Imperfections in Human Examples and God's Sovereignty

Human examples, while often serving as guides or inspirations, are inherently imperfect due to the fallen nature of humanity, a concept deeply rooted in biblical understanding ^{[4, 5]}. This imperfection stands in stark contrast to the absolute perfection and sovereignty of God, whose wisdom, goodness, and works are without flaw ^{[1, 6, 11]}. The Bible consistently presents God as the ultimate standard, while acknowledging the limitations and sinfulness of all human beings.

The concept of the "Fall of Man" is central to understanding human imperfection. According to Genesis 3, Adam's disobedience, influenced by the devil's temptation, led to sin and misery for him and all his descendants ^{[4, 5]}. As a result, humanity is born "in the image of Adam," meaning born in sin, a "child of wrath," with an evil heart, blinded understanding, and a corrupt mind ^[4]. This inherited condition means that human beings are naturally depraved in mind and without understanding, their ways corrupt and perverse ^[4]. The Apostle Paul articulates this in Romans 1:23, noting that humanity "traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man" ^[3]. This fundamental corruption impacts all aspects of human existence, including their ability to serve as perfect examples.

In contrast to human imperfection, God's attributes are consistently described as perfect and infinite. His wisdom is perfect, mighty, universal, infinite, unsearchable, wonderful, and beyond human comprehension ^[1]. It is incomparable and underived, meaning it originates solely from Him ^[1]. Similarly, God's goodness is a perfection of His character, exercised towards His creatures with benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, and long-suffering patience ^[6]. This goodness and justice are seen as aspects of His "unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection" ^[6]. The work of God alone is perfect, unlike the work of any human artisan, which is always incomplete and can be improved upon ^[11].

Even those individuals held up as examples in scripture are shown to have flaws. While the Bible provides numerous accounts of faithful individuals, it also candidly records their sins and shortcomings. This serves to highlight that salvation and righteousness come not from human effort or example, but from God's grace. For instance, David, a man after God's own heart, nevertheless committed adultery and murder. Matthew Henry, commenting on Psalm 119:96, observes David's testimony regarding "the vanity of the world and its insufficiency to make us happy: I have seen an end of all perfection" ^[8]. Henry notes that David had witnessed the strongest (Goliath) overcome, the swiftest (Asahel) overtaken, the wisest (Ahithophel) befooled, and the fairest (Absalom) deformed, concluding that he "had seen an end of perfection, of all perfection" ^[8]. This observation underscores the transient and limited nature of human excellence. Tyndale House further elaborates on Psalm 119:96, stating that "Even perfection has its limits: Humans cannot fully understand God’s ways" ^[10].

The only perfect human example presented in Christian theology is Jesus Christ ^[2]. His example is described as perfect, and conformity to it is required in holiness, righteousness, purity, love, humility, meekness, obedience, self-denial, ministering to others, benevolence, forgiving injuries, overcoming the world, being not of the world, and being guileless ^[2]. The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 2:6, describes Christ as "subsisting in the form of God," indicating His divine essence and the "external self-manifesting characteristics of God" ^[12]. This unique perfection of Christ sets Him apart from all other human examples, who, despite their virtues, remain subject to the effects of the Fall.

God's sovereignty is another crucial aspect that distinguishes Him from human limitations. His foreknowledge is absolute and infinite, encompassing all events without being comprehended by human understanding ^[7]. This divine attribute means that God's plans and purposes are never thwarted by human imperfection or rebellion. Even when individuals fail or fall short, God's overarching plan continues to unfold. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Romans, discusses how God's promises to His people are not rendered void even if some have not believed, implying that God's faithfulness and sovereignty transcend human responses ^[13].

The recognition of human imperfection serves to magnify God's glory and wisdom. All human wisdom is derived from God, and saints ascribe wisdom to Him ^[1]. The gospel itself contains treasures of God's wisdom ^[1]. This understanding prevents the idolatry of human leaders or systems, reminding believers that ultimate trust and reliance must be placed in God alone. The contrast between human fallibility and divine perfection highlights the necessity of God's grace and intervention for salvation and spiritual growth. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note on 1 Corinthians 13:9, human knowledge and understanding are "in part—partially and imperfectly," in contrast to the "perfect man" or "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" ^[9]. This theological perspective encourages humility and a constant turning towards God as the source of all true perfection and wisdom.

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wisdom of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- 1Sa 2:3; Job 9:4. Described as Perfect. -- Job 36:4; 37:16. Mighty. -- Job 36:5. Universal. -- Job 28:24; Da 2:22; Ac 15:18. Infinite. -- Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33. Unsearchable. -- Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Wonderful. -- Ps 139:6. Beyond human comprehension. -- Ps 139:6. Incomparable. -- Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7. Underived. -- Job 21:22; Isa 40:14. The gospel contains treasures of -- 1Co 2:7. Wisdom of saints is derived from -- Ezr 7:25. All human wisdom derived from -- Da 2:1. Saints ascribe to him -- Da 2:20. Exhibited in His works. ”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Example of Christ, The — Is perfect -- Heb 7:26. Conformity to, required in Holiness. -- 1Pe 1:15,16; Ro 1:6. Righteousness. -- 1Jo 2:6. Purity. -- 1Jo 3:3. Love. -- Joh 13:34; Eph 5:2; 1Jo 3:16. Humility. -- Lu 22:27; Php 2:5,7. Meekness. -- Mt 11:29. Obedience. -- Joh 15:10. Self-denial. -- Mt 16:24; Ro 15:3. Ministering to others. -- Mt 20:28; Joh 13:14,15. Benevolence. -- Ac 20:35; 2Co 8:7,9. Forgiving injuries. -- Col 3:13. Overcoming the world. -- Joh 16:33; 1Jo 5:4. Being not of the world. -- Joh 17:16. Being guileless. -- 1Pe 2:21-22. Suffering wrongfully. --”
Romans “and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. -- Romans 1:23”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fall of Man, The — By the disobedience of Adam -- Ge 3:6,11,12; Ro 5:12,15,19. Through temptation of the devil -- Ge 3:1-5; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14. Man in consequence of Made in the image of Adam. -- Ge 5:3; 1Co 15:48,49. Born in sin. -- Job 15:14; 25:4; Ps 51:5; Isa 48:8; Joh 3:6. A child of wrath. -- Eph 2:3. Evil in heart. -- Ge 6:5; 8:21; Jer 16:12; Mt 15:19. Blinded in heart. -- Eph 4:18. Corrupt and perverse in his ways. -- Ge 6:12; Ps 10:5; Ro 3:12-16. Depraved in mind. -- Ro 8:5-7; Eph 4:17; Col 1:21; Tit 1:15. Without understanding. -- Ps 14:2,3; Ro 3:11; 1:31. ”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fall of man — An expression probably borrowed from the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, to express the fact of the revolt of our first parents from God, and the consequent sin and misery in which they and all their posterity were involved. The history of the Fall is recorded in Gen. 2 and 3. That history is to be literally interpreted. It records facts which underlie the whole system of revealed truth. It is referred to by our Lord and his apostles not only as being true, but as furnishing the ground of all God's subsequent dispensations and dealings with the children of m”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:96: Here we have David's testimony from his own experience, 1. Of the vanity of the world and its insufficiency to make us happy: I have seen an end of all perfection. Poor perfection which one sees an end of! Yet such are all those things in this world which pass for perfections. David, in his time, had seen Goliath, the strongest, overcome, Asahel, the swiftest, overtaken, Ahithophel, the wisest, befooled, Absalom, the fairest, deformed; and, in short, he had seen an end of perfection, of all perfection. He saw it by faith; he saw it by observation; he saw an end ”
1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 13:9: in part--partially and imperfectly. Compare a similar contrast to the "perfect man," "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:11-13).”
Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 119:96: 119:96 Even perfection has its limits: Humans cannot fully understand God’s ways (see Eccl 3:11).”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:4: HIS WORK IS PERFECT. All the works of an artisan are incomplete 32 A human being’s work is not perfect. because the artisan needs the assistance of one greater than he. 33 The work of an artisan or an author can always be improved upon. Furthermore, most artisans need assistance. Hence what they alone produce can never be perfect. The work of God alone is perfect. Everything is a duality 34 Matter and form. Some versions read, everything is in flux. except for the creator of all. 35 God does not consist of matter and form.”
Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 2:6: Translate, "Who subsisting (or existing, namely, originally: the Greek is not the simple substantive verb, 'to be') in the form of God (the divine essence is not meant: but the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence). The divine nature had infinite BEAUTY in itself, even without any creature contemplating that beauty: that beauty was 'the form of God'; as 'the form of a servant' (Phi 2:7), which is in contrasted opposition to it, takes for granted the existence of His human nature, so 'the”
CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: The passage iii. 1–8 considers four possible objections. (1) “This placing of Jews and Gentiles in the same condition, takes away all the theocratic prerogatives.” ( v. 1 .) No, answers Paul, they have a great advantage as to light and privilege, though none as to righteousness. ( v. 2 .) (2) “They have the O.T. scriptures, you say; but what if those scriptures have not attained their end in bringing the Jews to believe in Jesus as the Messiah? If some have not believed, does not that render void God’s promises to his people in the O.T., so that he i”

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