Be Perfect As Your Heavenly Father Is Perfect.
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It's not about becoming perfect, being sinless, that is not possible for fallen man.
It's about being as perfect as possible imitating Christ in our daily life.
This is a life of surrendering to the Holy Spirit that Christ can live through us.
Gal. 2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Paul was not perfect but he allowed Christ to live through him to be as perfect as he could be.
Look at the Greek behind the word. It's about maturity and completeness.
To emphasize the need for His righteousness...
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ~KJV
In Matthew 5:48, what I see is a statement (declaration) made by Jesus, rather than an imperative (command):
-- https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/5-48.htm
-- https://biblehub.com/text/matthew/5-48.htm
"You shall be [future indicative] perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
(Though I suppose the "middle voice" shows they will participate in the verb-action: "shall be"... right??)
And the word "perfect" being G5046 [teleios], meaning "complete":
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 5046 téleios (an adjective, derived from 5056 /télos, "consummated goal") – mature (consummated) from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal, i.e. developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process (spiritual journey). See 5056 (telos).
[This root (tel-) means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]
-- https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/5-48.htm
-- https://biblehub.com/text/matthew/5-48.htm
"You shall be [future indicative] perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
(Though I suppose the "middle voice" shows they will participate in the verb-action: "shall be"... right??)
And the word "perfect" being G5046 [teleios], meaning "complete":
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 5046 téleios (an adjective, derived from 5056 /télos, "consummated goal") – mature (consummated) from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal, i.e. developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process (spiritual journey). See 5056 (telos).
[This root (tel-) means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]
I believe it's always wise to look at the context the word was used. Some definitions: completeness purity, striving for an ideal, mature, faithfully reproducing the original--and this one which I like: "satisfying all the requirements"
Here are the prior verses:
46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.…
Perfect in love. As Laura said.
Perfect in love. As Laura said.
I just imagined two halves of a circle--loving those who love us is one half, but the other half is loving our enemies--that is the love that 'satisfies the requirement'/is complete according to Christ. Its not really love--that is 'from above' if we only love people who love us. It does take supernatural power to love our enemies.
I need to work on that...
The Bible says a Spirit led life will not fulfill the lust of the flesh for they have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts and God will not let them be tempted above what they can handle and will give them an escape from the temptation.
So we can be Christlike.
God also said be holy as I am holy.
But many like to make an excuse they cannot be perfect and cannot abstain from sin.
2Ti 3:4 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Some people do not allow the Spirit to lead them but are led of the flesh and enjoy sin and think they are alright and never become perfect.
The Lord Jesus was teaching people what the 10 commandments REALLY SAY. All of Matthew 5 is the Lord teaching this.
If you want to be your own god and follow your own imagination/interpretation of what you think the law says then keep in mind that you AREN'T following it the way it was intended.
It was intended to show YOU that you need help (lots of it) in order to be Righteous before God.
Don't be like the Pharisees and try to determine your own "righteousness" by your "obedience" to the law. That is purely imaginary righteousness and doesn't fly with God.
Some people KNOW they are not Perfect before God.
Some people KNOW they will need the Lords Help. Always.
1 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Of course we always need the Lord's help for the only way we can be perfect is by Jesus.
But people need to strive to be Christlike and not make excuses they cannot be Christlike when the Bible says a Spirit led life will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, and God will give them an escape from temptations.
It was also written that God is perfect therefore we should also be perfect. Along with the command for us to be holy for God is holy.
A man cannot be perfectly either, so, have these words been made into commands, or, are they promises from our Father. I believe they are promises, so you will be holy, and, you will be perfect. Praise God for His imbuing us with such impossibilities made extant.
In line with the above, it is God Who has begun a work in each of us, therefore we know we will be made truly perfect and d truly holy. Praise God.
Until a few years ago I would agree with you, but now I believe that Jesus really commanded His disciples to be PERFECT, not AS PERFECT AS POSSIBLE. A leader must be clear about his commands, so why would Jesus say BE PERFECT if could have said BE AS PERFECT AS POSSIBLE?
So why, then, did Jesus say BE PERFECT? Because He was reinterpreting and preaching the law of Moses to the Jews. He was showing that it would be impossible to earn eternal life by keeping commandments.
Do you know anyone who is perfect without sin? Does not the scripture that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God?
Paul himself said he had not reached perfection. No, Jesus did not mean perfect in the definition we know as perfect.
This is where Grace comes into the picture! By faith in Christ, who is perfect, when the Father sees the believer in Christ by faith he sees perfection. This is what Jesus is referring to! Being perfect in the sight of God in His Son's perfection.
Romans 12:1-2
King James Version
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You have heard people say"more of you LORD and less of me."
Continuous sanctification of the mind/body after GOD has made the Spirit of the Just man, perfect.
1 Peter 5:10 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.
to find God
Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
to find God
Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
What you say here is very important! (This is where Grace comes into the picture. By faith in Christ, who is perfect, when the Father sees the believer in Christ by faith he sees perfection).
But I think we must focus on the subject of DISPENSATION. Jesus, while on Earth, preached the old dispensation and the apostles, specially Paul, preached the new dispensation.
Remember that Jesus never talked about grace as a way for salvation. When the rich young man asked Him "what do I have to do to be saved?" He said: "keep the commandments".
When Jesus said that to the young man, man was under Law! The young man lied when he said he kept the Law from his youth. But Jesus didn't correct him on this, He presented to the young man his fault, his faith in his riches.
No man could keep the Law in his fallen position, man was to be honest with himself (this young man wasn't) and see that he couldn't keep the Law. This is why the Sacrificial Law was instituted, man was to see he could not keep the demands of God's Law and turn to the animal sacrifice which represented Christ as the sacrifice for mans sin.
Instead of faith in the coming Christ, the young man's faith was in his possessions.