Embracing Imperfection: Finding Strength in Christ's Security

As forgiven people, we often struggle to cope with our imperfections. Despite being redeemed, we still find ourselves falling short and making mistakes. It can be disheartening to see the same sins resurface, even after we have confessed and fought against them. But God has chosen that imperfection will be a constant companion in our lives.

When I talk about imperfection, I am not referring to unrepentant sin. Unrepentant sin should stir us to repentance and seeking God's mercy. It should never be taken lightly. However, even as forgiven individuals, we still have remaining sin. This sin is forgiven and expiring, but it is still very real and can have a powerful impact on our lives. We may question how we can still be entangled by selfishness, impatience, lust, laziness, or envy. It can be incredibly difficult to accept our imperfections, but God has chosen that we continue to struggle with them.

The apostle Paul was well aware of his own imperfections. He recognized that he had not yet obtained perfection and was still a work-in-progress. As an apostle, he understood that he was unconditionally elected, irresistibly loved, and blood-bought, but he was not yet fully perfected. He pressed on to make righteousness his own because Christ Jesus had made him His own (Philippians 3:12).

Forgiveness, for Paul, was not an excuse to make peace with sin. Instead, it drove him further into the battle against sin. He did not settle for less righteousness because of his imperfections. Instead, he saw his imperfections as motivation to pursue more righteousness and to become more like Christ. Paul understood that God would one day make him fully righteous at the resurrection, but until then, he was determined to grow in righteousness (Philippians 3:12-13).

Embracing Imperfection

Paul's mindset of embracing imperfection is seen in the next two verses:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13–14)

Despite his imperfections, Paul pressed on. He deliberately chose to forget what was behind and focused on what lay ahead. This deliberate forgetfulness allowed him to move forward in his pursuit of holiness. It is important for us to also learn to forget the sins of our past or even the sins we are currently battling. We cannot let these sins hold us back from growing in obedience and faithfulness today.

Paul's focus was on the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He recognized that knowing Christ was worth more than anything else in the world. Christ Himself was the ultimate prize, and Paul desired to know Him more deeply and live more like Him. This longing for Christ fueled his pursuit of holiness (Philippians 3:14).

Are we willing to endure imperfection a little longer, and continue to battle our remaining sin, knowing that at the end of our race here on earth is fullness of joy and eternal pleasures? Can we find strength in treasuring the one who died for our imperfection?

The Strength in Security

A crucial mindset that Paul held was the understanding that he was captured by Christ. In verse 14, he says, "I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." Paul recognized that he belonged to Christ and that Christ would never let him go.

As imperfect individuals, we can continue to strive for holiness because we know that Christ Himself has laid hold of us and will never let go. Our imperfections were purchased and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Every ugly aspect of ourselves, including our sins, will be made whiter than snow and brighter than the sun. We can press through our imperfections, knowing that we are secure in Christ (Philippians 3:14).

Verse 15 further emphasizes this mindset of security in Christ. Paul encourages those who are mature in their faith to think this way. Mature believers understand that they are incomplete and imperfect, yet they are chosen, bought, captured, and loved by Christ. Even in our imperfections, Christ has made us His own (Philippians 3:15).

So let us press on, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. Let us embrace our imperfections and pursue holiness, knowing that we are secure in Christ. Let us treasure the one who died for our imperfections and find strength in Him. And let us eagerly anticipate the day when our imperfections will be no more, and we will be made perfect in Christ.