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Trendy Imperfection
“Imperfect Christians on a mission, following Jesus together.” I was amazed to find this on the front page of a church website as their overall description. My amazement wasn’t in light of the fact that they were “imperfect” — the very need to become a Christian is a dead giveaway of that. Rather, it was the choice to make that their first impression to visitors. However, it seems that this isn’t uncommon today as there is a rising trend to draw attention to one’s own imperfection in the hopes that it will be perceived as humble and entice outsiders by doing so.
Anyone who’s read the Bible knows that, besides Jesus, no one is sinlessly perfect, but surely he or she would also know that this is not something to boast of! The Scriptures never reveal this to be the focus of what intrigues unbelievers to be converted. Rather, the outward intrigue is always the Gospel’s positive effect in a believer’s life.
There are many examples that could be given to prove this, but let’s just focus on three. (1) Jesus’ emphasis on a Gospel change in His public ministry. (2) Early Christians in the 1st century were not drawing unbelievers in by flaunting their record of failures. (3) The New Testament focuses on a Christian’s transformation from a past life of sin.
If our goal is to draw in the lost, shouldn’t we be doing so the Bible way and not some trendy way we think is popular?
1st, just look at Jesus. His teaching was never popular to the vast majority, but it is what drew Truth-seekers in, and it is honest seekers who will hear the “hard sayings” of Jesus and follow them (cf. John 6:60-69_NKJV). Even a hard saying like, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). This is a high standard, but it is Christ’s command!
Why would Jesus demand this if it was impossible? Again, no one is perfect, hence our need for the Gospel, but do we really think Jesus didn’t understand that? This “perfection” is not an undoable demand from a cruel God! It is an applicable demand from a gracious One. When you find how the greek word for “perfect” is used in Scripture, you will see that Jesus is asking for believers to emulate the Father in every characteristic and quality to the best of their ability! So it fits well in this Sermon On The Mount as He teaches how Kingdom citizens can and should emulate their heavenly King.
Now, if Jesus emphasizes “to be perfect, as your heavenly Father” as the intriguing call to action, why is it that so many are trying to intrigue with their famed imperfection. God wants us to focus on what He is calling us to, but this trend unhealthily focuses on what He’s called us away from. While there’s some benefit in remembering what He’s saved us from it’s inappropriate and misguided to make that the main focus when Jesus did the opposite!
2nd, early Christians drew people in by following Jesus’ command (cf. Matt. 5:48). There was something about believers that shocked and attracted people to the Gospel and it certainly wasn’t that they were just as “imperfect” as the rest of their community. Rather, it was that outsiders could see that Christians were different. Not in a prideful way, but different because they actively worked to look like their Father!
It was this that led to the first Christians into “having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47; cf. 5:13). Now, I’ve been told that looking this different from the community around us will only make people uncomfortable and drive them away, but the context of this verse proves that the favor they obtained was due to that difference - i.e. godliness (Acts 2:42-47). And frankly, if we looked like the rest of the world there would be nothing to draw the world in. It would just be another pocket of imperfect failures. But the Church is where people are supposed to look and think, “I want to be different like them. I don’t want to live in my failure of sin!” So like the early Christians, should we not be following Jesus’ command?
3rd, the New Testament clearly focuses on transformation as an attractive hope (Rom. 12:1-2). If you want to be renewed in mind and spirit and “put on the new self” it is more than possible with God (Eph. 4:17-23). Where else can you find this hope of real, redemptive, and encompassing change!? Only in God.
For that matter, why in the world would we want to “conform” to this trendy imperfection? Is not the Gospel message so much more gripping and compassionate? Yes, all have sinned (Rom. 3:23), but we don’t want to boast of that! Moreover, we can’t use that as an excuse to overshadow what Christ says (Matt. 5:48).
What is more inspiring? “Imperfect Christians…” or “Redeemed, Transformed, Saved Christians…?”
