The All-Perfect God
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What do we mean by “Perfect”?
What do we mean when we say that something is perfect? That a sunset was perfect, or a day was perfect, or that an outfit is perfect?
Let’s take the simplest case: what do we mean when we say that someone got a perfect score on a test – 100%?
We mean that all the right answers were there, or, more precisely, that the test wasn’t lacking any information that was supposed to be there. This is what we mean by perfect, complete, lacking nothing. It’s when everything that’s supposed to be there is there. But that means that perfection is based on how much is there, or to put it differently, perfection is about fullness of existence. A perfect thing is something that exists fully.
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It’s things having a fullness of existence that makes them perfect
A perfect house is a house which has all the features you want in a house. All the features you’re looking for in a house exist in that house. So all of perfection depends on existence.
A thing can only be perfect if it exists, and if all the features it should have exist in it. But that’s really important. Because if perfection depends on existence, then the source of all existence is the source of all perfection. And that means God.
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The All-Perfect God
Perfection means a fullness of existence, which means that perfection is based on existence.
Now God is the absolute source of all existence, which means God is the absolute source of all perfection. All perfection comes from God. And since you can’t give what you don’t have, that means that God has all perfection.
Therefore, because God is the ultimate source of all existence and because He possesses the fullness of existence in Himself, God is absolutely, supremely perfect.
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Relative vs. Absolute Perfection
Now we come to a very crucial point about the relationship between God’s perfection and the perfection of creatures. When we say a created thing is perfect, we mean it has every perfection it’s supposed to have relative to its nature, not if it has every perfection absolutely.
A student’s test is perfect if it has all the right answers. A house is perfect if it has all the features you’re looking for. A tree is perfect if it’s everything a tree is supposed to be.
But you don’t expect a student test to have all the perfections of an encyclopedia, and you don’t expect a house to have all the perfections of an airplane, and you don’t expect a tree to have all the perfections of a horse.
But God has every perfection, all perfection, absolutely. Unless it’s a perfection that implies an imperfection (like a perfect sleep implies the imperfection of lacking consciousness), then God has it.
That’s why we can say that the angels are perfect, and that the saints in heaven are perfect, and that the Blessed Mother was perfect from the first moment of her conception
And it doesn’t compare or compete with God’s perfection
The saints and angels have all the perfections relative to their natures, but God has all perfection, period.
Many protestants worry that when we say Mary is a perfect woman, it’s somehow going to raise her to God’s level. Not even close.
Mary is perfect as a human being, but there are plenty of non-human perfections that she lacked throughout her life, like the ability to fly, or perfect knowledge of all things.
When we understand God’s utter, absolute perfection, we don’t have to worry that he will grudge His saints and servants the relative created perfection they strive after. After all, all their perfection, like all their existence, is ultimately a gift from Him.
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God has everything you want
We said at the beginning that perfection means to be lacking nothing. That’s what it means to be God. He is lacking nothing.
Practically speaking, that means that there’s nothing you want, no good you desire, no good at all, which is not present in the Lord.
When you come to God, you have hit the motherload. Everything you ever admired, loved, and yearned for, this is the source. This is where it all comes from.
So seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you. Make God your priority, put Him first on your list of all goods, because when you come to Him, you will find all the perfection of all the other goods on that list.
He is all gain, no loss. He’s everything you’ve ever wanted, and more. That’s what we mean by saying in Him is the fulness of being. That’s what we mean by saying that God is All-Perfect.