The righteousness which is needed to save us must be perfect. Indeed, God will accept nothing less than perfection (Hebrews 7:19). So either we have to be perfect in and of ourselves, or we need to be presented to God in the person of someone who actually is perfect.
This is another reason why our faith can never be our Saviour for our faith is not yet perfect. I don’t know any believer who claims to have perfect faith. Doubtless our faith is growing; but, for that very reason, it cannot be considered perfect! It still has a long way to go! Here’s the truth of the matter, since that which is imperfect cannot justify, an imperfect faith can in no way be counted as a perfect righteousness.
Faith cannot and will not rival the person of Christ for our justification. Saving faith, as it were, knows that Jesus is already perfect! He is “the Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). "He did no sin" (1 Peter 2:22). "He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), "In Him was no sin" (1 John 3:5). He was blameless in his actions, irreproachable in His motives, flawless in his thinking and sinlessly pure in all things. He is perfect!
One of the wonderful things about faith is that, although it is imperfect, it can still connect us with the perfection of Jesus. Faith looks at Jesus and sees His perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect faith, perfect worship, perfect prayer life, perfect grace, perfect truth, perfect righteousness and makes these things our own (1 Corinthians 1:30)! Faith sees that our sins have been purged perfectly. Faith sees that, right this moment, Jesus is seated in cosmic majesty because His work of purging our sins is entirely finished and perfect (Hebrews 10:12,14).
Faith knows that our acceptance before God does not rest in any quality in us but in a quality outside of us—Christ Himself. His doing and dying is counted as ours. He and His work are perfect and even though we are not, we stand complete in Him clothed with the very righteousness of heaven.
It is good news indeed that our faith does not need to be perfect in order to take hold of the perfect salvation which is in Christ alone. The truth is, if a perfect faith were required, then everyone would be lost. An imperfect faith is no shelter from the wrath of God. Don’t look to your faith to be your saviour and don’t worry about your faith being weak. Even a weak faith touches the perfect One, the Lord Jesus!
If you are looking to your faith and experience to find your security, you are on a fool’s errand. Security is not found in your faith or in any experience, however genuine or thrilling. New Testament faith is faith in Christ alone. Our security is not in us but in Him.
If a perfect faith were needed for our righteousness, the slightest flaw in our faith would be fatal. We would be damned! But God, in His glorious grace, has asked for and provided us with a perfect righteousness, the Lord Jesus Himself (Romans 3:21-22). The Father is well pleased with the Lord Jesus and His work on our behalf, and nowhere asks for or expects a perfect faith from us. This is good news for now we are free from having to endlessly stress over our level of faith.
All of us have crises of faith from time to time. In our worst moments, we may doubt our salvation and doubt our faith but that’s a whole lot different than doubting the perfections of our Saviour. Doubt our salvation?—Yes. Doubt our Saviour?--Never! Even in our weakest moments the weakest of faith will connect us to the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus. We may be praying, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24), but, even then, we are joined to the Perfect One!
And that’s the Gospel Truth!