Editor’s word: Over the three months of February, March and April 2025, we have invited guest writer Terence Ho to share with us his philosophical and theological musings and contemplations on the bigger questions and topics of life. Terence will share on his thoughts on the ideas of perfection (February), permanence (March), and existence, life and consciousness (April) in an easily readable and accessible manner. Enjoy!
Credo Special
17 February 2025
The starting point of many a theory or model across the span of human knowledge is that of perfection: ideal theory in political philosophy, perfect or ideal gases in thermodynamics, perfect competition in economics – the list goes on. Perfection captures the idealised properties of an object, entity or system in its simplest form for analysis, before real-world imperfections are accounted for.
In the search for purpose and meaning in life, it is likewise worthwhile to contemplate perfection as a starting point. For a moment, let us set aside what we know of the natural world and human nature. What would a perfect world be like?
Such a world would be free of conflict, suffering and death, devoid of both natural disasters and man-made calamities. Beyond comfort and pleasure, it would be filled with beauty and wonder. But the world would not be perfect as long as relationships are imperfect. Unless we envisage a lonely existence without company, we would need a world where every relationship is perfect. Otherwise, strife and envy would mar the experience of this world and thwart perfection.
Perfect relationships require people who are completely loving and entirely selfless. The perfection of society requires the perfection of every human being. The question, therefore, is what traits would someone of perfect character possess?
Here are some that may come to mind:
- Morality
- Commitment to justice
- Love
- Kindness
- Compassion
- Generosity
- Humility
- Wisdom
- Loyalty
- Courage
The Perfect Being
The Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – look to the divine as the benchmark of perfection. These faiths posit a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good, and who alone is worthy of praise and worship because he created the universe and sustains it.
In the Christian faith, there is a further dimension to God’s character. By sending Jesus (who as God the Son is part of the divine Trinity) to die on behalf of humankind to take the punishment for their wrongdoings, God commits the supreme act of self-sacrifice, making him yet more praiseworthy. In this regard, he represents the ideal cosmic ruler, surpassing the divine nature depicted elsewhere. For this Creator loves his created beings so much that he is willing to divest himself of the privileges of deity and submit to death in order to save them. Beyond the physical pain of a cruel death, it is the sundering of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son – in other words, spiritual death or separation – that makes this the ultimate sacrifice.
One may notice an ostensible contradiction in the list of virtues outlined at the beginning of the chapter: how can a ruler be both perfectly just and compassionate? Justice requires that wrongdoers be punished, but then where does compassion fit in? If wrongdoers are shown mercy, is justice in terms of the retribution for an offence committed then compromised?
Christianity offers a solution to this conundrum. All offences – “sins” in Christian parlance – are committed against God and his divine law. Only the one who is sinned against may forgive. God does this by placing the punishment of death on himself (God the Son) in place of sinful humanity, so that both justice and mercy are upheld in perfect measure.
How about courage, which is also on the list of virtues? What room is there for an omnipotent deity to demonstrate bravery when he is in full control of all things? By limiting his powers, becoming a man, and subjecting himself to physical pain and spiritual separation from God the Father, Jesus had to demonstrate courage of the highest order. This is how God can be demonstrably brave.
What about humility, one may ask. Jesus demonstrated humility in that he set aside his glory and power to come to earth as a man, with only room in a lowly stable for his birth.
But for God and God alone, humility would not be a virtue if it means ultimately accepting any less honour and glory than he is due. To do so would be unjust and injurious to his own character, on which all of creation depends. Humility of this type is not a virtue meet for a supreme, perfect being.
Thus, God in the Christian conception represents a fixed point of supreme goodness and praiseworthiness.
Perfect Relationships Require Perfect Character
With the model of perfect character defined, we can now turn back to consider what it would take to have perfect relationships among human beings.
It is evident that perfect relationships require that every person love others sacrificially, reflecting the very character of God. Jesus fleshed out a compelling but extremely challenging picture of relational perfection in his Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven… You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:38-45, 48)
Heaven, by definition, cannot admit anyone who is less than perfect or it would cease to be paradise. This presents a major obstacle to the realisation of heaven, which is how anyone can possibly be good enough to get in. It is not sufficient to be just a moral person, or to have one’s good deeds outweigh the bad.
For those who believe in the existence of heaven, there are two possible solutions. First, one can work towards perfection or enlightenment, perhaps over many lives made possible through repeated rebirths. Second, one can first qualify for heaven – whether through good deeds or other means – and then, presumably, be transformed into perfection.
Implications of the Christian Paradigm
Christianity falls into the latter camp, but with a twist.
God first imputes the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ as a free gift to those who believe, and then works on believers to transform them into Christlikeness. The process of transformation (called “sanctification”) provides the believer and community of believers with a foretaste of heaven, and crucially, allows them to reflect God’s character by displaying sacrificial love towards one another.
In the heavenly state, there is no longer a need for sacrifice. The time to do so is in this world, where believers have the opportunity to imitate Christ by going through trials and suffering. In this way, they identify with Christ fully and also get to share in his glory by overcoming the world and its temptations.
However, the process of sanctification is not completed in this life. Righteousness is a permanent legal status which the Christian gains immediately on repentance and belief in Christ, but perfection in thought and deed is only attained on physical death and resurrection to new life.
This schema resolves the tension between self-effort and humility. If someone managed to work her way to perfection, she would rightly feel proud of her achievement. She would be entitled to her status and justified in looking down on lesser mortals – this makes it difficult, if not impossible, to be genuinely humble, which is a characteristic desirable in all people apart from the supreme deity. With the free gift of righteousness and salvation, however, this tension disappears. As human effort cannot qualify anyone for heaven, all claims of entitlement or moral superiority vanish. The believer is left with only gratitude, which in turn motivates obedience and good works.
Likewise, the tension between good works and self-interest is overcome. If doing good helps one attain salvation or qualification for heaven, then the motive behind good works is alloyed. It is hard to separate charity from self-interest. By first gaining admission to heaven and then being sanctified, the motivation to do good springs from love and gratitude to God, and love and compassion for fellow human beings.
Herein lies the elegance of the Christian concept. It posits a God who isn’t just all-powerful and all-knowing, but who also displays perfect sacrificial love towards his creatures – in other words, he can’t be bettered. It posits a world of perfect relationships (heaven) and a way to get there that is possible because it is a free gift rather than earned through human effort, while divesting believers of any claim to merit or entitlement. Finally, it allows good works to spill over from an abundance of love and gratitude, rather than have them pursued as a ticket to heaven.
Terence Ho is an academic who has written books on public policy and governance in Singapore.