<p>1:4 <i>And let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing</i>- Such patience results in a &quot;perfect work&hellip; perfect and entire, lacking in nothing&quot; (1:4; note the triple emphasis of the same idea) in terms of spiritual development. The word of God has the power to make perfect (2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 13:10), and we have seen its place in developing the faith and patience which James says lead us to perfection. The trial of faith leads to the development of these fruits of the Spirit; yet the word also leads to the same fruits (Jn. 15:7 cp. v.4,5). The goals of spiritual development James sets are high- contrast Paul, who frequently laments the realities of the flesh (why the different approach?). Maybe James was alluding to Christ's ultimatum &quot;Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect&quot;, Mt. 5:48. The idea of perfection occurs again in 3:2, where it applies to the man who does not offend in word, and therefore has his whole life in tight control- again, the result of a mind fully controlled by the word. In the context of sin and forgiveness, Paul's words in Rom.5 take on new meaning: &quot;We glory in (spiritual) tribulations (cp. &quot;Count it all joy...&quot;) also: knowing that (spiritual) tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope makes not ashamed&quot; (Rom. 5:3-5). &quot;Tribulation&quot; is therefore to be equated with &quot;the (spiritual) trial of your faith&quot; in James 1.</p><p>&quot;That you may be perfect&quot; may seem an unreasonably high target. In Eph. 4:13 Paul says that through the ministry of the Spirit (now in the word) we are on the way to the &quot;perfect man&quot; state; he implies that he too is on that journey (&quot;till we all come&quot;). Yet in Phil. 3:12-17 Paul speaks as if whilst he has not yet reached that state, striving for literal perfection is the same thing as being perfect. &quot;Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after... reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize... let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded... be followers together of me&quot; in this example of all out striving for a perfect character. Does this indicate that a state of perfection is theoretically possible for us in this life, through developing a full faith in God's total justification of us on account of our being in Christ? Thus both the word and the blood of Christ sanctify us, seeing that the word reveals and develops faith in Christ's sacrifice (Jn. 17:17; Heb.10:10-14). Both blood and water (the word- Eph.5:26) came from Christ's side on the cross.</p>