Perfect Not Perfection
Caution: Under Construction
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 5:48 NKJV - "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
OBSERVATION:
In Matthew 5, Jesus addresses the crowds who are beginning to follow Him. Many perceived Him as a political Messiah instead of a spiritual Savior. Jesus starts His ministry by teaching about the Kingdom. Unlike many modern politicians, He does not emphasize the economy, programs, or taxpayer waste. Although these issues matter, His primary mission is even greater: to provide salvation, forgive sins, and restore humanity's relationship with God.
Matthew 5:48 NKJV - "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
OBSERVATION:
In Matthew 5, Jesus addresses the crowds who are beginning to follow Him. Many perceived Him as a political Messiah instead of a spiritual Savior. Jesus starts His ministry by teaching about the Kingdom. Unlike many modern politicians, He does not emphasize the economy, programs, or taxpayer waste. Although these issues matter, His primary mission is even greater: to provide salvation, forgive sins, and restore humanity's relationship with God.
“It presents a radically different agenda than what the nation of Israel expected from the Messiah. It does not present the political or material blessings of the Messiah’s reign. Instead, it expresses the spiritual implications of the rule of Jesus in our lives. This great message tells us how we will live when Jesus is our Lord.” – D.A. Carson.
In the concluding words of chapter 5, it becomes clear that the law requires perfection. Jesus highlights in verse 20 that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the kingdom.
What does this imply? Are we truly hopeless? The scribes and Pharisees appeared more righteous than we could ever aspire to be.
What does this imply? Are we truly hopeless? The scribes and Pharisees appeared more righteous than we could ever aspire to be.
“If a man could live the way Jesus has told us to in this chapter, he would truly be perfect.
He would never hate, slander, or speak evil of another person.
He would never lust in his heart or mind and not covet anything.
He would never make a false oath and always be completely truthful.
He would let God defend his personal rights and not take it upon himself to defend those rights.
He would always love his neighbors, and even his enemies.
If a man could keep just what Jesus said here, he would truly have a righteousness greater than the scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20), the very thing we must have to enter into God’s Kingdom. But there is only one man who has lived like this: Jesus Christ. What about the rest of us? Are we left out of the Kingdom of God?” – David Guzik.
He would never hate, slander, or speak evil of another person.
He would never lust in his heart or mind and not covet anything.
He would never make a false oath and always be completely truthful.
He would let God defend his personal rights and not take it upon himself to defend those rights.
He would always love his neighbors, and even his enemies.
If a man could keep just what Jesus said here, he would truly have a righteousness greater than the scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20), the very thing we must have to enter into God’s Kingdom. But there is only one man who has lived like this: Jesus Christ. What about the rest of us? Are we left out of the Kingdom of God?” – David Guzik.
The answer is a clear NO! Jesus mentions the word 'perfect.' For those of us who wrestle with perfection, the idea can be elusive. We try hard but often find we can't reach it, or we believe we have, only to realize our imperfections prove otherwise.
Jesus is NOT saying we should keep the law perfectly, but that as we see the law's purpose, we realize we need a savior because we can't keep it flawlessly. We can come to Him and receive the perfecting only HE can provide.
APPLICATION:
In English, there are many forms of perfect (like perfection, perfectly, perfecting…), but none can be truly achieved. I realize this may be hard for some to understand. Even the most accomplished musicians make mistakes—they call it improvisation! No matter how skilled we are, we still slip up. As the Happy Painter, Bob Ross, said, “We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents."
The main point is this: Jesus isn't pursuing *our* perfection but *His*. He didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Because He accomplished this, we have gained a righteousness that is not ours, but His.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Today, let us live out the Kingdom Teachings while trusting in HIS perfecting. As we focus on Him, He will shape us to be more like Him, progressing toward perfection until we are complete. We can be perfect because of HIS perfection!
PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for making me perfect positionally through the cross and daily through my walk with You. Use Your Word and Holy Spirit to continue perfecting me so I can be as perfect as my heavenly Father.
Jesus is NOT saying we should keep the law perfectly, but that as we see the law's purpose, we realize we need a savior because we can't keep it flawlessly. We can come to Him and receive the perfecting only HE can provide.
APPLICATION:
In English, there are many forms of perfect (like perfection, perfectly, perfecting…), but none can be truly achieved. I realize this may be hard for some to understand. Even the most accomplished musicians make mistakes—they call it improvisation! No matter how skilled we are, we still slip up. As the Happy Painter, Bob Ross, said, “We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents."
The main point is this: Jesus isn't pursuing *our* perfection but *His*. He didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Because He accomplished this, we have gained a righteousness that is not ours, but His.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Today, let us live out the Kingdom Teachings while trusting in HIS perfecting. As we focus on Him, He will shape us to be more like Him, progressing toward perfection until we are complete. We can be perfect because of HIS perfection!
PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for making me perfect positionally through the cross and daily through my walk with You. Use Your Word and Holy Spirit to continue perfecting me so I can be as perfect as my heavenly Father.
Perfection: Not mine, but His!
Posted in Matthew