Be You Perfect.
Jesus made this remarkable statement: Be you, therefore, perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48. I woke up for my prayer time with this verse springing to mind. My first thought was, how on earth can I attain the place where I can be perceived in the Father’s mind as perfect?
How many times have I heard people say, I am forgiven, but not perfect, very often. Believers say this when trying to justify themselves when they have been caught out or made mistakes in their lives. If I am honest, I myself have said this very expression when I have missed the mark, when I have done or said something that does not represent who I am in Christ. I am forgiven but not perfect.
This is only a half-truth, and I cannot stand and say this anymore because Jesus has commanded that I attain perfection in my life. As I have stated at the beginning of this article. I was challenged by the word that Jesus addressed to his disciples: Be you perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. The scriptural revelation of perfection is essential in and for my life in Christ. Naturally speaking, to be perfect is to attain or bring to its desired purpose; i.e. in making a cake, you want it to be perfect to be able to eat it. In a biblical sense, to be perfect is to be whole, complete, and faultless.
Whenever Jesus declares something about a person, it is to be perfect. The revelation that needs to be understood is that which has been declared can and should be accomplished in that person’s life or circumstance.
To Be Perfect Is To Be Whole.
Jesus declared: And a certain man was there, who had suffered from an infirmity for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been now a long time in that case. He said unto him, Will you be made whole? The impotent man answered Jesus, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. For while I am coming, another step down before me. Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.
As an example in His dealing with the impotent man in the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus had delivered this man from his infirmity. As soon as Jesus released the word, Arise, take up your bed and walk. Immediately, that which Jesus commanded became available to the man. All the man had to do was put his faith into action. If the man had not put action to the word of Jesus, he would have had to remain in his crippled state. Here are two very important revelations to be understood:
Jesus’ power to heal and bring deliverance was through His word of authority. The ability to be delivered was through the man putting trust and obedience to the command of Jesus. I say all this to gain insight and revelation into my situation as a believer to be what Jesus declares that I can be.
To Be Perfect Requires Willingness.
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:21-22.
In Jesus’ dealing with this rich young ruler, we are to understand that to be perfect requires a willingness on the part of a person. The Father’s best desire for a man is to be perfect. But when Jesus confronted the young ruler, Jesus stressed the need for the man to want to be perfect. As with all of the Father’s dealings in the lives of humanity, He will never force His will upon a person. This illustration of Jesus and the young man further highlights that salvation is conditional.
Be you, therefore, perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5 v 48. I can. According to this declaration of Jesus, be perfect. My natural mind would struggle to grasp hold of this truth that flowed from the mouth of Jesus. If I look at my life, despite of all of my failings, with all of my times of inconsistencies, yet throughout it all, I can be perfect, declares Jesus. Not only can I obtain perfection but my state of perfection is exactly the same condition of perfection as my heavenly Father.
For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be you, therefore, perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5: 46-48.
How can I obtain this state of perfection? Through realising that I have become a child of the Father. There are only two families in this world. There may be untold ethnic groups or races of people, with diverse accents or speech. But there exist only two groups or families of people.
- Those who walk in light, and those who are in darkness.
- Those whose Father is Almighty God, and those whose Father is Satan.
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love Me. For I proceeded forth and came from God. Neither came I of Myself, but the Father has sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Even because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. John 8: 42-44
Addressing the multitudes as part of what is called the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus lays out specific insight into what is expected in my life as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and also what should be exhibited through my life as a child of God.
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who shall despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matthew 5:44. These aspects of our life attitude may seem to be beyond our expectations and our ability to execute, but Jesus brings this revelation to bear on our consciousness.
That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be you. Therefore, perfect. Even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.Matthew 5 :45-48.
My status of being perfect becomes a reality because my perfection or completeness comes consequently by producing the desired will and desire of the Father’s heart and attitude now being exhibited through my life by producing what should be in my life as a child of the Father. I have within my life the capability to perform the attributes of Jesus that He has made possible through my life.
The disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone that is perfect shall be as his teacher. Luke 6: 40. Time and again, the Spirit of the Lord has been unveiling to my understanding of how I should live in this world through following the life example of Jesus and how he ministered during His public ministry.
I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me. John 17 :23.