Scripture indicates that the world, including human beings and institutions, are imperfect because of the contaminating influence of sin. This influence extends to the household of faith: both Israel and the Christian church are portrayed as prone to sin and weakness.
The creation is imperfect because of sin
Genesis 3:17–19 See also Genesis 5:29; Romans 8:20–22
And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground — because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Imperfection is expressed in corruption and death
Psalm 103:15–16; 2 Peter 1:4 See also 2 Samuel 14:14; Psalm 90:3–10; Ecclesiastes 12:1–7; James 1:10; 1 Peter 1:24
As for man, his days are like grass— he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.
Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
The imperfection of the spiritual creation
Job 4:18; Jude 1:6 See also 2 Peter 2:4
If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling— these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
The universal imperfection of human beings
Romans 3:23 See also Genesis 6:5; 1 Kings 8:46 parallel 2 Chronicles 6:36; Psalm 14:3, Psalm 130:3; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 64:6; Galatians 3:22; James 3:2
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The imperfection of the household of faith
Israel and her leaders
Nehemiah 9:34; Jeremiah 2:21 See also Judges 2:11–13; Nehemiah 9:16; Psalm 106:39; Isaiah 3:14; Jeremiah 50:6; Ezekiel 20:30; Micah 3:1–3
Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.
I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine?
The Christian church and its leaders
2 Corinthians 12:20; Philippians 3:12 See also 1 Corinthians 3:1–3, 1 Corinthians 13:12; Colossians 2:20; Hebrews 5:12; 1 John 1:8; Revelation 3:2, Revelation 3:17
For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.