Are Christians Perfect? v. 1.0
by Iain Mac an tSaoir
(updated 06/21/08 to have a contemporary music vid at the bottom. I think you'll like this one.)

    Why are Christians such hypocrits? Are Christians perfect?

   Absolutely not! And if you run into anyone who says they are then pay them no attention. If you run into anyone who snubs, or looks down on another, because they think they are somehow better then just keep on walking by. Now, if someone wants to share their faith with you then that doesn't mean they are looking down on you. Its just that they have love for you, and are worried about you. Talking about Christ to people who do not know God's love is our way of helping folk to understand the true character of G-d. Love comes from G-d, and above all we are supposed to love G-d and our fellow human. But if someone is rude about it, condescending, judgemental, or if they look down their noses then they have a problem. They don't understand their faith.

1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Or as a one bit of prose states;

When I say... "I am a Christian"...    When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean living" I'm whispering "I was lost" Now I'm found and I'm forgiven.    When I say... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.    When I say.... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.    When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.    When I say.... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.    When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.    When I say... "I am a Christian" I"m not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow. ~Author Unknown

   You see, here is the deal. Pagans are human, and Christians are human. True Christians who understand their Faith, they know that they are evil at the core of their hearts and require salvation. The difference between Pagans and Christians is that Christians are supposed to have turned away from errors at conversion, and then be constantly repenting for errors thereafter. It keeps us humble before G-d, and allows for regeneration to occur. We are definitely a work in progress. Now please bear in mind that one can stumble, then get up and ask both those we offend and G-d for forgiveness. That is how its suposed to work. That though is quite different from living a lifestyle, a way of life, that consistently causes harm, or in some other way runs against the moral imperatives Christians are supposed to live by. If someone consistently lives in a way that goes against those imperatives they really need to examine themselves in the light of scripture to see if they are really Christian.

    Well, that's the quick answer. But for you to really understand that answer I have to give just a wee bit more explanation. And I ask you to remember what is written herein this article. Not only as it applies to the misconception that Christians think themselves perfect. They don't. But also because every idea in this article holds true. And it holds true until the moment when someone draws their last breath. That includes you.

   There comes a point for the person on the way to conversion, when they realize a couple of things. Those things are that there is an absolutely holy G-d; that there is a barrier between themselves as falliable and unpure humans and the absolutely holy G-d; that the barrier is one created by themselves due to their rebellion; that G-d in His infinite mercy and love provided a way for reconcilliation; that the way is the Messiah Jesus; and that without Jesus they are doomed; often times that doom has its effect in this world, but certainly in the next.

   Our personal experiences have shown us that all of us are falliable creatures. I like how Isaiah 53:6 puts it, “All we like sheep have gone astray”. In the New Testament, Paul, less poetically wrote in Romans 6:23, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Okay, yeah, we all think we aren't that bad. I always though myself to be a pretty good guy, for the most part. But all of us have to ask ourselves, have we ever told something that wasn't completely true? Have we ever wanted something that belonged to someone else? Have we ever looked at someone and thought, "shazzam! she/he is sooo hot"? Have we ever let our anger get the better of us and purposely caused someone else harm? You see my point? All of us have acted in an unloving and selfish way way toward others. All of those are contrary to how G-d wants us to be. As a result there is a barrier between G-d and us. Yet, our loving Father seeks us out, and has sent a way of rus to come back to Him. That way is through the Messiah, His Son.

John 3:16 (Amplified Bible)
16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

   Its that "whoever believes in" part that is important here. Belief is talking about faith. G-d justifies us through our faith alone. In the Old Testament, looking to the coming of the Messiah, there was Abraham, who didn't always take the high road. But his faith was counted as righteousness. Under the same promise of the work of the Messiah was the man who was crucified alongside of the Messiah. Dying before Messiah, he believed, and to him Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, Today you will be with Me in Paradise". Faith is the first principle of Salvation, one starting in the Old Testament.

   This first principle was maintained in the New Testament. God reckons the believing man as having done all righteousness.
Acts 16:31 (Amplified Bible)
31 And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.

Romans 10:9 (Amplified Bible)
9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13
13 For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.

   There is a second principle to be found in the New Testament though. That second principle is repentance, or consciously turning away from wrong action. Christ told the woman at the well to "go and sin no more".

Acts 17:30-31
30 Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins),

31 Because He has fixed a day when He will judge the world righteously (justly) by a Man Whom He has destined and appointed for that task, and He has made this credible and given conviction and assurance and evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead.

Faith and repentance may happen at the same time. Or, as was in my case, repentance may even come before belief. I came to a realization of my state, turned away from wrong, and confessed to G-d. one of these days I'll get past some of the hurts and actually put my story here. But for now suffice it to say that it was a realization of my state that proceeded turning from the cause of my state, sin, and turning to the Messiah in faith. This seems to be the general outline also found in Mark 1:15.

15 And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ([a]have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel).

In Acts 2:37-38 we find that a large number of the people believed, "being stung in their hearts" by Peter's sermon. Afterwards, when they asked Peter what else they needed to do, Peter told them, "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

   Now please don't be confused by this. There isn't a single solitary work we can do to obtain righteousness or salvation. All of our "good works" are as filty rags in G-d's eyes. It isn't by our works that we are saved. It is a gift of G-d given by His grace because of our faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (Amplified Bible)
8 For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;

9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]

   Yet, if it is by the first principle that we come to know the Messiah, it is by the second, our Repentance that He acknowledges us as His own. Its kind of like all these nations that say "G-d is for us" then do all sorts of evil. The question is, are they for G-d? Their actions prove otherwise. Likewise, there are lots of people who will say, "I know Jesus". Hey, I live in the South. The question is, "does Jesus know them"? Here is the way it works. At our confession of faith we are made a new creature in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come."

   G-d will not abide where there is evil. But becoming a child of G-d though the Messiah is a transformative experience. It is a transformative experience that gives us a fresh start with a regenerated spirit. But the old nature still resides in us particularly in our minds which has been greatly influenced by the world around us. And it struggles against us. But we have purposed in our hearts and minds to not do wrong any more. Yet, Christ in us empowers us as we proceed in renewing our minds.
Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible)
2Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

   If we are truly repentant, if we are sincere and steadfast in our faith, then the evidence will be in our works. Salvation is not from our works, our works are the evidence of of our faith. If our works do not match our profession of faith then there is a problem.

James 2:14-25 (Amplified Bible)

14 What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]?

15 If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,

16 And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

18 But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [a]make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!

20 Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?

21 Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?

22 You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.

23 And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.

24 You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].

25 So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?

Mark 8:34 "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

   Does all of this mean we are perfect? No, not by a long shot. We are going to fail. It is a struggle everyday against the old nature. But it is a struggle the Messiah empowers us to overcome. This through studying the Bible, doing charitable acts as we help others, surrounding ourselves with other upstanding and compassionate believers, and to them being accountable here for the same things we are accountable to G-d, and much prayer. By Faith we are justified. At the moment of our conversion we are counted as righteous because of our faith, and regeneration occurs or begins. We repent before confession of faith, and we ask forgiveness after each time we do wrong afterward. The Holy Spirit will come upon us and move our now again tender consciences till we do. Through these we are "sanctified", or, set apart. You all who've known me all these years know how I hate cliches. But, its true, we are not perfect, we are just counted as righteous as seek after righteousness. We are, in a word, forgiven.

   As a side bar item. The Bible teaches we Christians to be honorable to all, to love our neighbor, to forgive wrongs done to us, and to seek forgiveness from those we've wronged before asking G-d for forgiveness. And what about those who consistently act in ways that are contrary to the example of the Messiah? Those who never feel the Holy Spirit compelling them to repent and make right? They really need to analyze themselves against the Scriptures and see if they really are in the Faith. Our Messiah Himself told us that there would be people who claimed to be Christian who weren't. In Matthew 7:22-23 the Messiah directly states that he will publicly disavow them.

22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?

23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].

   As I've touched upon the first two principles in salvation, I need to also touch upon the third. That third is "believers baptism" (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:26-27; 1 Corin 12:13; Matt 28:19). It really isn't a work of our own but something that we undergo. It is done to us. By this act the Holy Spirit seals us into the body of Christ, the Church as the corporate body of all believers. It was commanded by the Messiah (John 3:5). And it was taught and performed by all of the Apostles, including Paul. This topic though deserves its own article, one that also explores baptism in Jewish culture for a basis of understanding.

   Hopefully, by this time you understand why we know the need for a Messiah, and for accepting the freely and unmerited gift of G-d's grace. Hopefully to, you now understand why we know that with faith and repentance, all we need to do is, as Romans 10:13 say's, "For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved."

The Messiah Himself promised in John 6:37:
37 All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].

One can call on Him at any time prior to the last beat of the heart.

   Which I suppose brings us around full circle. Are Christians perfect? Shaaaaa! No.
1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

But one day I'll trade in this bag of bones I walk around in. The coruptible will be put away for incorruptible, the old nature will be gone, And I will be.

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