Think back to Algebra, when the concept of asymptotes was introduced. These are curved lines (I guess technically ‘functions’ but it’s been awhile) that approach an x or y axis but do not touch it. They get nearer and nearer, infinitely nearer, but never touch one of the perfectly straight axes.
Our walks with Christ are much like that. We aspire to the perfection of the axis but can never get there in this life. We can see it near and close (Christ’s perfection) but will only truly experience it when we are with Him. Fortunately, God sees us as vicariously perfect even now, (once we have given our sins to Christ and asked Him to be King of our lives and destinies) but in day-to-day living, while we still inhabit these mortal bodies, we will continue to fall short daily.
We long to have the perfect knowledge of scripture and their perfect interpretations, but I have often said, every Christian is wrong about ‘something’ and we’ll get corrected when we meet Christ in the air.
Baptists for instance may not give the Holy Spirit enough honor, while the charismatic Pentecostals may take it too far at times. (Not having an interpreter when ‘speaking in tongues’ for instance).
Some denominations believe an immersive baptism is necessary for salvation, eschew the relevance of the Old Testament, and believe no musical instruments should be allowed in a worship service. Others believe in five-point Calvinism, others are amillennial, some believe in transubstantiation and the intercession of saints and angels (whereas others recognize Christ as the only worthy intermediary). Some believe women should always have their heads covered in church (and sometimes elsewhere) while others don’t see it as a hang-up.
And this just concerns dogma. Not to mention how we constantly fall short in our every day lives, over and over again. (Romans 3:23)
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. We will all be corrected when we see Jesus. In heaven, all of our beliefs will be refined and polished until we are all on the same page on every matter. All of our personal shortcomings and sin tendencies will be replaced with perfect minds and hearts.
In the meantime, we are just asymptotes that strive to be ‘one with the axis’ but can’t experience it yet.
Do not be dismayed. The time is soon coming when we will join as one with the ‘axis’, that straight and perfect plumb line that we have striven for.
It is easy to get discouraged (and Satan loves to point this out to us) when we take a look at the big picture of our lives and realize we are not perfect and never will be, so why keep trying? Why keep fighting the strong, exhausting pull of gravity of the world, the flesh, and the devil’s call? Go ahead and cuss out that bad driver (even if just in the privacy of our own cars), go ahead and share that juicy tidbit of gossip about an acquaintance, go ahead and indulge in lust for sex, food, money, fame, affirmation, or any of a thousand other appetites that we can have in these imperfect bodies with these imperfect minds.
It is in these moments we need to acknowledge how far we come from the perfection that we seek and call out to the One who is perfect for rescue. He will respond, and once again come to us, clean us up, renew our minds and hope, until the next time we stumble. (1 John 1:9).
The following verses remind us that we will always be drawn to sin in this life, and we will always fall short of perfection until Christ comes for us. …
Isaiah 64:6
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
Romans 7:14-25
For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Now here is a favorite trick of Satan. He will steal around when we are trying to focus more on things of God, yet because we are on the asymptote, and far from the perfection of the axis, he points that out to us and tells us there’s no need to keep trying because we just keep failing and haven’t reached perfection. He’ll point out that we keep making the same mistakes over and over again, that we are no good, and God is tired of dealing with us, so why keep trying? Give up, and let gravity take over, quit climbing and fall. It’s so much easier to fall than climb after all.
Satan is the accuser, (literally what his name means) and he paces back and forth in front of God day and night accusing us. (Job 1:6,7, Zechariah 3:1). Don’t fall for his lies! He would come to a man healing in a hospital and point out how weak he currently is and unfit for life, trying to make the man think his current situation is fixed and permanent, so why bother trying to get better? He would ridicule a first grader with genius potential that he doesn’t already understand the theory of relativity, therefore he is and always will be stupid, so why bother continuing to try? Same way he approaches us at our place on the asymptote and says ‘look how far you are from perfection. You’ve been trying all your life and STILL haven’t gotten there, so just give up fool!’
He mocks the addict who is one week clean and tells him ‘big whoop! One week! You know you’re just going to fail again! Look how far you are from those who have never been addicts! Just give up. Falling is so much easier than climbing.’
You are not perfect and won’t be until you are with Christ. God sees you as perfect now though, because when He looks at you, He sees Christ, if you are washed in His blood. Don’t buy the lie that just because you are a work in progress that you will never complete that process and finally reach the axis of perfection, that straight line to which you’ve long aspired.
Keep striving, pressing on in the meantime.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.