Why did Jesus tell us to be Perfect?

[PATrobas]

Reminders Definitions - Perfect

            ‘Nobody is perfect,’ right? Of course. Nobody in his right mind would claim to have God’s standard of perfection. Even the Pharisees, whose deeds were as close to fulfilling the letter of the law as possible, received the rebuke of Jesus because of their hypocrisy. “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.” ^{Matthew 23:27} As hard as mankind tries, he cannot be perfect. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” ^{Romans 3:23} Why then does Jesus make the following command if we’ve already fallen short of perfection? “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” ^{Matthew 5:48} That is a very good question. How can the condemned and fallen be perfect? There is only one way.

            One of the reasons Jesus came, was to show that mankind could not please God by doing good works. Jesus lived a perfect life, but His works did not make Him righteous, His faith did. We’re told in Galatians 2:16 “…a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Jesus’ perfect life was not lived by the self-will of His flesh, (i.e. trying hard,) but by complete dependence on, and faith in, His Father. He was justified by faith.  Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him;” then Jesus affirmed “for I do always those things that please Him.” ^{John 8:29} Jesus lived by faith. ^{Romans 1:17} So how does this apply to us? For a person to be born again, he must first heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit and confess that his actions have not been perfect before God. He is a sinner. Next, he must believe that a perfect sacrifice has been killed on his behalf which made full and complete payment to God for all sin and sins and that this dead, perfect sacrifice, came back to life from the grave. This same risen Lord Jesus is now calling all men to believe Him. This is the Gospel. When we believe and trust this good news personally, God forgives our sins, declares us to be perfect, and gives us the righteousness of His Son, Jesus. God is pleased and satisfied by our faith, not our self-effort. ^{John 5:24; Romans 4:3}

            Final Thoughts: Jesus said these words, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” ^{Luke 6:40; John 17:23} Once we are born again by God, we are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and are declared to be perfect. That doesn’t mean that everything we do is perfect. We still have these bodies that bear both the old nature of Adam and the new nature of God. Until we die or are raptured, our new spirit will do battle with the flesh. ^{Galatians 5:17} The only way to overcome the flesh is by the hearing of faith. ^{Galatians 3:5} Our new desire is to be perfect in our bodies, ^{Ephesians 2:10} but that won’t happen until we see Him face to face. “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is;” ^{1 John 3:2} Perfect.     _ph

[Vine Abider]

9 hours ago, PATrobas said:

Reminders Definitions - Perfect

            ‘Nobody is perfect,’ right? Of course. Nobody in his right mind would claim to have God’s standard of perfection. Even the Pharisees, whose deeds were as close to fulfilling the letter of the law as possible, received the rebuke of Jesus because of their hypocrisy. “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.” ^{Matthew 23:27} As hard as mankind tries, he cannot be perfect. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” ^{Romans 3:23} Why then does Jesus make the following command if we’ve already fallen short of perfection? “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” ^{Matthew 5:48} That is a very good question. How can the condemned and fallen be perfect? There is only one way.

            One of the reasons Jesus came, was to show that mankind could not please God by doing good works. Jesus lived a perfect life, but His works did not make Him righteous, His faith did. We’re told in Galatians 2:16 “…a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Jesus’ perfect life was not lived by the self-will of His flesh, (i.e. trying hard,) but by complete dependence on, and faith in, His Father. He was justified by faith.  Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him;” then Jesus affirmed “for I do always those things that please Him.” ^{John 8:29} Jesus lived by faith. ^{Romans 1:17} So how does this apply to us? For a person to be born again, he must first heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit and confess that his actions have not been perfect before God. He is a sinner. Next, he must believe that a perfect sacrifice has been killed on his behalf which made full and complete payment to God for all sin and sins and that this dead, perfect sacrifice, came back to life from the grave. This same risen Lord Jesus is now calling all men to believe Him. This is the Gospel. When we believe and trust this good news personally, God forgives our sins, declares us to be perfect, and gives us the righteousness of His Son, Jesus. God is pleased and satisfied by our faith, not our self-effort. ^{John 5:24; Romans 4:3}

            Final Thoughts: Jesus said these words, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” ^{Luke 6:40; John 17:23} Once we are born again by God, we are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and are declared to be perfect. That doesn’t mean that everything we do is perfect. We still have these bodies that bear both the old nature of Adam and the new nature of God. Until we die or are raptured, our new spirit will do battle with the flesh. ^{Galatians 5:17} The only way to overcome the flesh is by the hearing of faith. ^{Galatians 3:5} Our new desire is to be perfect in our bodies, ^{Ephesians 2:10} but that won’t happen until we see Him face to face. “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is;” ^{1 John 3:2} Perfect.     _ph

 

In context, being perfect is pertaining to love, as in "love your enemies" in the preceding verses.  The same Greek word for perfect here (g5046) is also used in 1st Corinthains 13 (the love chapter) in verse 10: "When that which is perfect shall come . . ."

As a brother I used to know said, "What!?  Love those who spitefully use me!?  I have trouble even loving those who love me!"   We don't have the goods in ourselves to love others - only by letting Christ live though us can we do this.

[FriendofJonathan]

Perfect:  from the Greek teleios, which means to be fully grown, mature, complete, of both mind and character of mind.

We will never be perfect as He is perfect. But we will be seen as perfect in the reconciliation we have with the One who is perfect as He is perfect: the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Edited March 7 by FriendofJonathan

[Vine Abider]

57 minutes ago, FriendofJonathan said:

Perfect:  from the Greek teleios, which means to be fully grown, mature, complete, of both mind and character of mind.

We will never be perfect as He is perfect. But we will be seen as perfect in the reconciliation we have with the One who is perfect as He is perfect: the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Why did Jesus say, "Be perfect"?

[FriendofJonathan]

20 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Why did Jesus say, "Be perfect"?

Good question. 

The statement Jesus made in Matthew 5:48 was made early in Jesus's ministry.  He made this statement to the great multitude following Him, and during His sermon on the mount. 

He made the statement "be perfect" after He told the multitude about who the blessed are, to be light and salt in the lost and fallen world, warning them of  disobedience and of forgiveness, and of cautioning them on divorce and on oaths and on retaliation, and on how we should love even our enemies.  Of course, after Jesus says "be perfect"  He continues His sermon with even more commands, exhortations, and warnings. 

We see in John 6, also early on in Jesus's ministry, and perhaps during the sermon on the mount, that a great multitude followed Jesus, but many fell away and stopped following Him after Jesus told them "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you."  John 6:53. 

If both Matthew 5-7 and John 6 record the same event, then it's likely that Jesus made the statement "be perfect", along with all of His other commands and warnings, as a deliberate way to cull the herd, as it were, because Jesus knew their hearts, and Jesus wanted hearts that yearned for the kingdom. 

Then again, it may be that he said "be perfect" as an exhortation for His followers to strive to be holy as He is holy.  

[PATrobas]

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

Why did Jesus say, "Be perfect"?

God tells us to do and be the impossible in the flesh. "love your enemies. bless them that curse you. be perfect." Thus 2 Cor. 4:7  "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. " He wants to do the work of God IN US. Not us trying to live up to a standard that is impossible without Him. He wants us to REST as in Heb. 4:10 " For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

Hear His voice. Believe what He says. Obey what He says. He works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure.

[PATrobas]

8 minutes ago, FriendofJonathan said:

Then again, it may be that he said "be perfect" as an exhortation for His followers to strive to be holy as He is holy.  

I don't think He wants for us to try hard. We who have the H.S. already WANT to be holy, perfect, etc. I think He wants us to realize we can't unless He does it in us. I have enough trouble even getting along with my neighbor, much less loving my enemy. So it's not trying hard but admitting our failure and relying on Him. When Jesus callled Peter to come to Him on the water, He didn't want him to figure out a way to do it (Make Foot floaties, look for close to the surface rocks, etc.) He wanted him to hear His voice and believe it...Come. God is the one who empowered Jesus and Peter both to walk on the water. John 6:28 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? :29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

[FriendofJonathan]

54 minutes ago, PATrobas said:

I don't think He wants for us to try hard. We who have the H.S. already WANT to be holy, perfect, etc. I think He wants us to realize we can't unless He does it in us. I have enough trouble even getting along with my neighbor, much less loving my enemy. So it's not trying hard but admitting our failure and relying on Him. When Jesus callled Peter to come to Him on the water, He didn't want him to figure out a way to do it (Make Foot floaties, look for close to the surface rocks, etc.) He wanted him to hear His voice and believe it...Come. God is the one who empowered Jesus and Peter both to walk on the water. John 6:28 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? :29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Amen. 

[D. Adrien]

5 hours ago, PATrobas said:

I don't think He wants for us to try hard. We who have the H.S. already WANT to be holy, perfect, etc. I think He wants us to realize we can't unless He does it in us. I have enough trouble even getting along with my neighbor, much less loving my enemy. So it's not trying hard but admitting our failure and relying on Him. When Jesus callled Peter to come to Him on the water, He didn't want him to figure out a way to do it (Make Foot floaties, look for close to the surface rocks, etc.) He wanted him to hear His voice and believe it...Come. God is the one who empowered Jesus and Peter both to walk on the water. John 6:28 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? :29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

And a believer not being self deceived will be a doer of the word.

[other one]

12 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Why did Jesus say, "Be perfect"?

I think maybe he knew it would make us happier, more productive people to carry out his will.