“On Being Complete” ~ ✨
The Apostle Paul speaks of the “complete person” in 1 Corinthians 2:6. The term “complete person” appears many times in the Bible.
I remember its first appearance is in Genesis 6:9, where God calls Noah a “complete person” in his generation; he walked with God. The second person God calls complete is Job; he was blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil (Job 1:1). Noah walked with God, and Job feared God and turned away from evil; thus, they were called complete.
Wasn’t there already someone before Noah and Job, who was the most complete of all? I see that person being Enoch, who walked with God for three hundred years before God took him away; he did not need to pass through the gateway of death to leave this world (Genesis 5:23-24).
Apart from these individuals specifically named as complete in the Bible, other occurrences of the term “complete person” in the scriptures are directed at God’s people, where God Himself, or through a prophet/apostle, commands them to be complete.
I have two related scriptures to quote. When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). In the words of our Lord Jesus, being complete means “being perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
Hebrews 10:1 & 14 points out that those who draw near are made complete because of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, which has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. What Lord Jesus meant by “we are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect,” I believe, does not refer to humans achieving completeness through their own deeds, but rather refers to the completeness of our status—being forgiven of our sins and made holy.
Believers become holy based on the redemptive efficacy of Lord Jesus Christ, not as a result of self-cultivation (Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:22). We understand that we are justified freely by faith in Christ (Romans 3:24). We also know that a holy life is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); it is fruit borne by those who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
When Lord Jesus prayed to the Heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “They (the disciples) are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17). In other words, this believer, who has put on the new self, must also grow, striving daily to live in the world while maintaining this holy status.
The Apostle Paul commands God’s people to become complete. In his letters, I read some specific examples. For instance: God’s people are made complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17); another example: they should press on towards the goal (Philippians 3:14-15); furthermore, for the church to be complete, its members must first be complete (Ephesians 4:12-13), and so on.
James describes the complete person as one who can control their tongue; for whoever can control their tongue can control their whole body; and they should be pure in heart, gentle in speech, and meek in temperament (James 3:2 & 17). One can achieve this because they are born again of God’s Spirit, and the old self born of the flesh has died.
I have heard some fellow believers say that “complete” means “perfect,” so they believe no one can achieve it; but many others do not see it that way. In Israel, there were those who considered themselves complete. I cite two from the Bible: one is David (2 Samuel 22:24/33; Psalm 18:23), and the other is Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:3; Isaiah 38:3).
King David said, “I was blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my guilt.” (2 Samuel 22:24; Psalm 18:23). King Hezekiah also said, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in Your eyes.” (2 Kings 20:3).
The “completeness” expressed by these two anointed kings of Israel does not equate to being a “flawless, perfect” person. The expression in 2 Samuel 22:24 refers to David’s complete loyalty and faithfulness to God. When David said he was complete, he simultaneously acknowledged his past iniquities. He prayed to God, “Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” (Psalm 19:13). Hezekiah’s self-description also referred to having a wholehearted devotion in serving God (2 Kings 20:3; Isaiah 38:3).
God’s standard is always set at the highest level. If humans could become “complete” in the eye of God by their own strength, then the Lord would not have needed to come into the world to save sinners!
A tangible expression of this standard can be understood a bit more from the scripture in Matthew 19:21. Lord Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Thankfully, although the Lord’s standard is high, His grace is vast.
The Lord also said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31).
To the kind You show Yourself kind; to the pure You show Yourself pure; to the perverse You show Yourself perverse (Psalm 18:25-26). As for those with vile passions and impurities, God gives them over to their depravity (Romans 1:26-32). The inheritance of the complete will endure forever (Psalm 37:18); this inheritance is the treasure stored up in heaven. The complete person not only has the “status” of being a child of God, but they also have a “position” in the Father’s house.
God first makes us complete through justification by faith in Christ, and then we become God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesian 2:8-10). Apostle Paul is a living example of the one whom God created in Christ. Paul said he had fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Yet, he still did not claim to have already obtained all this or to have been made perfect.
“Pressing on and striving towards the goal” is the encouragement Paul left for believers of later generations. Therefore, all of us who are mature should take such a view of things. If on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you (Philippians 3:12-15).
The salvation God gives is a “complete” salvation; people are made complete because God’s salvation is complete. Since we are called, we should live our lives worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1). If we hold steadfast to this holy status, we will surely become complete, just as our Heavenly Father is complete.
I conclude with this poem👇🏻
“Complete or Not”
Creation is perfect, Adam lost perfection.
Jesus is perfect, humanity is not.
Loving beauty, seeking beauty; loving people, seeking people.
Great light, small light, sun and moon, both are round.
Creator and Judge almighty, how can we be fully complete and perfect?
Completion and perfection——
Jesus comes to complete and perfect.
~✨✨💖
en yan hua fang 