscient memory. I don’t know that I can fully comprehend this, but He has promised that it will be so. You will stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ, the whitest of robes…spotless. The righteousness of Christ has no blemishes, Tim, nothing for which you will be in “eternal shame”.
I pray that you will consider these truth claims that God has given to you. If you are not in Christ, then, please call Focus at 1-800-A-Family and a counselor will be happy to speak to you about what all this means.
I have been praying for you since I read your comment and I will continue to do so.
May the Lord bless you.
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10 Responses to “Wrestling with Perfection: Response to Tim”
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Dr. Del Tackett is president of the Focus on the Family Institute and Senior Vice President to Focus on the Family. He is also the architect and chief spokesperson for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project--a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
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So very well said Dr. Tackett…
Tim,
Even those of us who:
- have received Christ as our personal Savior
- have experienced God’s amazing gift of grace
- have realized that eternal salvation can not be earned but was purchased for us with His spotless blood.
Not only do we tearfully regret our pre-salvation condition, but we continue to be convicted as we continue to sin. Christians know that for us, sinless perfection is not achievable. Many times, everyday, I physically flinch, each time I find myself adding to the burden of sin that Christ has borne for me. When this happens I grieve inside as I know that I have again insulted my Savior. I ask his forgiveness, and my faith in His mercy and grace are an undeserved comfort to me. The regret lingers… I try to do better… I’m truly amazed at His capacity to bear the burden of my sin and still love me!
As we imperfectly try to reflect the love of Christ in this blog and share it with you, I hope that you’ll find peace and hope in His promise. After all it’s almost Christmas! The season, or better yet, the celebration of the hope and peace mankind has found in Jesus Christ!
Please make the call as Dr. Tackett suggested.
Your brother in Christ,
Dan…
Amen! The goodness of God is not merely in His righteous judgement, but in His mercy and forgiveness. Those who are forgiven by God can receive no higher restitution for their wrongdoing.
Dr. T - I thought this commentary by Congressman Artur Davis on Humility and Compassion [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE9F6ruYmAI]is an indicative illustration of a public officials - world view - impression of truth. You’ll notice some b-roll of a lady crying…why? I couldn’t say.
Gratitude for your ministry.
Dr. Tackett,
I have struggled with grasping God’s grace, and when I keep struggling with the same sin that just makes it worse.
I read an excellent book recently that helped called “Transforming Grace” by Jerry Bridges. I just wanted to comment on the section where he spoke about God not remembering our sins anymore versus forgetting them. Jerry Bridges is actually quoting Jay Adams as saying, “Forgetting is passive and is something that we human beings, not being omniscient, do. “Not remembering” is active; it is a promise whereby one person (in this case God) determines not to remember the sins of another against him. To “not remember” is simply a graphic way of saying, ” I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future.” This is on page 42 if you own the book.
Grace is so huge that it’s hard to fully grasp it. God bless.
I just want to thank you for what you do here. These messages are so necessary in my life - one so hectic and wearying, so sparse with loving truth. Please keep them coming. Have a blessed Christmas time.
With hope,
Caroline
Tim,
There are many of us who get nervous about all of our blemishes, and deep, deep wounds all layed before such a holy God. But the misconception, I believe, is that we believe those blemishes are hidden to God until we stand before Him after our death. Will He be caught off guard? Surprised? Definitely not. That’s what makes this holy, strong, God of all that ever was, is or will be so…beyond my verbal encapsulation. He already knows!! My shortcomings, selfish decisions, hurtful words and He loves me still. Not just a love that calls me once a month or send me gifts for Christmas and my birthday. He loves me every second - you every second. Alone, happy, hurting, angry, scared, tired…all of it. He has already seen your receipts and yes, we fall short - even when we try and do well. Even then God gave us Jesus so that He would be enough. Jesus collected your receipts long ago, my friend. How great is this love that the Father has lavished upon us, that you and I could be called the children of God!? Don’t focus on revealing your receipts. Focus on the God who knows them already and deeply loves you more than you an imagine.
Let me offer a great article that will really challenge all of us on why we seek perfection and why, even as Christians, we still struggle with the what Ezekial called the idols of our hearts.
http://www.greentreewebster.org/Articles/Idols%20of%20the%20Heart%20(Powlison).pdf
Del,
I have a question I’ve been wrestling with for a number of weeks (if not months). My husban and I have been studing worldview since we attended a Truth Project confrence in the fall of 06. It’s been an exciting and life changing journey and we thank you for making it available.
I have learned to look at every facit of my lofe through the lense of God’s word, including politics. In the spring of 07 God convicted me regarding my motivation for chosing a canidate in an election. My prime criteria was a canidated view on abortion and marriage. I was begining to see how foundations were critical in being able to make decisions. Without a biblical foundation a person could not hope to truly make ‘good’ choices. I began praying that God would give me someone I could vote for…someone who had a biblical foundation not just a position on abortion and marriage that would further the fight on these critical issues.
Now here comes the hard part…Christian organizations seem to be lining up behind Mitt Romney over Mike Huckabee. And I wonder why? I herd on a news report a woman who called herself an evangelical christian. And her comment was,”Mitt is a Christian I can vote for.” I am extreemly worried that we are blurring the line between Mormonism and Christian. And I am concerned that Christian organizations are more concerned with abortion than Christ. The end does not justify the means! This I have learned from the Truth Project.
What is your opinion? Am I looking at this correctly? Am I making more of this than I should? This may not be a comment that you want to address on the blog. Of course I do not want specific ‘I am for so-in-so” either. Just a response on the christian worldview perspective and making decisions for politics in general.
Thank you for your time. Wendy Summers
I know that Tim speaks for how I often feel as well. Thank you, Dr, Tackett, for reminding me that there is, indeed, no condemnation for those who are in Christ. How amazing!
Del,
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts on this blog site. Last night I had an epiphany moment as we watched “The Return of the King”. Aragorn has just been crowned King of Gondor and he turns to see the four little hobbits who bow to him. He said, “My FRIENDS, you bow to no one.” Aragorn knew all about the times each hobbit had made wrong decisions along the journey, yet he knew their hearts and their faithfulness as well. It hit me that when we each stand before King Jesus in heaven there will be no condemnation, but a look of loving acceptance and He will call us His FRIENDS!
With joy,
Marvae Sutherland