Perfect in Christ Jesus, The exalted aim of the Christian minister

The seminary theme “be perfect in Christ” (Col. 2:28) informs the believer to have the
perfect life of master and pervade the whole of our daily life in its ordinary actions; perfect in
Christ will become each moment a present practical reality and experience. The word
"complete" (teleios) means having reached its end, finished, complete, and perfect. The idea
Paul has in mind is fully-grown or mature individual in union with Christ. Paul pictures a
spiritually mature member of Christ's body. The Christ-actualized person wants to be all that
God fully intended him or her to be in Christ. Paul has in mind a full grown man as opposed to
young boy. He is mature mentally and spiritually. The only way to reach this maturity is by
union with Christ. Apostle Paul's perspective on Christ as the "perfect man" considered him
the "second Adam" who brought forth life, while Adam left a legacy of sin (1Cor.
15:22 and Rom. 5:12). In Ephesians 4:13, the Christian community is called to the "unity of
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age
of the fullness of Christ," hence reaching its perfection in the perfection of Christ himself.
Christ personally the subject of perfection
Suppose that a man has heard of a great physician who understands his complaint. He
has travelled a great many miles to see this celebrated doctor; but when he gets to the door they
tell him that he is out. “Well,” says he, “then I must wait till he is in.” “You need not wait,”
they reply, “his assistant is at home.” The suffering man answers, “I do not care about his
assistant, I want to see the man himself: mine is a desperate case, but I have heard that this
physician has cured the like.” “Well,” say they, “he is out; but there are his books; you can see
his books.” He says, “I cannot be content with his books; I want the living man, and will receive
instructions.” “Do you see that cabinet?” “Yes.” “It is full of his medicines.” The sick man
answers, “good, but they are of no use to me without the doctor: I want their owner to prescribe
for me.” Again they say, “Here is a person who has been cured by him, a man of great
experience, who has been present at many remarkable operations. Go into the inquiry-room
with him, and he will tell you all about the mode of cure.” The afflicted man answers, “I am
much obliged to you, but all your talk only makes me long the more to see the doctor. I came
to see him, and I am not going to be put off with anything else.” Now, if you are seeking Christ,
imitate this sick man, or else you will miss the mark altogether. Never be put off with books or
conversations. Be not content with Christian people talking to you, or preachers preaching to
you, or the Bible being read to you, or prayers being offered for you. Anything short of Jesus
will leave you short of salvation.
You have to reach Christ, and touch Christ, and nothing short of this will serve your
turn. In the early 19th century Charles Simeon encouraged young men he discipled to go into
missions. Henry Martyn went to India and then to Persia, where he died of tuberculosis at age
31. This was in the days before photography, but someone painted a portrait of Martyn before
he died and it was sent back to Simeon. He was shocked at Martyn’s gaunt appearance. Simeon
hung that portrait over the mantle in his study. He said that when he looked at it, it said to him,
“Be in earnest! Don’t trifle!” Simeon added, “And I will not trifle!”Could it be that you’re
trifling (or “messing around”) in your walk with Christ or in His work? Make it your aim in
the New Year to grow in Christ and to help someone else grow in Him. It’s hard work, but it’s
never in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58).
A training perfection
At present the believer is like the marble in the hands of the sculptor; but though day
by day he may give fresh touches and work the marble into greater emulation of the original,
the resemblance will be far from complete until death. Each fresh degree of likeness is a fresh
advance towards perfection, It must then be when every feature is moulded into similitude,
when all traces of feebleness and depravity are swept away forever, the statue breathes, and the
picture burns with Deity--it must be that then we “shall be filled.” We shall look on the
descending Mediator, and, as though the ardent gaze drew down celestial fire, we shall seem
instantly to pass through the refiner’s furnace, and leaving behind all the dishonour of the grave,
and all the dross of corruptible humanity, spring upward, an ethereal, rapid-glowing thing,
Christ’s image extracted by Christ’s lustre.
Perfection a life’s work
The process of Christian perfection is like that which a portrait goes through under the
hand of an artist. When a man is converted, he is but an outline sketch of a character which he
is to fill up. He first lays in the dead- colouring; then comes the work of laying in the colours;
and he goes on day after day, week after week, year after year, blending them and heightening
the effect. It is a life’s work; and when he dies, he is still laying in and blending the colours
and heightening the effect. Once we have such an intimate love experience with Him we grow
to need and desire Him more and more. When you feed on Christ you hunger and thirst still
more and more for Him. It is an ever-growing experience. This unquenchable desire for more
and more of Christ is a heavenly hunger. It is a spiritual growth that longs for a fuller supply.
The person who has little of Christ can do with a little of Christ. However, he who has much
of Christ desires more and more of Christ every day.
The end result of "Christ in you" is a person just like Jesus Christ. We have a perfect
model who lived the perfect example for us. God's purpose for each of us is "to present every
man perfect in Christ."