A Perfect Man

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13 NKJV)

What is the man God intended man to be? What did God have in mind when he made man? The scripture says that He made man in His image and His likeness in the beginning. God knew all even before the creation of the universe, the fall, the healing, the restoration of mankind through the Christ of God. As a matter of fact, there are two man in history—Adam and Jesus Christ. Adam fell down and brought all humanity into the realm of death. Jesus Christ came down to the earth in the likeness of man and died in the place of mankind for the fall and sin of the world.

Adam displayed the man God intended man to be before the fall. He was a selfless person who had the intimate relationship with God. God and Adam were in complete and perfect openness and transparency in all the areas of relationship. But Adam lost all the rich and profound resources of God because the sin separated him from the Creator. The scripture describes the state of fall as dead in spirit (Ephesians 2:1). The body and soul are still working and functioning in Adam but the spirit of man isn’t. Man lost his beauty and glory, the likeness of God, but still has the image of God.

Christ Jesus the last Adam demonstrated the life of the fully restored man on the earth whom God intended man to be. The secret of that life is “He in the Father and the Father in him.” Jesus was always in the Father in heaven and the Father, in the Son. That’s the total communion of the two Persons. Jesus says that He did everything in the complete obedience to the Father. “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19 NKJV)

Christ was never out of that line in His earthly life. His eyes of mind and heart were fixed on the Father in heaven and presented His body every time and place on which the heavenly Father put. The perfect life of man is found in Jesus Christ. Christ was a perfect man, often wary and tired. He came down to the earth and demonstrated a mature manhood whose spirit was fully functioning and working as God intended man to function and work. “…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…” (Ephesians 4:4 NKJV)

What God had in mind for the fallen race is to restore to a perfect man and to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That’s now available for all who comes to the Father in Christ. Rebirth in Christ and growth to the fullness of Christ are what God had in mind even before the time began. How does God fulfill the work of growth to a perfect man? Through His words of truth!

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)