Yesterday, amongst meetings and phone calls and endless reports, a coworker made an offhand comment that did not offend me, but it did make me think.
She essentially made the casual assertion that she viewed Christians as hypocritical in that “they” were constantly trying to be perfect like Jesus.
Each one of us (regardless of faith), on some level, know that none of us are perfect.
Not even close.
Her allegation made perfect logical sense.
In fact, it fits quite nicely into the Pythagorean Theorem.
If A = B and B = C; then A = C.
If Christians are trying to be like Jesus and Jesus was a perfect being (i.e. blameless, shameless, sinless, etc.); then Christians are trying to be perfect.
Yet, we Christians, so broken and so in need of constant grace, know that this seemingly otherwise flawless argument just doesn’t add up!
So, how is it that we are both striving to be like Jesus, and yet not trying to achieve perfection?
Amongst finishing a leftover burrito at 3:49AM (I am six months pregnant—hello insomnia and night hunger), the answer suddenly came to me.
The above formula is missing one huge piece: another dose of Jesus.
(And in life, when in doubt, add more Jesus)
See, my coworker would be absolutely right if Christians were identical inside and out to non-Christians.
And what sets apart a Christian from a non-Christian?
The answer looms almost mockingly in my subconscious: Jesus.
Humans on their own striving to be perfect and sinless like Jesus Christ would absolutely be a walking and talking contradiction and constantly hypocritical as it is inherently impossible.
But Christians aren’t ever striving for anything on their own. We have Jesus.
Ergo, it is because of a living and breathing JESUS in us and through us (and not by our own actions) that we are striving to be like Jesus.
Jesus is “trying” to be like Himself through us.
And that, my friend, makes perfect logical sense.
by: Kaitlin Evans Perceptions and Passions
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Lori says
WOW! Just….. WOW!!!
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
Thanks, Lori! 🙂
Hopeless Marriage « Passionate Christian Marriage says
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Christy says
Wonderful 🙂
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
Thanks!! I think you’re wonderful too! 🙂
Renee says
There is a prayer out there that says something like this:
Since Jesus isn’t here on earth we need to be His:
eyes that see compassion,
hands that hold and heal,
feet that walk to help each other,
heart that loves unconditionally,
and a mind that unceasingly prays.
My goal is not perfection but to let Jesus live through me.
Some days are better than others!
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
I love that prayer!
And, yes, some days are MUCH better than others!
Christians live two kinds of days: extraordinary and ordinary.
Thank God that most are ordinary, because the extraordinary would lose that little “extra”
Toni Campbell says
So simple and so insightful. This is an awesome post – and it helps me with another way to approach conversations I have with a friend of mine Jewish by hertitage and Buddhist by choice. She is always trying to assert that we believe essentially the same things. In fact, we believe completely opposite – she thinks we are born perfect, mess up along the way and spend the rest of eternity trying to get back to perfection and achieve Nirvanah…where of course we assert that we come into this life imperfect and have only to trust and believe that God in his perfection loves and forgives us in order to enter heaven – there is nothing we can do to earn heaven or ‘achieve’ that perfection. Perhaps relating this thought to her, she can finally grasp this essential – and immensely freeing – difference!
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
Isn’t it so perplexing how the simplest of ideas (in our minds) are so incredibly difficult to relay to non-Christians sometimes????
Prayers for you and your friend!
Sarah says
I like the post. It’s good to know that Jesus is making us holy and if we allow Him to complete that work, we’ll be like Him. What would have been impossible in our own strength is possible in His.
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
Amen, sister!
Erica Herdey says
I appreciate the logic in this that draws the line between humanity and Heaven. I was a non-believer for most of my life, often citing the same reasoning of hypocracy as relayed in the message. Once the Holy Spirit started His work, my logical self found Jesus to be the “variable”… the “unknown” … the missing piece to my life’s equation. :
Erica + X = LIFE
And I never knew what “X” equalled… I didn’t know true LIVING … until I filled in Jesus. Conceptually, the same, without the Pythagorean Theorem (a2 + b2 = c2) which dictates that, if A=B, then C > A and B (where C is the hypotenuse). Maybe then, in the original analogy, A and B are us and our meager earthly means by which we strive for holiness and C is Jesus who not only connects or bridges the gap between our limited understanding and devine knowledge, but maintains supremecy in that HE IS ALWAYS BIGGER than anyhting we can imagine and MORE THAN we can hope for. He finished and perfected our “right” triangle. He made us whole. Amen!
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
Great point Erica! I love it!
Many, many people are wandering through this life are filling their “X” with many other things other than Jesus. And, as you pointed out, it’s inconclusive.
Lisa says
I think in a way, if we weren’t striving to be like Jesus then we would be even more hypocritical. Preaching something, but not living it. Can you imagine a world where NO ONE was striving to be their best? I think that is down right scary.
I like to think that as I strive to be like Jesus, though I’ll never attain perfection, like Him, I will have caused Him that much LESS suffering. It’s a nice thought anyway…
Kaitlin @ Perceptions & Passions says
Lisa, I totally agree.
Even when we fall, we can pick ourselves up and continue spreading the Good News and fighting for the Kingdom.
Julie Sunne says
Love your logic, Kaitlin! Jesus through us and in us.
Beth Williams says
Kaitlin,
First off excellent post! We need to let Jesus shine through us. As the song goes we need to be “His hands, feet, & go where He sends us to whomever”.
Amy @ themessymiddle says
I LOVE tying math into God — or I should say — showing how math is already tied in! I wrote about something similar for Pi Day (3/14) http://wp.me/p1Ut5W-aG
Random says
I am in no way trying to be rude! But, the sentence “If A = B and B = C then A = C” is not the Pythagorean Theorem….It’s called the Transitive Property of Equality.
Patti says
Hello Kaitlin, the Pythagorean theorem came into mind this morning when I thought of a friends distressed marriage, and thus I found this older post. The Lord is so good to direct us to information we need. I believe my very intelligent christian friend will understand this theorem in terms of her relationship with her husband and our Savior Jesus. God’s blessings to you and to your family. (And in life, when in doubt, add more Jesus)