Imperfect or Perfect in Love?

What does Christian perfection REALLY mean?

As a United Methodist clergyperson, I have a love-hate relationship with the word perfection.

More than once, someone has commented, “You must have a perfect life!” Maybe they saw a cute picture of my kids, a dessert I posted, or a craft project I finished. But the truth? Most of what appears on my social media is carefully curated. You see the highlight reel—not the dishes piled in the sink, the tears behind the smile, or the moments I raise my voice when I wish I hadn’t. Like many of us, I am a work in progress.

So when we talk about Christian perfection, it’s no surprise that the term can feel uncomfortable—or downright misleading.

Yet, Christian perfection is one of the foundational ideas of Methodism. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, believed that we are not only saved by grace but that we are also transformed by it. In his 1777 work, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Wesley outlined his theology of spiritual growth and maturity, drawing particularly from Jesus' words in Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Parent is perfect.”

Let’s get something straight: Wesley was not talking about flawlessness. He wasn’t saying that once we believe in Jesus, we’ll never mess up again or that we’ll suddenly become morally superior. Rather, he spoke of perfection as being perfected in love—a heart so fully shaped by God’s love that love becomes our constant intention and our defining motivation.

So what does that actually look like?

Wesley taught that Christian perfection—also called entire sanctification—is a state in which the love of God “reigns supreme” in the heart. It doesn’t mean we stop making mistakes or forget how to multiply. He fully acknowledged that human beings can (and will) err in judgment, continue to have bodily weaknesses, and still be susceptible to forgetfulness, fatigue, and missteps.

But even with these imperfections, Wesley believed we could be so filled with God’s love that our actions are driven not by fear, pride, or selfishness, but by love. Not only love for God, but for our neighbor—and yes, even our enemies. This is especially difficult to grasp in our current political climate, because people are saying incredibly horrific things about people that they "other."

But love is not something we can will ourselves into—it is a gift of God's grace. Wesley described it as a “second work of grace” following our initial justification. It’s something we grow into over time through spiritual practices, community, and God’s transformative presence. When we "other" people who are different than us we are doing the opposite.

And here’s the thing: even this isn’t a final destination. Wesley didn’t teach “once perfected in love, always perfected in love.” He knew that just as we can grow in grace, we can also fall back. Christian perfection is not a static state—it’s a lifelong journey of opening our hearts more fully to the power of divine love.

There’s a moment during ordination in The United Methodist Church that never fails to give me goosebumps. Candidates are asked three deeply Methodist questions:

1. Are you going on to perfection?

2. Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?

3. Are you earnestly striving after it?

These aren’t rhetorical questions. They’re reminders that we don’t follow Jesus simply to be “good people” or to make it to heaven. We follow Jesus because we believe God's love can change us now. That love can reshape how we think, speak, relate, serve, give, and forgive.

It is a bold, countercultural hope: that we can live in such a way that our whole lives are a response to love. That love can be our default—not resentment or fear or scarcity. That the Spirit of God can do more in us than we ever imagined.

So no—I don’t live a perfect life. But I do believe that, by grace, I can be perfected in love.

And that, my friends, makes all the difference.