How to be perfect?
This question is usually answered quickly without thinking, saying: no. But before we accept this widely accepted attitude, let’s look at what Jesus taught about this. But above all, it is important to determine what considered as perfect.
Using a practical example, if someone wears the shoes wrong way around or bites their mouth while eating, that person can still be perfect in God’s eyes. But to intensify this a little; if anyone driving continuously at 80mph instead of 70mph, it is a sin against the worldly laws, but not against the law of God! I am not saying to do so, but to distinguish these worldly laws from God’s will (also known as His law)! Read the teachings of Jesus:
Matthew 5,48
„You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
So here is a call from Jesus, which is not an option but a requirement. If we dissect this call of Jesus a little further, we may be confronted even more with the degree of perfection, for He has said that we should be as perfect as the Father!
But why did Jesus ask for this? It is written:
Leviticus 19,2
„Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
We must be saints, not just in theory, but in practice! We are not holy if we think of ourselves as holy, or perhaps others say so, but if we are truly holy. But then here’s another question: what does it mean to be holy? The meaning of holiness is: separate. That is, those who actually follow Jesus are separated from this world, their actions are different.
But let’s get back to the notion of perfection before we think it would be just an inaccessible thing to us. We can be perfect if we live our lives according to God’s will.
Before we think that Jesus abolished the law, let us read how Jesus thinks of the law, that is, of the commandment of the Father:
John 12,49-50
„For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment--what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."”
So the commandment of the Father is eternal life. Maybe now you think why Jesus died when we have to keep the commandments? Jesus died to destroy the works of the Devil, his power over our bodies, and to give us power over our own desires so that we could say no to sin! This is how He opened the way for us to the Father, giving us the opportunity to live the way Jesus lived:
1John 2,6
„whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
It is the blood of Jesus that can washes away our sins. But not in the way that many people think, namely, "no matter how many sins we commit, we will be saved anyway because we have accepted His grace."
Enough to believe in the existence of Jesus? James said:
James 2,19-20
„You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?”
Many believe that Jesus judges us by whether we have accepted His grace. Huge mistake! Jesus illustrated by parable, that He will judge according to our actions.
Matthew 25,31-46
„"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."”
Clearly enough, yet not many Christians understand it, but perhaps because they don’t try so much to be kind to God. Paul is quoted twisted and misinterpreted as giving freedom over the law, even though Paul himself said:
Romans 13,9-10
„For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
I would like to mention that everyone follows commandments (laws). Even a Christian who believes and proclaims with all his might that the law has been abolished. Because Christians collectively agree that one should not kill, commit adultery, or steal. And these are the laws of the 10 commandments, which, although most are rejected, they live unspoken. But this is not all the commandments, but there are other commandments. You need to read, understand and act! Just as Jesus kept the law and He taught the disciples who also kept and taught God’s law.
Philippians 2,15
„that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”
Antal Farkas
(July 11, 2020)
