Is sinless perfection possible in this life?

Answer

Ephesians 4:13 states that spiritual gifts are given to edify the body of Christ “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Some translations mention that we will become “perfect” (instead of “mature”), leading some to mistakenly believe that we can achieve sinless perfection in this life. The Bible teaches that, as long as we are in the flesh, we will always grapple with a sinful nature (see Romans 7:14-24). No one will be “perfect” (sinless) until we reach heaven.

The term translated as “mature” in Ephesians 4:13 is the Greek word teleios. It is commonly used in the New Testament to convey “perfect,” “complete,” “full-grown,” and “mature.” The essence of Ephesians 4:13 is that the more we mature in Christ, the more robust and unified we will be as a church. This verse does not imply that we will cease to sin.

Another passage that can be misconstrued is Colossians 1:28, where some translations mention that Paul desires to “present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Similarly, in Colossians 4:12, Paul prays for us to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” In both instances, the Greek term for perfect should be interpreted as “mature” or “full-grown,” not as “without sin.”

As humans, we are bound by Adam’s nature in this world. Regardless of our efforts, we will inevitably sin against God. This applies to everyone. The apostle Paul admonished Peter for displaying favoritism (Galatians 2:11-13). Towards the end of his ministry, Paul refers to himself as the foremost of sinners “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

», (1 Timothy 1:15). Peter, James, John, and Paul all acknowledged that they were imperfect. How could you or I claim anything different?

True perfection will not be achieved until the rapture of the church, when we ascend to meet Jesus in the air «then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. », (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At that moment, the deceased in Christ will be resurrected, and the bodies of the living will be transformed (Philippians 3:20,21;1 Corinthians 15:54). We will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ «For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. », (2 Corinthians 5:10) where our deeds will be evaluated, and rewards will be granted (1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Our redemption will be total, and our sin will be eradicated forever. We will exist and rule with Christ in flawless perfection eternally.