Flawless
The Ninth Sunday after Trinity – 7/28/2024
2 Samuel 22:26–34
Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer
That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Old Testament lesson from the Second Book of the Prophet Samuel in the twenty-second chapter with special emphasis on verse thirty-one which reads as follows:
“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”[1]
Thus far the Scriptures.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Have you ever encountered something perfect? Without flaws? Lacking blemishes? It is somewhat easy to find things that are nice, even majestic. But perfect is another manner altogether. Flawless diamonds are much more expensive than those with blemishes. Apples that do not have bruises, deformities, or spots are priced higher than those that are imperfect. And it isn’t just inanimate things that we make this distinction with. Supermodels tend to have few flaws. Us regular folks tend to have to make our livings in other ways rather than by posing for pictures. You get the idea.
For the purpose of making a point, I want to distinguish between flawless things and that which is perfect. By flawless I mean that something or someone does not have any discernible errors. By perfect, I mean something or someone that is utterly without flaw, error, or imperfection of any sort. If we were to compare these, that which is flawless means that it is as good as can be expected for what it is, such as a perfectly round, sweet, and defect-free apple. A perfect apple would not simply be as good as one can expect, that is, lacking in discernable flaws, but would have absolutely nothing out of sort, even down to the very smallest of atomic structures. The reason I want to make this distinction is that things can be apparently without flaw, but might still have something that would not allow us to call them perfect in the full and complete sense.
To put it another way, there is a difference between things that are without flaw or, if you will, perfect according to their own limited, created design and that which is capital P perfect. In other words, there is a kind of perfection, a flawlessness that happens according to the way things are made by God and a perfect perfect that is without any limitation. This is all to say that when we see something perfect in this world it is still not perfect in the absolute sense that God is perfect. His perfection is without any limit or restraint of any sort.
This is all to say that the perfection of God is completely and totally so. So when David here sings of the Lord’s praises after being delivered from the hand of King Saul, the perfection of God that he refers to is absolute. And why is this important? Because we should have not doubts about God. There are no flaws in Him, His Word, or His works. His way is utterly and totally without blemish. And this character of God then means that we can trust Him and His Word and His works without any fear of being let down. There is not a chance of this because of the simple fact that God is God and therefore is not capable of failure or any other such thing like this that might come due to God’s nature as without flaw. David appeals to God’s perfection as the source of his confidence that God shields and protects him. Indeed, God’s absolute perfection is such that there is no power, not us, not even Satan himself, that can stand up to Him or thwart His will.
But here lies a problem. God is absolute and perfect. All that is in His presence is as well. We, however, are not. We are not what we are made to be. That is to say, we are in this age sinners and God’s perfection and his holiness do not tolerate the imperfection of sin. More still, if we try and over come this problem with our efforts, we will be found short as our imperfection will taint everything that we do in the eyes of God.
This is not to say that there is no way into the realm of God, the courts of paradise. We have been granted a way because the perfect God has given it to us. Every act that God does is perfect. Even becoming a man, suffering, dying, and rising again were done in absolute perfection. There is no flaw in any of the works of God, especially these. Therefore, we, like David, can boast in the Lord and His protection and salvation. Why do we hang out hats on these? Why do we trust that the death of Christ has done what the Scriptures claim? Because God is perfect, flawless, and absolutely so. And, being as He is without imperfection, His triumph cannot help but be done.
God is perfect. He does not lie or mislead. He does not oppress or tread on the down trodden and the weary. His perfect nature means that He bends His gracious presence to those who are in need of His salvation, love, and forgiveness. Do you feel out of place in this world? Do you feel like things are about to collapse in on you? Do you worry about you place in the surrounding culture? Do you fret about things that are outside of your control? Do you grapple with guilt and shame? Do you feel unloved, unwelcome, or like you belong no where?
Then, dear friend, know this: the perfect God is for you. God’s perfection does not make Him a distant and unobtainable to us imperfect beings. Of course, He is indeed beyond us such that we cannot by our efforts make our way to Him. But, in His mercy, in His perfect love, He came to us to save us, redeem us, destroy the power of Satan over us, and to grant us everlasting life. God’s perfection does not keep us distant from Him, instead, it has bid Him to come to us. The unbridgeable gap between our imperfection and God’s perfections has been overcome not by us or our efforts or piety or good works or anything of the sort, but by God and God alone. More than this, God Himself crossed this great divide by sending His Son to become a man and built for Himself an outpost, the holy Christian Church, here in this world on the solid and perfect foundation of His perfect shed blood. And so God dwells here with us, the perfect blood of Christ blotting out our imperfections, sins, and faults, making us instead reflections of the perfect, obedient, and righteous One, Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord. More still, this Perfect God does not work in abstract ways, but concretely to visit this saving reality on us. That is to say, He delivers us from specific evils such as death, the devil, and sin.
Perfection can be something that we fear. Indeed, our society is so fixated on perfection that we tend to fluctuate between desiring perfection for ourselves and trying desperately to hold up mediocrity as if denial of excellence would be enough to make our lack of perfection OK. Indeed, when one contemplates that utter, stark, and terrifying perfection of God, one can be led to a servile fear, as the theologians would say. That is, one can be repulsed by perfection because seeing it highlights our lack of it. But we need not fear the perfect, that is to say, the perfection of God. He is perfect but His perfection does not remain His alone. By faith in Christ, we are credited that perfection unto salvation and even are made to be perfect in the resurrection. Perfection may be daunting, but in Christ, it is ours.
In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] 2 Samuel 22:31 English Standard Version
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