“BE YE PERFECT!” Yeah, right! I think that as Christians, we have gotten so used to knowing that there is no way we will ever be perfect, we don’t even try. Yet, if you look up Scriptural references to being perfect, you will find hundreds in the Bible. Just to name a few:

2 Cor 13:11 tells us, “Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”

Phil 3:14-15 “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude.”

2 Tim 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration...that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

James 1:4 “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

It is doubtless that, at least in the King James Version (and a couple of others as well), Scripture calls us to be “perfect.” Yes, other versions use words like “mature” and “complete”. I just remember very vividly my battle with my desire to become “perfect” in my Christian walk all of my life and knowing how badly I felt when I fell so far short of it. In more recent times, we have handled this burden by just accepting the fact that there was no way we could do it, so we just relied on God’s grace for us and figured, “He will handle it where I fall short.” However, this attitude is dangerous in that it quickly allows us to subtly move from grace to license. Ultimately, what can happen is that we are so “comfortable” with our sin that we don’t even try to live a holy life. And nothing could be farther from the image Jesus wants us to have of His reflection in our lives!

This approach to dealing with our failures and sins comes crashing home when we come to Bethel Youth Camp every year. Suddenly, set apart from the world and its negative influences on our lives, we discover (AGAIN, year after year) just how far short of God’s glory we fall. If we are really drawn by this desire to be more like Him, we can incur a lot of guilt as we deal with not only our sins, but also with how miserably we have lived in His image the past year. If we combine this with a difficult home environment that brings on even more guilt, the burden can seem insurmountable. What a wonderful relief it is to bring all that to Jesus during this week at Camp and have Him cleanse it again. But what a huge disappointment we continually have, going back into the world, back to school or work, when we go home only to find out how impossible it is to live that way away from Camp!

Every lesson so far has focused on things we find impossible becoming possible through Jesus Christ. I thought we’d twist that just a little bit in this lesson to view things that actually are “Impossible Impossibilities.” Even though Jesus calls us to the goal of perfection in Him, I have found that perfection really is impossible.

When we attended the Nazarene church, they preached a doctrine of sanctification being the ultimate demise of the our sinful nature. Problem was, I didn’t see anyone living sinless lives. Practical experience shows that when we are truly devoted to Jesus, we want to live like Him and have victory over every sin in our life. But way too often, we find our spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. It is important to accept the fact that we have an advocate with the Father, confess our sins and plead the blood of Jesus to cover them and separate them as far from us as the east is from the west. Where sin abounds, grace abounds more. (Rom 5:20)

Of course, the trap there follows in Romans 6. “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” Re-read Romans 6 and 7. Paul talks a lot about yielding ourselves to righteousness and being dead to sin and the flesh. Yet, just like Paul at the end of Romans 7, we ultimately confess that we are “wretched men.” Who can deliver me from the body of death? Only Jesus.

When I see one of us distraught under the load of sin we seem to never be free from, I honestly want to tell that person, “give yourself a break!” Even though in every temptation we have a way to escape and we definitely should never think that we ever HAVE to sin, sin comes way to easy for all of us. We walk that fine line between seeking and devoting ourselves to perfect freedom from sinning and relying on the grace Jesus provides to free us from our sins. I want to say to every teen:



1. Keep striving for perfection! “The Spirit helps us with our infirmities.” (Rom 8:26) “If God is for us, who can be against us.” (Rom 8:31) “Keep pressing toward the mark of the high calling of Jesus Christ.”

2. Realize, however, that you will fail. Sin overtakes us far too easily. However, we have Jesus as our advocate and His grace is far greater than our sins. Like Paul, I can see what a wretched man I am yet because of His wonderful grace, receive pardon for my sin and revel in freedom from the law of sin. We don’t have to beat ourselves up for our weaknesses. We shouldn’t easily give in to them either, but come on, Jesus grace is greater than our sin. Receive His grace and move on.

3. Now, walk in the Spirit! Romans 8:1 tells me that “there is no condemnation when we are in Christ Jesus and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom 8:16) That is a wonderful thing.



Perfection may be the impossible impossibility. Yes, the battle to conquer that sinful nature will probably be a life-long battle. But we fight it as children of God! In the end, NOTHING “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:39 We are conquerors! We CAN do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us! Do the impossible!

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Churches and Ministries - Missions - Youth Camp - Conferences - BPH - Leadership - Doctrine - History - Doc Varnell

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