Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
This is a tough passage but to see it for what Jesus is teaching, we can attain it. When the Bible speaks of perfection, different words in Hebrew and Greek are used and translated into English as perfection. In the English of King James’ time it was better understood than today. Now it’s taken as completely sinless, without flaw. Few things can be achieved on our own. We can have a high IQ but never a perfect one. We’re always dumber than someone else. We see a sunrise or flower and say they are perfect. The brilliant oranges this time of year in the dawn of a new day and the smell of fall makes you feel good and think it’s going to be a perfect day. The things we consider that way are the handiwork of God. We couldn’t do it so beautiful. Who but God!! He makes all things beautiful in his time. It goes almost unnoticed but think of all that God sees and does. There’s a lot of assurance knowing God has done it. He created all things for his glory. He chose through his Son to save us from our sins. We called on his name and we’re saved. He doesn’t unroll a scroll with a checklist to check off what we do and don’t do. How many got a perfect score in school? Not many. But we passed. Jesus looks at us as he is–pure, spotless, and right with God. We are nothing in comparison. We fall way short. We should tremble at the awesome holiness of God. We’re so unworthy to be considered by him. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. Men try to put God below them; he is high above us. The cherubims cried holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty. It caused Isaiah to say “woe is me.” It’s such a blessing to be saved but we shouldn’t “brag” about it.
Jesus closed this chapter telling us Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. This gives us a cue to what he means. We’ll never be spotless. God received us through the blood of Jesus. He never sins. Through and by his blood and his merit, we stand redeemed in the eyes of God. Ruth stood redeemed in the eyes of Israel because Boaz bought her back. We stand before God saved, changed, having received adoption as children. Jesus is the begotten Son of God and his perfection saved us and keeps us right in the sight of God. If we try to live our lives as a Christian in a carnal, worldly way we will fail. You can’t please God naturally. We live a Christian life spiritually not self-strived or carnally. We’ll never be like God on our own. It’s through Jesus. What fuels the inward person is the love of God. That’s the only way we can love our enemies. With God in our heart we are able to do it. If we only do good to those we know or only receive brothers and sisters we’re no better than people who belong to lodges or cults. They won’t get to heaven on the basis of that. Read the Bible.
God is our Father. Quit treating him like a child and yourself as God. He’s the Father and we’re the children. He’s always been the Father and as Father he is perfect, sinless, yes, but he’s perfectly mature. We all act like children at times. We get selfish or throw tantrums. We are spoiled but we can’t blame God when we act childish. He’s the best Father we’ll ever have. We don’t become nor are we sinless. We can be mature. Be a real believer. Don’t be ashamed of the family–the Father or Son. Conform your life to Jesus. Conduct yourself as becoming to the family of God. That’s a goal for us. God is totally perfect Father. You and I are not. Any wise father wants his children to have the best. But we want them to become mature and stand on their own two feet. Never be ashamed of your family here. Don’t be ashamed of the heavenly family. Keep growing and maturing until the day we see him in glory. That’s the challenge to rise to.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 