2Tim.3v17
That the man of Godmay be PERFECT, throughly furnished unto all good works.
1Peter5v10
But the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you PERFECT, stablish strengthen, settle you.
2Cor.12v9
And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength
is made PERFECT in weakness"
1John4v17
Herein is our love made PERFECT that we may have boldness in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world.
1John4v18
There is no fear in love but PERFECT love casteth out fear because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made PERFECT in love.
Gen6v9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and PERFECT in his generations and Noah walked with God.
It can be seen that this state of being PERFECT is the correct state of man, in a right position with God.
As we can see in 1Cor.13, Paul is telling the Corinthians that having the gifts of the Spirits mean nothing unless there is the fruit of the Spirit, which is evidenced in the believers life by love, first to God and secondly to his fellow man.
As Paul says in 1Cor.12v31,
But covet earnestly the best gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
The Corinthians were obviously lacking. They were not yet perfected. Paul has been perfected (matured- made complete in Christ) and describes in 1Cor.13v11
When I was a child (in Christ) I spake like a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man (grew up in Christ) I put away childish things.
In verse 8 he describes what is the result of perfection. He says that love abides, does not come and go depending on mood. Prophesy is no longer needed, as in perfection, we have full access to the throne of grace and do not depend on others to bring "a word from the Lord".
Tongues are not needed they being a sign for the unbeliever. Knowledge shall vanish away, meaning man's carnal, human understanding will be replaced by God's wisdom.
Now, he says, in the unperfected state, we have only partial understanding. But when we are perfected, as he says he already has been, he shall know even as he is known ie he will have THE MIND OF CHRIST.
And now he says in verse13, in perfection, faith hope and love are constant, are abiding and are not inconsistant like before. But the most important change is abiding love.
Now we must ask, what is this perfection that Paul claims for himself and encourages the Corinthians and us to have?
Paul does not say that it will come at the point of death which some claim (which makes death our friend instead of the enemy that the Bible says it is).
The easiest way to know whether we have been perfected is to ask ourselves "have I become a new creation?" This means have I been delivered from the power of sin and does my life match what I read a Christian should be when I read my Bible?
Many saints have claimed this "perfecting" in the past. They include Wesley, Edwards, Finney, in fact those generally that see revival as a result. Often they call it the second blessing. It has nothing to do with the falsified claims of the Charismatics. It is about holiness and all of those who confess it say the same- it is not achieved by effort, it is a work of grace and all we have to do is see it, know it is for all and believe it. Then trust that God will do His work. But first of all we must repent, that we have been living our Christian lives in the flesh, without the power of God.