One must be free of all sins before he is considered as perfect, if he die a sinner he is still a sinner, (as for my own belief) he is not a changed being just for reasons that he dies and not anymore culpable of his ill deeds while he was alive. The course there is remorse/repentance of the sins and ask forgiveness,and the failure to do this would not be forfitted just because of a mere reason that he cannot attain on such a task for he already died.One should completely eradicate his sins (as the college course) before reaching the so cold perfect being (the degree).
In other religions these is not acceptable, other's would say that Jesus Christ already freed us from Sins, other's would say that it is Karma and reincanation that would make a being pure through a series of dying and reborn....etc..