It provides a false sense of clarity, conclusiveness, absolutism and security. It leaves no room for unanswered questions, doubt or mystery, and faith is approached as something to be solved—”perfected.”
Spiritual perfectionists tear down others, self-promote, and everything they say, do, and believe in—according to them—is perfect. It’s right. It’s conclusive. It’s not open for debate.
There is no listening, no dialogue, no humility, no doubt, no uncertainty, no grace, no mercy, no love.
The fruits of the Spirit are conspicuously absent.
This type of thinking promotes an aggressive form of warfare against the outside majority who inevitably aren’t perfect—the excluded ones who don’t share the exact same beliefs, opinions, lifestyles or emulate a specific type of spirituality.
Those who aren’t part of the select few are seen as undesired and dangerous outcasts, whose beliefs, theology, doctrines, traditions and general existence are all wrong—even sinful. They’re sometimes labeled heretics.
Inevitably, a desire for spiritual perfection leads to legalism, elitism, judgment, bigotry, fear, shame, guilt, alienation, exclusivism and hatred. It becomes a destructive form of idolatry.
It can also lead to a deep sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, anxiety and burnout.
Instead of yearning for Christ, a superficial faith is desired, where people prefer to create a facade and live out a lie in order to fool those who are watching into thinking they’re actually being righteous—vainly attempting to achieve their ideal preconceived form of spiritual perfection.
It’s time for Christians to accept grace, complexity and the idea that we don’t know everything—and never will. Embrace the freedom of Christ! Going one step further, we must admit that we’ve often gotten it very, very wrong.
Christians have hurt people. Individuals, communities, churches, organizations and institutions have done horrible things in the name of Christ.
It’s OK to admit this. The fact that Christianity isn’t perfect doesn’t negate truth—it actually admits it, reveals it and helps us accept reality.
And although there’s no perfect Christianity, and no perfect Christian, there is a perfect God. This is our passionate hope: Jesus is perfect! This is a wonderful truth Christians must wholly embrace. Christ wants our identity to rest solely in His perfection—not our religious imperfection.
