Be Ye Perfect As Your Father in Heaven Is| Matthew 5:48
Title: Perfection
Bible Text: Matthew 5:48
Introduction
Introduction
Be Ye Perfect As Your Father in Heaven Is| Matthew 5:48
We are observing Walking in God’s Perfection this month.
The idea majority have this days is that it is impossible to walk in perfection. When Jesus came he started explaining to people in His first message in Matthew 5. He explained a lot from the beginning of that chapter and at the end He said we should be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect.
Jesus used the word “as your father in heaven”, because at some point they have not really come to know who Jesus is. Jesus started living a kind of life that is different from the way others were living. He walked a perfect life on earth that no corruption or sin was found on Him.
This is the more reason why we should challenge ourselves to use Jesus as an example to walk perfectly on earth. Jesus went through a lot of attacks, reproaches, battles and nailed to the cross but no sin was found on him neither did He utter a single word.
To walk in this part of perfection is as a result of the measure of Christ that is deposited in you. When John said in John 1:12 “for those who believe in Him, truly”, this means not those who believe Him half way but those who believe in Him 100%, that they will be able to walk well in this part.
Walking in perfection has to do with the level of your relationship with Jesus Christ, it has to do with the amount of Jesus that is deposited inside you, it has to do with how much of Him that is inside you.
Jesus knew that in one way or the other we will fall or sin but when we find ourselves in them, He doesn’t want us to condemn ourselves but instead he created a way out for us to always come back to Him.
In this journey as a Christian, we will strive to be like Jesus but the grace to strive and stand out is in Christ and if you don’t know Him, to be perfect will be difficult and that is why we think is hard to be perfect because the person to help us in the journey we don’t know Him or some of us know Him but are so lazy to grow in Him. Everybody calls Jesus but are struggling to be like Him.
Be Ye Perfect As Your Father in Heaven Is| Matthew 5:48
Outline
1. What is perfection
2. How you can be perfect
3. Benefit to find in a perfect person.
Exposition
1. What is perfection:
Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Teleios, Is the Greek word which is translated as “perfect,” is used in the Septuagint as well as its Hebrew equivalent in the Hebrew Bible. In Greek, it means to be complete. Jesus was the only person that achieve this stage. Jesus have showed us how we can live our life to be complete and we cannot take shortcut to be complete.
Also, is a character that we display in our life which is as a result of who is directing us. What you display to your fellow man is as a result of what is inside you. If you display love, it means Christ is inside you but if you display envy or hate to your fellow man is also the person that is inside you that is working.
Whoever is working inside you at any point in time, is the character of the person you will be showcasing.
We all know what is inside of Jesus Christ eg, love, kindness, mercies etc, so for you to showcase what is inside of Christ is as a result of how much of Christ that you have inside you that can help you live the way He has lived on earth.
2. How to be perfect:
A. Been a believer and not just a Christian:
We must first be a believer and not just a Christian. If truly we want to be perfect, we must be a believer. Let’s examine the two:
Who is a Christian: From my own opinion, it means someone that is born in a Christian home, that bears a Christian name eg Matthew, Blessing, Timothy etc. Is someone that knows the name of Jesus and will chorus Amen whenever the name of Jesus is called. As a Christian, some of them are baptize and their religion is Christian however, every character in them does not show case that of Christ.
Who is a believer
A believer is someone that knows Jesus, accept Him as lord and savior, have faith in Him, strive to be like Jesus, to grow in and display all the characters of Jesus eg to speak like Jesus, walk like Jesus, love like Jesus, show mercies like Jesus. All the focus and effort of that believer is to be like Jesus. A believer wants to forgive as Jesus also forgives those who offended Him, but today many people hardly forgive even after apologizing for any wrong. So, is important we move away from been just an ordinary Christian to a believer.
There are calls for bible study and sunday school classes but we are no where to be found. In this classes, if they teach about love, we are not sitted or around to learn and hear about love, so how can we know how to express love. If they teach about forgiveness and righteous, we are not available to learn how Jesus did it, so how can we learn how to forgive or live a righteous life. You now begin to evaluate yourself at this point. If you run away from Jesus, He too will be silent about you. That you are always available for any of the church programs and obeying all what is taught is an indication that you want to be like Jesus. The messages you hear will at least impact something in life.
B. Seek the things of the spirit. Romans 8:5.
In one way or the other we will sin but God has created an avenue for us to redeem ourselves by confessing those sins and He is merciful to forgive us. From the above verse, those of the flesh will think of the flesh and those of the spirit will think of the spirit. When we try to walk in the spirit the flesh will surface likewise the spirit tackles the flesh however, note that whatever is deposited more in your life is what you will exhibit.
If you are filled with the spirit, it will be suppressing the things of the flesh because the things of the spirit will be directing us eg it will remind us that we are taught about forgiveness and how Jesus forgive His enemies, prayed for them and wish them well and the flesh on the other side will tell us not to forgive. The flesh will remind us how tough we are or how we don’t take nonsense when we are offended. The point is when you make yourself available to be taught about forgiveness, love, righteousness etc, we will begin to grow and exhibit this Christ kind of life.
Where will envy, anger, unforgiveness, hatred etc come from when what is inside of you is filled with things of the spirit.
This is how perfection works because what is planted inside you is what will manifest. If you plant the things of the flesh in you, the works of the flesh will manifest and if you plant the things of the spirit in you, the works of the spirit will manifest. Let’s create time to feed ourselves with things of the spirit which can help us work perfectly before God.
Be Ye Perfect As Your Father in Heaven Is| Matthew 5:48
C. The word of God: Proverbs 12:1a, Hosea 4:6
We are downplaying the word of God and this is not right. He that wants knowledge wants wisdom says the above verse. If you want to be perfect like Christ, you must sit with the word. Who is the word?, Jesus is the word and we all are striving to be like Jesus, yet we abandon Him.
In Hosea 4:6, from the verse, it said my people (my children), means those who call my name day and night yet they don’t know me and were cut off because they lack knowledge. If you don’t know Him or you put him aside, He will just be looking at you. We need the word of God to walk perfectly in this earth.
Many have turn their bible to where they keep money (saving vault) meanwhile that word is what we need to be our guidance. The bible said we shouldn’t be filled with too much wine, so what are we feeding our heart/soul with ?.
If we cannot read our bible at home because we are tired from the days activities, what about making ourselves available for bible study and sunday school classes.
Whoever wants to be perfect needs knowledge and where to get that knowledge is in the bible. If you engage the word of God it will engage you. “Oro re Iye ni”. The word of God is life and the absence of that word means the absence of life.
D. Intimacy with God:
The bible said our body is the temple of God.
Our relationship with God is completely individualistic. God will not judge us as group but as individuals. Your sin can never take me to hell, neither will what I do with my life take you to heaven. Every man answers for himself. If just going to church on Sundays is your way of intimacy with God, then you have not started. Yes, do not forsake the gathering of saints, but that temple (body) that comes to the building will be visited differently in the building according to the intimacy we have in God. If God wants to release anything, it will be inside the body, mostly into the one that has a strong intimacy with Him.
He told Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect. Here, God is calling for intimacy from us that we should have time for Him. Perfection cannot be achieved if we put Him aside.
BENEFITS
When you live a perfect life there are benefits that goes along with it. Those things you will see in the life of the person that is ready to be taught about the knowledge of God.
A. Will have peace of mind: Psalm 37:37, Isaiah 57:2, Hebrew 12:14:
When we let go issues that are not necessary and not worth holding as grudge, you will have peace of mind because the spirit of God inside you will not permit you keeping grudges or enmity with those around you. You forgive easily, you love easily, you are receptive to people easily etc. Many who are not led by the spirit or have not deposited the things of God inside them we never be at peace with themselves and those around them.
Take time to study those who try to be perfect, their end is always peaceful. God will be their peace all round.
B. They are not abandoned or cast away. Job 8: 20:
God has a way of standing for them and will never cast them away. They will not compromise at work to commit fraud or take bribe because of the spirit of God in them.
Yes, people may mock them for not been smart on issues or exploit loopholes or take advantage of fraudulent ways that people call opportunity today. They will reproach and mock them for been stupid but they are not abandoned and will get their reward both on earth and in Heaven. We still have people who are just today and walking perfectly before God.
C. They will be a light to the world: Proverb 4:18: Matthew 5:14.
That person becomes a light to their world and generation. Many will want to learn from them. Wherever they are people will want to be there with them because they reflect the presence of God everywhere. What is deposited in them is what many will want to emulate. Their names cannot be erased wherever they are the way the name of Jesus was not erased on earth.
D. Will be received/accepted: Acts 10:35, Romans 8:28
God knows we might not achieve 100% perfectness however, when we strive to achieve it He is happy. Walking in perfectness is possible and the person that practices it will be accepted before God. How, when they pray God will answer, even if they don’t ask he will give to them.
The glory of God is robbed on that person. They carry favor and immeasurable grace wherever they go to.
In conclusion
Jesus has showed us how to walk in perfection. He knows challenges will come from families friends, wives, husband and those around but they are not excuses for not achieving perfection because He encountered the same. So, Jesus is requesting that we should be perfect the way our father in heaven is perfect.
Thank you.
