Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional.
The Perfection Paradigm
By James Rafferty June 25th, 2026
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1 (KJV)
If the question of perfection is one of possibility, then it is attainable, for Job was a perfect man. "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." A rather smug answer that summarizes how I felt about the issue.
For years I struggled to understand this idea of perfection. I marked all the Bible verses and argued the naysayers. Yet personal imperfection was the reality of my experience. Yes, perfection was a biblical fact against which arguing becomes more of a political filibuster (empty talk designed to sidetrack action on important issues). Yet, for me, personally, the deeper, somewhat uncharted challenge was to understand what perfection looks like.
What is perfection? That is the question.
Was it how we dress, what we eat, the truths we intellectually believe? I understood perfection as wholly or primarily applying to our outward appearance and intellectual assent to truth. In this way, I engendered the legacy of those described in Christ's words:
"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence." Matthew 23:1–3, 25.
Perfection was almost depressing when taken in the context of my personal religious performance. This is because as we grow in Christ, we are confronted with a greater sense of our selfish motives. In time, I began to understand that performance-centered perfection often undermines Christ's gift-centered righteousness (see Philippians 3:1–10). This was the meaning of Christ's words on the Mount of Olives: "For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20.
Loosely interpreted, no matter how much I try to polish it up, no matter how good I look outwardly, I will never make Heaven, will never enter into the joy of right doing without the gift of Christ's righteousness that transforms the heart. Heart transformation, or new birth, gives us the spirit and love of Jesus. This is the perfection that people long to see among Christians. It is the perfection no one will argue against. And, interestingly, this is the context of almost every biblical account of perfection. It is especially the context of Job's perfection and the reason the devil fought against Job with all he had.
Perfection, I began to realize, was not so much how we look at ourselves as it is how we look at others, especially those who hurt us (Matthew 5:38–48). To be perfect as God is perfect is to be merciful as God is merciful (Luke 6:36). And that perfection is a goal worthy of all our effort, for mercy is a much-needed quality of character in our hurting world. Amen.
The Perfection Paradigm
By James Rafferty June 25th, 2026
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1 (KJV)
If the question of perfection is one of possibility, then it is attainable, for Job was a perfect man. "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." A rather smug answer that summarizes how I felt about the issue.
For years I struggled to understand this idea of perfection. I marked all the Bible verses and argued the naysayers. Yet personal imperfection was the reality of my experience. Yes, perfection was a biblical fact against which arguing becomes more of a political filibuster (empty talk designed to sidetrack action on important issues). Yet, for me, personally, the deeper, somewhat uncharted challenge was to understand what perfection looks like.
What is perfection? That is the question.
Was it how we dress, what we eat, the truths we intellectually believe? I understood perfection as wholly or primarily applying to our outward appearance and intellectual assent to truth. In this way, I engendered the legacy of those described in Christ's words:
"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence." Matthew 23:1–3, 25.
Perfection was almost depressing when taken in the context of my personal religious performance. This is because as we grow in Christ, we are confronted with a greater sense of our selfish motives. In time, I began to understand that performance-centered perfection often undermines Christ's gift-centered righteousness (see Philippians 3:1–10). This was the meaning of Christ's words on the Mount of Olives: "For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20.
Loosely interpreted, no matter how much I try to polish it up, no matter how good I look outwardly, I will never make Heaven, will never enter into the joy of right doing without the gift of Christ's righteousness that transforms the heart. Heart transformation, or new birth, gives us the spirit and love of Jesus. This is the perfection that people long to see among Christians. It is the perfection no one will argue against. And, interestingly, this is the context of almost every biblical account of perfection. It is especially the context of Job's perfection and the reason the devil fought against Job with all he had.
Perfection, I began to realize, was not so much how we look at ourselves as it is how we look at others, especially those who hurt us (Matthew 5:38–48). To be perfect as God is perfect is to be merciful as God is merciful (Luke 6:36). And that perfection is a goal worthy of all our effort, for mercy is a much-needed quality of character in our hurting world. Amen.
Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional.
The Perfection Paradigm
By James Rafferty June 25th, 2026
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1 (KJV)
If the question of perfection is one of possibility, then it is attainable, for Job was a perfect man. "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." A rather smug answer that summarizes how I felt about the issue.
For years I struggled to understand this idea of perfection. I marked all the Bible verses and argued the naysayers. Yet personal imperfection was the reality of my experience. Yes, perfection was a biblical fact against which arguing becomes more of a political filibuster (empty talk designed to sidetrack action on important issues). Yet, for me, personally, the deeper, somewhat uncharted challenge was to understand what perfection looks like.
What is perfection? That is the question.
Was it how we dress, what we eat, the truths we intellectually believe? I understood perfection as wholly or primarily applying to our outward appearance and intellectual assent to truth. In this way, I engendered the legacy of those described in Christ's words:
"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence." Matthew 23:1–3, 25.
Perfection was almost depressing when taken in the context of my personal religious performance. This is because as we grow in Christ, we are confronted with a greater sense of our selfish motives. In time, I began to understand that performance-centered perfection often undermines Christ's gift-centered righteousness (see Philippians 3:1–10). This was the meaning of Christ's words on the Mount of Olives: "For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20.
Loosely interpreted, no matter how much I try to polish it up, no matter how good I look outwardly, I will never make Heaven, will never enter into the joy of right doing without the gift of Christ's righteousness that transforms the heart. Heart transformation, or new birth, gives us the spirit and love of Jesus. This is the perfection that people long to see among Christians. It is the perfection no one will argue against. And, interestingly, this is the context of almost every biblical account of perfection. It is especially the context of Job's perfection and the reason the devil fought against Job with all he had.
Perfection, I began to realize, was not so much how we look at ourselves as it is how we look at others, especially those who hurt us (Matthew 5:38–48). To be perfect as God is perfect is to be merciful as God is merciful (Luke 6:36). And that perfection is a goal worthy of all our effort, for mercy is a much-needed quality of character in our hurting world. Amen.
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