Be Ye Perfect

Matthew 5:43-48

-v48 be ye therefore perfect-- Greek word is teleios (tel'-i-os) Major idea is to be complete or whole —is translated as perfect (17 times); of full age (1time); men (1 time), Strong's Concordance

 
Perfect--American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828

1. Finished; complete; consummate; not defective; having all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as a perfect statue; a perfect likeness; a perfect work; a perfect system.

2. Fully informed; completely skilled; as men perfect in the use of arms; perfect in discipline.

3. Complete in moral excellencies.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Mat 5.

4. Manifesting perfection.

Does the word perfect here mean mature as we have often heard it explained? Was Jesus saying, “be ye therefore mature, even as your Father in heaven is mature?”

Peter tells us to be holy as “he which has called you is holy.”1Pe 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Holy--Greek work is hagios (hag'-ee-os) Defined as: sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated)--is translated as holy (168 times); saints, saint, saints' (62 times); most holy (1 time), Strong's Concordance

Matthew 19:16-21

-v18,19 Adherence to the commandments (law).

-v20 The young man thought he was doing what was required of him

-v21 Jesus said if you will be perfect

1. Forsake earthly treasures (see Matthew 6:19-21)
2. Give (see Philippians 2:4-5; Galatians 6:1-10)
3. Follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38-39)

James 2:19-24

-v19 There's more to following Jesus than just saying you believe!

-v21 Abraham was “justified” when he offered Isaac upon the altar

-v22 Abraham's faith was made perfect through his action

-v23 The scripture was fulfilled!---Abraham's belief was made manifest

-v24 A man is not justified by faith only!! Faith + works = evidence of the Spirit

(James 1:26-27)

The Spirit leads us and prompts us to work. We deceive ourselves if we believe we have to do nothing as the children of God.Luke 6:40--Jesus said “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”

1 John 2:3-11; v29

-v3 We know that we know him if we keep his commandments.

-v4 If we don't keep them, we are a liar and the truth is not in us

-v5 If we keep his word, the love of God is perfected in us

-v6 If we say we are His, we should walk as He walked—how did Jesus walk? (Acts 10:38)

-v9 If we have hatred in our heart, we are walking in darkness

-v10 If we truly have love, there is no occasion of stumbling in us

-v11 If we have hatred in our heart, we are sure to stumble because we are blinded by that darkness

-v29 Every one that does righteousness is born of Him!

1 John 3:2-10; 14-19

-v 3 Every man that has this hope purifies himself, as he is pure

-v4 If you transgress the law, you commit sin!!?? (1Timothy 1:5=the purpose of the commandment)

-v6 Whoever abides in Him does not commit sin

-v7 He that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous

-v8 Whoever commits sin is of the devil (one who lives a lifestyle of sin; see 1John 2:1)

-v9 Whoever is born of God does not commit sin

-v10 This is what makes us different from children of the devil—we do righteousness and have love

-v14 We know we have passed from life to death because we have love

-v16 We perceive the love of God because He did something

-v17,18 This is the evidence of love from that same Spirit working within us

-v19 This is how we know and can be sure that we are of the truth (refer back to vss.17,18)

1 John 4:7-9; 16-17

-v7 Everyone that loves is born of God and knows God

-v8 One that has no love for others doesn't even know God

-v9 God's love was manifested by what Jesus did on the cross—our love (or lack thereof) will also be manifested by our actions

-v16,17 Our love is made perfect by dwelling in love—if we dwell in love, we dwell in God because God is love!!

We can see from our study of 1 John that the children of God will work righteousness, actively try to shun sin, purify themselves, and, above all, will be perfected by abiding in love. Our true nature will be manifested by our actions, just as God manifested His love toward us through the cross. (see Romans 5:6-8) 

There is a call to the children of God to do something—to let our faith be moved into action because we have love!!

Matthew 16:24-27

Why should we exchange our souls for earthly treasures? We are all exerting our efforts toward attaining some goal, even if it is only to proceed to the next level of a video game or computer game. Lets put our efforts into striving toward things that please God, I mean, after all, we will be rewarded according to our WORKS!!!

--John Burkett 9/08/2010