Not Perfectionism

Our goal is perfection, not perfectionism. The Word of God is absolute. But it is false to assume from this premise that the Bible provides a tidy list of do’s and don’ts, all of which must accord with a respectable and middle class common sense. Although the law required priests to have a  certain lineage which the usurping priests of Christ’s day did not have, the Bible still treats Caiaphas as the genuine high priest (Jn. 11:51); Hezekiah requested that God receive certain defiled Israelites coming to the reinstituted Passover (2 Chr. 30:17–19); Namaan received permission to escort his master into the house of Rimmon, and there to help him bow (2 Kgs. 5:17–18); David unlawfully ate the showbread and was praised by Christ (Mt. 12:4); and Christians should have no trouble eating meat that was offered up to an idol (1 Cor. 8:4). Perfectionism has the appearance of wisdom, but it is a work of the flesh. We do not counter perfectionism with imperfectionism; we counter perfectionism with obedience.

Douglas Wilson, Future Men, pg. 26.