The Plague of Perfection
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” — Matthew 5:48 (KJV)
This week on The Work Within, we attempt to tackle a very prominent topic, especially within the Christian sphere: perfectionism. I mean, we are supposed to be, aren’t we? Perfect? Aren’t we meant to take Jesus pretty seriously? So if He says I’m supposed to be perfect, well then I must.
I don’t doubt that the thought of perfection has come up more than once, whether you’re brand new to the faith or have been walking with Jesus for a long time. In our attempt to understand what Jesus means in this verse, however, let’s do our due diligence and go back to what He says at the beginning.
Of course, if I take this verse and single it out, I can quickly become overwhelmed by the daunting task of being perfect. I believe the way you read this verse at face value and how you approach perfectionism reveals a deeper matter of the heart. But more on that in a bit.
Let me be a nerd for a second and look at the etymological aspects of the word perfect.
Perfect: being entirely without fault or defect; flawless.¹
That makes sense. At least, that’s how society would define perfection. But the Word of God points us toward a different meaning of this word.
Perfect in Greek is teleios (τέλειος): brought to its end, finished, lacking nothing necessary for completeness, or mature.²
“Brought to its end” should hit differently and perhaps feel a bit more uncomfortable, but it offers so much more depth and richness than simply “don’t make a mistake.” So let’s keep this definition in mind:
“Be ye therefore brought to your end, finished, lacking nothing, mature, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
For you Type A people, here’s your checklist for being perfect:
Brought to your end
Wanting nothing
Mature
Let’s tackle the first one.
Jesus says this at the end of chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, and this should make us stop in our tracks because it comes within the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ first sermon to the masses. So about halfway through this sermon, Jesus gives this powerful command. Let’s rewind a bit and remember what He said at the beginning, where I think Jesus gives us the answer to how we are to come to the end of ourselves.
Matthew 5:1–11 contains the Beatitudes, or simply put, “be-attitudes”—be this, do this. Jesus starts with verse 3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” More Greek for you: “poor in spirit” means helpless or powerless. Jesus is literally telling us to come to a place of dependence because we cannot conjure up the Spirit on our own. We, in our flesh, are already without. We must first come to know that we are without—that we are at the end of ourselves.
It’s a state of humility and full reliance on the King of Kings. Philippians 2 discusses how Jesus did this for us, how He emptied Himself and came to the end of Himself for our sake. We can richly and joyfully enter into that space with Him because He has done this for us.
Wanting Nothing Necessary for Completeness
What is necessary for us to achieve our version of perfectionism?
Brené Brown has a concept that perfectionism, at its core, is about trying to earn approval or acceptance.³ Deeper reflection reveals that perfectionism—and how you pursue it—often exposes a wound in your heart and your desire to be known and loved.
Are you a perfectionist, or are you dysregulated?
Do you spend your life trying to prove yourself worthy because of the wound left by an addicted parent, pursuing a never-ending tunnel of perfectionism in every task? Do you cope by numbing out and procrastinating, avoiding initiative and new opportunities because you fear losing the approval of others?
When you see the word perfect, does it make you competitive and anxiously striving, or does it leave you paralyzed and slowly crumbling from within?
Paul, David, and, of course, Jesus give us a way to stop craving this approval and acceptance.
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:11–13
“Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” — Psalm 118:4–6
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’” — Matthew 16:24–26
Let’s find and walk toward this deeper call: to want nothing from the acceptance or approval of humanity and instead seek the Lord, who is our completeness.
Maturity
To mature as a Christian is to radically accept the “already” and the “not yet.” The chaos that we all love and hate is called liminal space.
As Christians, we constantly feel this push and pull: the push toward the completeness of Christ, the heavenly room Jesus has prepared for us,⁴ what Paul calls our glorified bodies,⁵ and what Peter calls our imperishable, unfading inheritance.⁶ Yet we still feel the pull of our current state—what Paul describes as the spiritual forces of this world,⁷ and our fleshly bodies doing what we do not wish to do.⁸
It’s a very uncomfortable space. Yet in maturity, we have so much to look forward to: the ever-present love and presence of our Father.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” — Hebrews 12:1–2
Perhaps this doesn’t seem so daunting. But what about this pull toward the flesh? What happens when I fail to live out this completeness we’ve discussed?
In our attempt to be perfect—in this new definition we can embrace—let’s also consider grace and holiness. Don’t worry; I’ll spare the Greek definitions for now.
Holiness, to be set apart, actually offers us an invitation into grace. As Hebrews 4:16 says, we are to approach the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy in our time of need. Jesus wants us to approach God with confidence, with the assurance that He is not surprised by our imperfections.
He’s not up there shocked, with His hand over His mouth, saying, “I can’t believe they messed that up... again.”
No. He is a loving Father who gives us mercy in our time of need—if only we are willing to receive it.
I hope these words encourage you to come to the end of yourself, to want nothing necessary for completeness, and to mature.
For when we come to the end of ourselves, we find Jesus, who gives us all things. When we want nothing apart from Him, we find ourselves seen, soothed, safe, secure, and wholly loved. And when we mature within this liminal world, we get to see more and more of Him. If we take the time to look at the broader context, Matthew 5:48 isn’t just a heavy-handed order to reach a state of flawlessness; it’s the climax of what Jesus is showing us about the heart of God’s kingdom.
This powerful command follows the call to love those who oppose us, mirroring a Father whose love is whole and reaches everyone—the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, we see these recurring themes of fulfillment and completion. This invitation to be “perfect” (teleios) is really a call to mature into the full design God has for us. Yet, at the same time, the Sermon on the Mount stops us in our tracks by exposing our own powerlessness to meet this standard on our own. It drives us right back to being “poor in spirit,” reminding us that we are at the end of ourselves and in desperate need of Christ. He is the one who lived out this perfect obedience for us. Through His life and sacrifice, Jesus finished what we never could, and now, by the Spirit, He is slowly forming that same character within us.
So, this isn’t about striving to earn approval; it’s an invitation to a lifelong journey of being transformed into His likeness while we rest deeply in the grace He has already secured.
Footnotes
¹ Merriam-Webster defines perfect as “being entirely without fault or defect” and “satisfying all requirements,” highlighting the common modern understanding of perfection as flawlessness. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Perfect. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Perfect
² The Greek word teleios (τέλειος), translated “perfect” in Matthew 5:48, carries the sense of completeness, maturity, or reaching an intended end rather than absolute sinlessness. Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Strong's G5046: teleios. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from Blue Letter Bible Lexicon G5046
³ Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden Publishing.
⁴ Jesus promises believers that He is preparing a place for them and will return to bring them into His presence, pointing toward the future completion of redemption (John 14:3, New International Version).
⁵ Paul describes believers as longing for their heavenly dwelling and awaiting the full realization of God's redemptive work, emphasizing an ongoing process rather than present perfection (2 Corinthians 5:2–5, New International Version).
⁶ Peter speaks of an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance reserved in heaven for believers, underscoring the future aspect of Christian perfection and glorification (1 Peter 1:4, New International Version).
⁷ The command to honor one's father and mother is identified as “the first commandment with a promise,” illustrating how obedience and covenant faithfulness are tied to God's purposes for human flourishing (Ephesians 6:2, New International Version).
⁸ Paul candidly describes the conflict between his desire to obey God and the reality of indwelling sin, demonstrating that even mature believers continue to struggle with imperfection in the present age (Romans 7:15–20, New International Version).
By Brittany Ertz, LPC
Brittany Ertz is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma, anxiety, depression, and life transitions for teens, adults, and couples. Drawing from her own experiences and trained in EMDR, EFT, and CBT, she connects clients' past experiences to their present struggles to foster deep, lasting healing. Britt enjoys traveling, finding new coffee shops, going to the gym, and reading. She and her husband, Cisco, love serving at their church and enjoying the company of friends.
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