PERFECTION


         
    When one thinks about perfection in the Bible, one name
of several comes up quite often. This is the man that God
Himself boasted about,Job. Twice did God testify in heaven,
in the presence of angels, to satan, that Job was a "perfect
man" and "upright man". Job 1:8      

         "And the Lord said unto satan, Hast thou
         considered my servant Job, that there none
         like him in the earth, a perfect and up-
         right man, one who feareth God and esc-
         heweth evil"          (KJV)

         "And the Lord said to satan, "Have you
         considered my servant Job ? There is
         no one on earth like him; he is blame-
         less and upright, a man who fears God
         and shuns evil".      (NIV)
  Job 2:3

         "And the Lord said unto satan, Hast thou
         considered my servant Job, that there none
         like him in the earth, a perfect and an up-
         right man, one that feareth God, and es-
         cheweth evil"         (KJV)

         "Then the Lord said to satan, "Have you
         considered my servant Job ?" There is no  
         one on earth like him; he is blameless and
         upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil"
                               (NIV)

    Having taken note of God's testimony concerning Job's 
perfection, it would seem like a little more study of the
subject of perfection is necessary to understand what is 
being said on the subject.

    Perfection in the absolute sense of the word belongs
to God alone. This type of perfection can not be applied
to man. We must then find a type or class of perfection
that we can apply to Job.











     There are many types or relative perfection which           
are less than the absolute we have attested to God. One 
of these is the perfection held by the "angelic beings"
But since man is a little lower than "angels" , this can
not be used to describe Job. Psa 8:4,--8

          "What is man, that thou art mindful of
          him ? and the son of man, that thou
          visitest him ? For thou hast made him
          a little lower than the angels, and
          hast crowned him with glory and honor
          Thou madest him to have dominion over
          the works of thy hands; yet thou hast
          put all things under his feet. All sheep
          and oxen, yea, and the beast of the
          field; The fowl of the air, and the fish
          of the sea.........."     (KJV)

          "What is man that you are mindful of him
          the son of man that you care for him ?
          You made him a little lower than the heaven-   
          anly beings and crowned him with glory and
          honor. You made him ruler over the works
          of your hands; you put everything under his
          feet: all flocks, and herds, and the beast 
          of the field, the birds of the air and the
          fish of sea ......."      (NIV)


This scripture refers to both man and Jesus when he came to      
live among us as a man. This form of perfection is not 
suited for Job either. There is another yet, "creation or
Adamic perfection". The fall of man in the Garden of Eden
and its results both physical,intellectually, and morally
makes this form of perfection unsuitable. Then too, there
is the "resurrection perfection" but this to because it
lies beyond the grave or His Coming we must rule this
too out in respect to both Job and us while we are still
living. 
     
          
     The is still one more left which indeed fits our needs,
"Christian PERFECTION" This indeed must be the PERFECTION
that Job had acquired. But this was way before the coming
of our Lord. Job acquired this the same way man of the O.T.
Saints did by faith and obedience. . 








He feared the Lord and shunned evil. This standard was raised
for the religious practices and expectations of the coming of 
the Messiah, to its highest possible limit in the person 
called Jesus Christ. The standards by which Job was judged
were far lower than those used by God to judge man today.
Jesus provided far more by His sacrifice than the law ever
could. He fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel, in a manner   
that far exceeded that promise given the Jews at the of        
Ezekiel.  Ezek 11:19,20


          "And I will give them one heart, and I
          will put a new Spirit within you; and I
          will take the stony heart out of their
          flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:
          Then they may walk in my statues, and keep
          my ordinances, and do them: and they shall
          be my people and I will be their God."
                                   (KJV)

         
          "I will give them an undivided heart, and
          put a new Spirit in them: I will remove
          from them their heart of stone and give
          them a heart of flesh. Then they will
          follow my decrees and be careful to keep
          my laws. They will be my people and I will
          be their God."




Please take note of the similarity of this and that of Job. 
"To fear God and shun evil"  Also please take notice of
the fact this was to be an action upon the heart and not
the whole person.

     Also that no one should misunderstand that this form
of Christian Perfection. It should be noted that this does
not put man beyond the possibility of wandering although it
greatly reduces the probability of it; it doesn't make any-
one infallible, or immune from mistakes or errors in judge-
ments. It means very simply that God's work of grace 
provided for by Christ's atonement, is completed or finished
in that individual and that he is a "perfect Christian in
his heart" His heart is now a place where there is peace
and the Love, that Jesus prayed for in John 17.  








A starting place for that love to filter through the head
causing the Holiness of God and at the same time that Love
of Jesus to show as a beacon for the lost of this world.
A place from which the Christian can be transformed by
walking and growing in the grace of a holy God.