"Christian perfection" is a misnomer with respect to what God is ultimately concerned with, and with which I believe is the whole thrust of scripture. And that is, the perfection of relationship, which was all along His design since chapter 3 in Genesis.
I think that the first sentence may be what I am trying to make a case for.
To
James the view of Christian being made perfect and complete falls short of something found in Paul's revelation.
If we only had
James we would still think related to the
"the twelve tribes in the dispersion" ( 1:1) . That is the relationship of the Jews according to the allotment of the Torah, the bases of the twelve tribe Israelite nation with Yahweh.
The church to whom Paul addresses most of his letters, is the body of Christ as a habitation of God in spirit.
"Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone;
In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord;
In whom you also [in Ephesus as the local church there] are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit." (Eph. 2:20-22)
The universal church - the relationship of a living BUILDING or living TEMPLE being filled with God Himself -
"a dwelling place (or habitation) of God in spirit." .
It is good of James and understandable to be concerned for the preservation of
"the twelve tribes in the dispersion".
It is deeper to see the new testament church as the
"one new man" of Jews and Gentiles as fellow citizens of kingdom and a house universal as God's dwelling place.
Isn't the relationship in Paul's ministry deeper?
Now, the second sentence suggests to me that God's full salvation was only to restore man to the garden of Eden like paradise.
Do you really think the full salvation of Christ stops at restoring the Edenic paradise lost in
Genesis ? Or do you like me, regard Christ's salvation as THAT plus something much more?
You know, Adam though made very good and innocent did not have God living in him.
Do you think that Adam had eaten of
'the tree of life" which appeared as God's ultimate intention there - to get divine life dispensed INTO man?