The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Imperfections of Perfection"
Battle scars, as it were, mar the resurrected, glorified body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Then saith He to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20:27).
Some have suggested the wounds of the Savior will forever be the only imperfections in Heaven. This poignant thought bears much truth, although believers will also affirm that the Savior's scars speak to our hearts of a perfection of love, grace, mercy, and holy righteousness too wondrous to ever fully comprehend
"For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10).
How could the second Person of the triune Godhead, who eternally dwelled in pristine perfection before His advent, and who lived without sin during His earthly lifetime, be "made perfect?" The answer lies in God's redeeming purposes for us. Someone had to suffer, be forsaken, and die for sins and sinners. Someone "without spot or blemish" had to serve as the righteous bearer of our iniquities for God to be "just and the justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus" (I Peter 1:19; Romans 3:26). Someone had to so identify with fallen humanity that He could serve as the intercessor between ourselves and an infinite, holy God (Hebrews 7:25). Yes, someone - Someone - had to be wounded and remain wounded even in His risen glory if we are to have hope for eternal favor, acceptance, and relationship with our Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is that someone, and He "became perfect" by making the sacrifice that alone can "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). His wounds make Him complete in the sense of fulfilling His office of salvation for us in accordance with the eternal purpose of God.
Thereby "By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). When we become God's spiritual son or daughter through faith in Christ, our Heavenly Father forever sees us thereafter as "complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10). Of course, we are not yet perfect in our doings, but we are perfect in the sense of being united to Christ and enrobed in His justifying righteousness. "Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us… righteousness" (I Corinthians 1:30). Indeed, God sees us through the lens of His beloved Son. He sees the wounds, and then sees us as "justified by His grace" (Titus 3:7).
Imperfections? Yes, it can be said that the only ones in Heaven will forever be the prints of nails and a spear on the body of One. However, myriads of Blood-washed and Spirit-renewed saints will contend forevermore that nothing more bears witness to the pristine perfection of our beloved Savior than the wounds inflicted when He suffered and died for our sins. He is "the Lamb that was slain" and the Lord whom we love because with our own glorified eyes, we will forever see in Heaven the imperfections of Perfection.
"We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren."
(Hebrews 2:9-11)
Weekly Memory Verse
If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.
(I John 1:7)
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