Introduction

The God of the philosophers, who has influenced the understanding of God in classical theism, is a perfect being. In this view God’s perfection is a fixed and absolute state that does not accept new experiences.² With such a definitional assumption, it is easy to read into the Bible the same static and settled condition of perfection when, for example, Jesus Christ commands us “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48).³ As a result, such perfection would mean attaining a definite plateau from where no change is possible.

Fortunately, the God of philosophers is not the God portrayed in the Bible. Of course, this does not mean that the biblical God is not perfect or does not desire perfection from human beings. But any claim about God should correspond to what the Bible affirms about God and His activity.⁴ As such, any discussion about Christian perfection must start with the biblical testimony.

As illustrated in the second part of this article, the range of Adventist understandings of perfection today includes different views. Some interpretations align better with the biblical testimony, while others reflect human perfectionism. In a broad sense, human perfectionism refers to “any form of theological falsification or religious distortion of the biblical concept of perfection.”⁵ While perfection is God’s plan for His people, perfectionism is a poor human substitute for the divine plan. To understand what biblical perfection is and what its role is in the great controversy between Christ and Satan, this article starts where the Bible begins, with the creation of humans and their environment. It then explores the concept of biblical perfection in the Old Testament and New Testament. A brief overview of some important views in contemporary Adventist theology follows, where we will be looking at the position of last generation theology (LGT) as an illustration of perfectionism. Only the main distinctive characteristics of the LGT position are presented without pointing to the minor variants within this position; the same applies to the non-LGT view. Finally, the article ends with a synthesis of the concept and a conclusion. Due to space constraints, the perspectives of Ellen G. White and other influential Adventist figures such as E. J. Waggoner, A. T. Jones, or M. L. Andreasen are not explored in this particular context, as they have been addressed by other authors.⁶

Imago Dei and Perfection

When God created the first human beings, they reflected the imago Dei (image of God, Gen 1:26–28), which included structural, relational, and functional aspects.⁷ Humans were perfect in all aspects. Perfection was not static but dynamic: Adam and Eve were to grow in faithful obedience to God’s commandments (Gen 1:28; 2:16–17). Perfection also was relative to their faithful obedience to God’s commandments (Gen 1:28; 2:16–17). The entrance of sin into the human world defaced the image of God in humans but did not fully destroy it. Relationally, human beings were now separated from God (Eph 2:3; Col 1:21). Structurally, they had a sinful nature, with a bent toward evil (Ps 51:5; Rom 7:17). Functionally, they were now prone to commit sinful acts (Isa 64:6; Rom 3:9–18).

Yet, God would not abandon His creation. God’s plan of restoring the imago Dei centered on His actions “to save humanity from inside, from within our very own genetic realm, from the strategic position of a ‘Son of God’ who will be born within Adam’s lineage in order to redeem Adam’s fall.”⁸ As “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15), Jesus Christ is both our Savior (2 Tim 1:10; 1 John 4:14) and example (Eph 5:1–2; 1 Pet 2:21). He is the image of the new restored humanity (Col 3:9–11; 2 Cor 5:17). As the one who was made “perfect through suffering” (Heb 2:10; cf. 5:9; 7:28), Jesus is able to make us perfect (Heb 10:14; cf. 10:1). His power, as in Paul’s case, “is made perfect” (2 Cor 12:9) in human weakness. Given that God’s plan of restoring His imago Dei in human beings is closely connected to the concept of perfection, one needs to explore the idea of biblical perfection as the Bible portrays it in order to understand the divine restorative impetus.

Perfection in the Bible

Perfection in the Old Testament

Different words from the Old Testament and the New Testament reflect the concept of perfection in relation to God or humans. In the Old Testament, terms like tāmîm (“complete, perfect, whole, blameless, having integrity, without fault or blemish, sound”), tām (“decent, sound, blameless, having integrity”), and šālēm (“whole, fully devoted, complete, perfect”) are most often used.⁹ Several occurrences refer to God. In his song, Moses contrasts divine covenantal faithfulness with human corruption. God’s work is “perfect [tāmîm], and all his ways are just,” writes Moses, “a faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he” (Deut 32:4). Echoing Moses’s praise of God’s covenantal faithfulness, David indicates why God’s “way is perfect [tāmîm]”; “the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him” (2 Sam 22:31; cf. Ps 18:30). God’s law, reflecting His covenantal lovingkindness, “is perfect [tāmîm], reviving the soul” (Ps 19:7), just like the sun is all-encompassing over the earth.¹⁰ God’s perfection thus refers to His actions as they reveal His will to fulfill the covenant with Israel.¹¹

The same dynamic meaning surfaces when the terms occur in reference to humans. Noah (Gen 6:9) and Abram (Gen 17:1) are “blameless [tāmîm]”; Job is also “blameless [tām]” (Job 1:1; cf. 1:8; 2:3). Israel is to “remain completely loyal [tāmîm]” to God (Deut 18:13), and to “serve him in sincerity [tāmîm] and in faithfulness” (Josh 24:14). David appeals to God for judgment, to vindicate him: “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity [tām], and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering” (Ps 26:1). Walking in integrity is idiomatic, describing his blameless life and motives.¹² Such a life is not a product of one’s efforts. It is God’s perfect (tāmîm) way (Ps 18:30)—that is, His dynamic and lovingkindness in covenantal actions (Ps 18:6–19)—that made David’s way perfect (tāmîm; Ps 18:32), or secure and straightforward for battle.¹³ A loving covenantal relationship with God (Ps 18:1, 50) guaranteed God’s perfection in David’s life. Within God’s covenant, humans live a life of integrity with blameless affections and choices. Their continual desire is to have their hearts “blameless [tāmîm]” in God’s statutes (Ps 119:80). Therefore, they aim at moral maturity by “progressive training in biblical wisdom.”¹⁴

The tāmîm people are equated with the upright who will inherit the land in the book of Proverbs (Prov 2:21; 28:10). They keep their ways straight (Prov 11:5) and are a delight for the Lord (Prov 11:20). The “one who walks in integrity [tāmîm] will be delivered” (Prov 28:18 ESV). In the context of these proverbs, tāmîm characterizes a covenantal way of life, response of those who accepted God’s dominion in their lives. Therefore, the foundation of covenantal life was not obedience to God’s commandments but rather the method by which the covenantal blessings were preserved.¹⁵

In Kings and Chronicles, the term šālēm refers primarily to one’s total commitment to God. David charged Solomon to know God “and serve him with a whole [šālēm] heart and with a willing mind” (1 Chr 28:9 ESV). David also prayed publicly to God to grant Solomon “a whole [šālēm] heart” (1 Chr 29:19 ESV) to keep God’s commandments and build the temple. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon directed the people to have their hearts “fully committed [šālēm] to the Lord our God to live by his decrees and obey his commands” (1 Kgs 8:61 NIV). Unfortunately, he did not follow this advice, and “his heart was not fully devoted [šālēm] to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kgs 11:4 NIV). Solomon set in motion a path followed by many of his descendants who sat on Judah’s throne (e.g., 1 Kgs 15:3; 2 Chr 25:2).

Looking at the above examples, we can conclude that, in the Old Testament, God’s perfection refers to the dynamic covenantal relationship wherein He manifests His inner faithfulness toward His chosen people. When the terms are usually translated with “perfect” in the English versions of the Bible and they refer to humans, they encompass one’s motives and an inner orientation of complete dedication to God, together with the ensuing behavior in obedience to God’s law. These are part of one’s covenantal relationship with God and spring from God’s perfect way of interacting with His covenant people. Within the covenant, God vindicates His people, as David’s example reveals.

Perfection in the New Testament

In the New Testament, terms like teleioō (“to complete, to finish, to bring to an end”), teleios (“perfect, mature, fully developed”), epiteleō (“to finish, to complete, to fulfill”), teleiotēs (“perfection, completeness, maturity”), or amōmos (“unblemished, blameless”) are most often used to convey the concept of perfection.¹⁶ Several occurrences refer to God. Probably the most known is in Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect [teleios], therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [teleios].” In the context of the 5:43–48 pericope, God is merciful and compassionate (cf. Luke 6:36), manifesting kindness over the evil and the good indiscriminately (Matt 5:45). This divine lovingkindness manifests God’s perfection. He sets an example for His followers, who emulate this lovingkindness––rather than any societal norms––in relation to others (Matt 5:46–47). The genuine followers of God look beyond any rules of conduct to God’s character.

The concept of perfection also occurs in relation to Jesus and His activity in the books of John and Hebrews. During His earthly mission, Jesus declared that His food was to do God’s will and “to complete [teleioō] his work” (John 4:34). His work was fulfilled by doing “the works that the Father has given me to complete [teleioō]” (John 5:36). Just before His crucifixion, Christ declared that He glorified the Father “by finishing the work” (John 17:4) entrusted to him.¹⁷

In the book of Hebrews, the concept is applied four times to Jesus. In relation to Jesus and His activity, God made Christ “perfect [teleioō] through sufferings” (Heb 2:10). By using the plural (“sufferings”) in Hebrews 2:10, the author reminds the readers that Christ “learned obedience through what he suffered” (Heb 5:8). These sufferings climaxed with Christ’s death. “Having been made perfect [teleioō],” Jesus “became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb 5:9). Jesus is presented as “the pioneer and perfecter [teleiōtēs] of faith” (Heb 12:2 NIV). Christ’s death was the means to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). In Hebrews 7:28, the writer connects Christ’s perfection with His inauguration as a high priest, the “Son who has been made perfect [teleioō] forever.” As a divine-human high priest, Jesus mediates salvation for His followers (Heb 2:14–18; 14:14–16).

The use of teleioō about Jesus does not imply moral-ethical imperfection, as Jesus was “without sin” (Heb 4:15) and “without blemish [amōmos]” (Heb 9:14; cf. 1 Pet 1:9).¹⁸ Christ was in a filial relationship with God during the incarnation (Heb 3:6; 5:8), which is indicative of His learning to submit as a Son to His Father’s discipline (Heb 5:7–8) and will (Heb 10:5–10).¹⁹ Yet, His learning was not from disobedience to obedience; rather, He perfectly submitted to God and was obedient until death (Heb 5:7).²⁰ The term teleioō as applied to Christ refers to this dynamic experience of faithful submission (Heb 2:13; 3:2). He thus inaugurates the human faith experience and also perfects it (Heb 12:2). Furthermore, after Christ was made perfect (Heb 7:28), He was enthroned as the royal son of God, inaugurating of His heavenly ministry.²¹ Due to His earthly and heavenly ministries, Christ qualifies “to save completely [pantelēs] those who come to God through him” (Heb 7:25 NIV), bridging the relational gap between God and humans, thus restoring the relational facet of imago Dei in humans.

In relation to humans, Christ’s desideratum from Matthew 5:48 overshadows all other occurrences of the concept. In its context, the teleios from verse 48a centers on love as the orientation of one’s life.²² This orientation is not static and fixed but open to new and broader horizons. When Jesus told a wealthy young man, “If you wish to be perfect [teleios], go, sell . . . give . . . follow me” (Matt 19:21), He told him that perfection was beyond his fixed interpretation of God’s principles. It was found in discipleship.²³

Only in unity with Jesus can the disciples “become completely [teleioō] one” (John 17:23). The manifestation of divine love in one’s life is experiential (i.e., law-abiding; John 14:15, 21; 15:10, 12; 1 John 2:3–4; 3:22–24), leading to perfection: “whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection [teleioō]” (1 John 2:5; cf. 4:12, 16–17). The love relationship with God and fellow humans results in confidence in judgment. There is no fear of judgment, as “perfect [teleios] love drives out fear. . . . The one who fears is not made perfect [teleioō] in love” (1 John 4:18 NIV).

In the Pauline epistles, the terms reflecting the concept of perfection convey spiritual maturity. Paul calls mature (teleios) those who spiritually discern God’s wisdom (1 Cor 2:6). They manifest a mature (teleios) thinking in contrast to one that is childish (1 Cor 14:20). Moreover, they remove “every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect [epiteleō] in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1). The change started by the Spirit and continues under His guidance, without “trying to finish [epiteleō] by human effort” (Gal 3:3 NET) as some in Galatia did.

God’s plan for humanity is “to be holy and blameless [amōmos] before him in love” (Eph 1:4). Blamelessness is possible only in Christ (Eph 1:3) and according to Christ’s model. He is able to change the inner orientation from sin to righteousness, restoring the structural facet of imago Dei in humans. His exemplary unity of faith and knowledge is to be emulated by the body of believers on earth: “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity [teleios], to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13). Christ prepares the church to “be holy and without blemish [amōmos]” (Eph 5:27; cf. Jude 24). While this has an apparent eschatological orientation, the church’s perfection also has a present dimension.²⁴ It is vital to observe that, for the believers, present and future maturity results from God’s work within one’s life. As Paul notes in Philippians 1:6, “the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion [epiteleō] by the day of Jesus Christ.” While “God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13), believers should “continue to work out” their present salvation (Phil 2:12 NIV), so that they “may be blameless [amemptos] and innocent, children of God without blemish [amōmos] in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Phil 2:15; cf. Col 4:12). In this process of perfecting—or sanctifying—His followers, Christ restores the functional facet of the imago Dei.

There is a delicate balance between divine action and the human answer. Paul’s example is eloquent. On the one hand, he describes himself as “blameless [amemptos]” (Phil 3:6). While this appears to represent a complete, perfect covenantal life, Paul acknowledges this as “a righteousness of my own that comes from the law” (Phil 3:9). Yet, he renounces his righteousness and regards “everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ” (Phil 3:8). He further writes, “Not that I have already obtained, or have already been perfected [teleioō]” (Phil 3:12, personal translation). Being perfected refers to reaching his goal—that is, obtaining the complete eschatological knowledge of Christ.²⁵ He was willing to grow toward this goal: “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil 3:12). Paul’s definition of perfection is continual growth in the experiential, personal knowledge of Christ. Including himself among the mature [teleios], Paul enjoins his audience to “be of the same mind” (Phil 3:15). His mission of proclamation, admonishment, and teaching is to “present everyone mature [teleios] in Christ” (Col 1:18; cf. 1 Thess 2:19–20; 5:23). Maturity is thus future-oriented but also present. It entails belonging to Christ and becoming more and more like Him in love, “which binds everything together in perfect harmony [teleiotēs]” (Col 3:14). Such love is “a covenantal commitment to one another of presence and advocacy in the journey into Christoformity.”²⁶

The book of Hebrews reveals the same “already/not yet” dynamic. By His blameless sacrifice, Christ “has perfected [teleioō] for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb 10:14). Christians are exhorted to remain faithful and persevere²⁷ in their current relationship with Christ. Through Christ, the functional facet of imago Dei is restored in the believers, and they are able to “go on toward perfection [teleiotēs]” (Heb 6:1). Hence, the believers are not yet perfect but in the process of becoming mature.²⁸ The maturity of the teleioi (Heb 5:14) is not just “an ideal or a distant goal but the norm expected of a believer,”²⁹ as Hebrews 11 indicates. Each person’s faith reveals a mature relationship of complete obedience to God (cf. Jas 2:22). The norm expected from past believers is the same for the present believers. It is only through His grace and mercy that “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect [teleioō]” (Heb 11:40 NIV). Hence, the fulfillment of God’s eschatological perfection (either at the first or the second coming of Christ) does not result from human performance but is an expression of divine grace (cf. Eph 5:26–27; Rev 19:8).

In the book of Revelation, the last generation, symbolically represented by the 144,000, is described as blameless (amōmos) in Revelation 14:5, similar to the Lamb that they follow (cf. Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19).³⁰ Just as the Old Testament people who walked blamelessly with God (Gen 6:9; 17:1), this group is loyal to Christ, following Him everywhere (Rev 14:4). They washed their clothes––a symbol of good deeds (Rev 19:8)—“in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14) and are thus able to stand before the throne of God (Rev 7:15). The realization of the eschatological promise is facilitated through Christ’s sacrifice, not through human effort. This does not suggest passivity among His followers; instead, they demonstrate loyalty and safeguard their faithfulness to God, even in the face of personal loss (Rev 7:14–17). Even if God may lead the last generation “to places where nobody has gone before”—thus entailing new experiences leading to a growth in faith—the faith of the last generation has the same substance as that of the previous generations.³¹

In the New Testament, God’s perfection refers to the manifestation of His divine lovingkindness toward His people. In His life and death, Christ obeyed God through faith, opening the way to perfection for every human being. Perfection is thus a loving and faithful submission to God as the main orientation of one’s life. Reflecting the overarching principle of love which is God’s character (1 John 4:8, 16) and the basis of His law (Matt 22:37–40), perfection is found in discipleship. Those who abide in God love their fellow human beings. This reveals their spiritual maturity. Such maturity is a continual growth in the experiential, personal knowledge of Christ. It is characterized by an “already/not yet” dynamic. This dynamic has past, present, and future dimensions. Through Christ’s sacrifice, all those who chose Him were made perfect. The Scripture becomes an appeal for them to persevere in their faithful relationship with Christ, as maturity is God’s standard for them. Finally, the fulfillment of God’s eschatological perfection is not rooted in human performance but is a manifestation of divine grace made possible solely through Christ.

Adventist Identity and Perfection

Biblical perfection is part of the Adventist doctrinal identity. Reflecting the biblical language, the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church provide several examples.³² While the formulation of these beliefs accurately reflects the biblical text, there are various discussions within Adventism regarding perfection and perfectionism. For some, perfectionism is associated with the so-called “last generation theology,”³³ previously called “final-generation perfection.”³⁴ The difference between LGT and non-LGT proponents hinges on three interrelated concepts: (1) the definition of sin (and, as a corollary, the nature of Christ), (2) the definition of perfection, and (3) the role the last generation plays in the great controversy between good and evil. While it is not the purpose of this paper to go into greater details about the perspectives on sin or the role of the last generation, we nevertheless have to take a closer look at the definition of perfection in order to better understand the LGT and non-LGT positions.

Two Perspectives of Sin

LGT defines sin as actual, deliberate sin³⁵—that is, as sinful acts, as defined by God’s commandments. Sin refers only to guilt-incurring acts resulting from personal choice. “Sins of ignorance,” referring to transgressions arising from a “lack of understanding or general religious misunderstanding” that individuals are unaware of and, therefore, cannot repent, along with the effects of sin— “such as illness, physical or mental defects, and deterioration leading to death”—are covered by Christ’s atonement and do not incur guilt or condemnation upon humans.³⁶ Furthermore, LGT theologians distinguish between tendencies to sin—“tendency is virtually equal to habit”— and promptings to sin, “the temptation that arises out of one’s deformed nature.”³⁷ Both are held under control in union with Christ.³⁸ Consequently, the focus is on human nature’s functional and relational facets. Hence, when humans stop committing ethically or morally wrong acts, they reach the perfection required by God—the “sinless perfection of the soul.”³⁹ Sinlessness refers here to character perfection, not to a physical state in which humans cannot sin or absolute perfection.⁴⁰

For non-LGT theologians, sin is a broken relationship resulting from rebellion against God that leads to sinful actions confining humanity in a sinful state characterized by inclinations to evil (Matt 15:19; Rom 5:10; 7:20; Col 1:21).⁴¹ Consequently, in addition to the functional and relational damage created by sin, human nature is structurally infected and affected by sin. In agreement with LGT, non-LGT proponents indicate that “humans are not culpable for this sinful tendency and propensity to sin rooted in their nature,” but, in disagreement with LGT, “this fact places them under condemnation and alienation toward God (John 3:36; Eph. 2:1–3).”⁴² In the growth process, believers discover the depths of their self-confidence and spiritual inability, becoming increasingly aware of their sinfulness yet learning “to grow in wisdom, in refinement, in humility, and in Christlikeness” until the parousia.⁴³ Only at the second coming of Christ will human nature be transformed and the presence of sin be removed. Meanwhile, each generation, including the last one, has a missiological role: proclaiming—through words and actions reflective of God’s law and hence His character—what Christ did and does to save us and to prepare the world for the second coming.⁴⁴

Two Perspectives on the Role of the Last Generation

Reflecting M. L. Andreasen’s understanding,⁴⁵ the LGT proponents claim that the last generation reaches “perfection in a fallen nature that is still able to sin” to vindicate God’s character.⁴⁶ Several key ideas are central to the LGT argument, mainly derived from selective citations of White’s writings.⁴⁷ One frequently referred passage occurs in Christ’s Object Lessons: “Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.”⁴⁸ Based on this passage and its context, Herbert E. Douglass developed the so-called “harvest principle”: God delays the second coming of Christ “until the gospel seed has produced a sizable and significant group of mature Christians in the last generation.”⁴⁹ If, on the one hand, “in a very basic sense, God will not require more of the final generation than of any other,” on the other hand, the last generation is called to meet higher missiological and behavioral requirements in accordance with the increased light and understanding they have received, especially considering the impending crisis they will confront.⁵⁰ The demonstration of maturity takes place after the close of probation when the last generation will prove that they can live without sin only by God’s enabling grace, thereby vindicating God from Satan’s accusations that humans cannot keep God’s law perfectly.⁵¹

Another passage cited from White’s writings is from The Great Controversy: the last generation will “stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil.⁵²” The proponents of LGT point to this passage and others similar to it⁵³ to support the idea that God expects believers to “achieve harvest-ready character perfection” that is sufficient “for translation, for standing through the time of trouble, for being alive on the earth when Jesus comes.”⁵⁴ When that time arrives, “God’s true followers will not need a mediator for sin anymore.”⁵⁵

Furthermore, LGT proponents indicate a third passage, from White’s Desire of Ages. She wrote, “The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people.”⁵⁶ In an LGT reading, the last generation will prove that humans “with fallen human nature can live without sinning. This demonstration will complete the vindication of God’s character and government and will settle the question of His justice and mercy forever.”⁵⁷ While this is described as a revelation of what God “can do with formerly self-centered rebels,” the sinless final generation’s demonstration will only take place when humans “allow God to finish His work in them.”⁵⁸

For non-LGT proponents, the perfect reflection of Christ’s character in His followers indicates the personal “reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others,”⁵⁹ having—like the LGT position—a missiological focus. Therefore, when believers reflect the divine love in their characters, their mission is successful, and God’s plan is fulfilled.⁶⁰ But this is not a requirement for a future final generation after the close of probation. Instead, “perfect obedience must be demonstrated before probation closes and the time of trouble begins,” during the investigative judgment, when God shows that His “living faithful are trusting and obedient and therefore can be sealed or certified as safe to save.”⁶¹

Regarding the second quotation of Ellen G. White from The Great Controversy, the non-LGT proponents indicate that in the same book, White states, “it is needful for them [the last generation] to be placed in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected.”⁶² The fact that there is “earthliness” lingering in the last generation points to a “process of development after the close of probation.”⁶³ Consequently, one cannot describe the last generation’s perfection as the culmination of a growth process before the time of trouble; rather, the focus is on the growth process itself, that continues even after the close of probation. In agreement with the LGT perspective, representatives who do not hold to LGT consider that, fundamentally, the faith of the last generation is of the same nature as the faith exhibited by previous generations. While receiving the empowering of the Holy Spirit through the latter rain, the last generation “will witness one last manifestation of satanic evil, especially as a cruel and unjust death decree spreads around the world.”⁶⁴

Nevertheless, even though there is a consensus that the last generation is destined to confront a unique crisis while being empowered by the Holy Spirit, non-LGT theologians vehemently reject that only the last generation cosmically vindicates God’s character. Only “Christ’s death vindicated God’s character and refuted Satan’s claims.”⁶⁵ In their view, for White, the vindication of God’s honor—in close relation to the divine law—“has always been the responsibility of God’s servants on earth,” not just of the last generation.⁶⁶ As Gane points out, “God vindicates Himself by what He does for us, in us, and through us.”⁶⁷ Vindicating God is not a prerogative of the last generation but a privilege of all generations.

Two Perspectives on Perfection

The two views of sin and the role of the last generation find their denouement in the two views of perfection. Last generation theologians reject as misrepresentation the perfectionistic tag.⁶⁸ Instead, many theologians associated with LGT describe perfection as relative and dynamic. Herbert E. Douglass writes that perfection refers to “the dynamic life pattern of a person who reflects the life of Jesus” and not to perfectionism, which is “an absolute point beyond which there can be no further development.”⁶⁹ C. Mervyn Maxwell accepts the expression “sinless perfection” but redefines it not as “absolute perfection” but as “true sinless perfection, true perfection of character.”⁷⁰ This refers to perfection “that triumphs over every sinful prompting of human nature and dynamically emulates the virtues of Jesus Christ.”⁷¹ For Maxwell, character development entails “choices that involve obedience,” leading to a “well-informed, well-matured spirituality that far transcends even the beautiful spirituality of the best of the Millerite Adventists.”⁷²

More recently, Larry Kirkpatrick distinguishes between “two different kinds of perfection: character surrender and character maturity.” The latter “is attained and maintained throughout our Christian lives if we persist in character surrender.”⁷³ He also distinguishes between perfection—which “is an unbroken exercise of faith which keeps the soul pure from every stain of sin or disloyalty to God,” thus referring to “the dynamic, growing lifestyle of the person who reflects the life of Jesus”—and perfectionism, understood as “an absolute point beyond which there can be no further development.”⁷⁴

Those who reject LGT also define perfection as dynamic and relative. Edward Heppenstall agrees that perfection is attainable⁷⁵ and describes it as “the perfecting of a right relationship to God, full commitment, a mature and unshakable allegiance to Jesus Christ,” arguing that “the word perfect does not envision sinlessness within the use of the word itself.”⁷⁶ Hence, for Heppenstall, “it is spiritual maturity and stability that is possible in this life, not sinless perfection.”⁷⁷ The dynamic that Heppenstall describes is complex. As Christians mature, they discover the depths of their sinful natures, with “hidden motives and self-centered intentions.” Yet, this “dissatisfaction with our moral and spiritual state at any point along the way” results from “stronger aspirations and more spiritual desires.” For Heppenstall, “this is the Bible position on Christian growth until Christ returns.”⁷⁸

Hans K. LaRondelle defines human perfection as a daily “religious-moral walk” with God that “is manifested in wholehearted, holy love for all fellowmen.”⁷⁹ As such, humans do not have perfection in themselves. Rather, “the true Christian feels increasingly imperfect and unworthy while beholding more and more of Christ’s all-sufficient glory and mercy”; as a result, “where Christ reproduces His own image in the soul” there humans walk “in true perfection” with God and other humans.⁸⁰ Hence, perfection focuses not on human nature but on humanity’s “perfect relationship with God” and other humans in the present and future.⁸¹

Evaluating the LGT’s View of Perfection

All the above definitions have several elements in common and are also reflected in the biblical canon. First, they all assume that God’s plan is connected somehow to perfection. Second, they describe perfection as a dynamic growth process—character perfection—exclusive of nature perfection, recognizing that God does not remove sinful tendencies and propensities. Third, they emphasize the divine perfection model, as Christ illustrated. Fourth, they agree that perfection is mediated by Christ and also involves human volition. Yet, there are at least two significant differences.⁸²

First, for LGT representatives mentioned above, one’s relationship with sin is profiled in the foreground, while in the background is one’s relationship with Christ. Whereas the high regard for the divine law is commendable, the significance attributed to human obedience in vindicating God’s character resulted in a concentration on overcoming sin that influenced LGT’s perspective on perfection. As one representative notes, “through the same divine power used by Jesus while on earth, human beings in this life can live without sinning.”⁸³ Although recognizing that Christian perfection is not “a static perfectionism” but a “dynamic relationship with God that will never cease developing its likeness to Jesus,” LGT ambiguously presents the reaching of “a point in the growth pattern when the Christian has conquered every known sin; his behavior is predictably loving, unselfish, and Christlike.”⁸⁴ Statements like this create the impression that, at least for some LGT supporters, perfection is a punctual state and focuses on human performance. However, such an approach alters the biblical testimony regarding perfection as an ongoing process that profiles divine involvement rather than human achievement in the foreground. While the LGT’s stress on obedience partially mirrors the biblical emphasis, the scriptural spotlight remains on divine action rather than human effort.

The New Testament emphasizes an “already/not yet” dynamic. Given the focus on the last generation, LGT practically depicts perfection as an “already,” overlooking the “not yet” facet. As a result, by making one’s relationship with sin prominent, LGT tends to be one-sided in its approach to perfection. Those rejecting LGT have one’s relationship with Christ in the foreground and the relationship with sin in the background. They consistently define perfection as a continuous state, centering on Christ’s performance. While we can attain character perfection, “that is, a mature disposition of unselfish love for God and others,” argues Peckham, “genuine obedience and the overcoming of sinful actions can be accomplished only by a work of God in us that we embrace by faith.”⁸⁵ Such faithfulness is best described as loyalty to Christ. As Gane puts it, “all I need to do is follow Him where He wants to take me, including to perfection of character.”⁸⁶

Second, the goal of perfection for LGT is the vindication of God’s character. In agreement with other LGT proponents, Dennis Priebe contends that the last generation, reflecting the image of Christ fully, “will be the wonder of the whole universe. Through them Satan will be forever defeated, and every question that could be raised against the law of God, such as whether humanity could keep it, will be forever answered.”⁸⁷ This approach is rightly criticized as perfectionist by other Adventist authors.⁸⁸ They echo the biblical focus on God’s faithfulness in His relationship with humans. Where humans fail, God does not. In addition, the scriptural evidence reveals that God is the active agent in vindicating His character. In the New Testament, the primary focus is on highlighting Christ’s performance. However, when the attention shifts to human perfection in relation to divine vindication, it tends to diminish the significance of Christ’s performance. The Bible, emphasizing human loyalty to God across past, present, and future rather than mere human achievement, does not align with the emphasis on the role of the last generation in vindicating God’s character. The latter entails a double standard: one for the last generation—whose performance will supersede all previous efforts—and one for all previous ages.⁸⁹ Yet, the Bible has only one standard and repeatedly urges perfection, not in the distant future but today. As such, God’s current standard is not different from the past one. And for all generations, this standard is fulfilled only in Christ and through Christ’s mediation.

Conclusion

Within the spectrum of Adventist views on perfection, this paper indicates that any claim should correspond to what the Bible states about the concept. After analyzing the concept in the Old Testament and the New Testament, several aspects of perfection emerged. First, God defines perfection. In the Old Testament, His covenantal faithfulness is the model to mirror. In the New Testament, Christ models perfection through loving and faithful submission to God’s plan. Second, perfection is a dynamic growth process in love and steadfast submission to God as one’s primary orientation. Third, perfection is God’s plan of restoring the imago Dei in humanity through Christ. He restores our relationship with God through His faithfulness, transforms our inner orientation toward God, and enables us to act lovingly toward others. Fourth, being a result of God’s action, perfection does not result from human performance. Fifth, perfection is mediated by Christ. Sixth, perfection has an “already/not yet” character, encompassing the past, the present, and the future. As such, it is open to further developments and discoveries without being constrained to a fixed set of behavioral rules.

Examining the current discussions in Adventism benefits from the insights provided by this multifaceted perspective. In this article, LGT is highlighted due to its widespread impact. While there are some areas of agreement between those who support LGT and those who have a different understanding, we noted two significant differences between LGT and the biblically based depiction of perfection. First, by making one’s conquering of sin prominent in the last generation, some LGT representatives depict perfection as a punctual, an eschatological “already,” that is relatively more static than dynamic. Second, LGT portrays the human performance of the last generation as a means of vindicating God’s character to hasten the second coming of Christ. As previously indicated, these two aspects do not clearly reflect the biblical testimony, profiling human perfectionism instead of Christian perfection. Moreover, such an approach does not reflect the “already/not yet” dynamic that focuses on the continual dependence on Christ for continual character growth. As the psalmist writes, “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad” (Ps 119:96). Truly, in the light of God’s law, one discerns a depth of perfection that shatters human perfectionism.