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God
tells
us
to
be
Perfect
as
he
is
Perfect

God
tells
us
to
be
Perfect
as
he
is
Perfect

God
tells
us
to
be
Perfect
as
he
is
Perfect

God
tells
us
to
be
Perfect
as
he
is
Perfect
 |
|
Even it appears impossible we still can become
perfect because of the God's grace of God.
Christians think that none can become
perfect. But it is God who makes his people perfect.
To live a perfect life is a hard task for anybody and
everybody. Christians try again and again to be perfect, but only to find that
they fail to become perfect. It is an impossible task for anybody to be perfect.
So, most preachers say that when God wants us to be perfect, he does not mean
that we must be perfect, but he wants us to be better. But, when God require us
to be perfect, he put God the Father for an example so that nobody can water
down the meaning of the word perfect. The Bible says that we must be perfect as
God the Father is perfect.
"Matt 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
How in the world is this possible? Let us look at this through common sense and
through the Bible to analyze it.
1. What
is Perfection?
A.
How Practical is God?
Generally Christians approach the teachings of the Bible through the
practicality in life. Take the following verse for an example.
"Matt
5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect." Is it practical for a person to live
a perfect life? The overwhelming answer is 'No'. But God wants us to be perfect.
So there is a clash and it needs some kind of adjustment. So they redefine the
meaning of the word 'perfect'. They say that when God says 'perfect' he does not
mean 'sinless perfection'. So, they can sin and have the satisfaction of being
perfect. But, since God is also cited for an example for being
perfect, this technique doesn't work. He asks them to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is
perfect. Since God is perfect
without sin, God expects them also to be perfect without sin. Here they got stuck.
B. Logic with the Bible
Let us study it from the Bible whether is it possible for a human being to be
perfect? The logic is, if we can find a person who is perfect in the Bible
and then we can assume that a human can become perfect. Then we should
learn how they became perfect so that we may also become perfect. Since
God made them perfect, he can make us also perfect.

C. Perfect Saints of the Old
The Bible says that Noah was just (righteous), perfect, and most of all he
walked with God. Even though Christian preachers find fault with Noah saying
that he was drinking wine,
which he did in the privacy of his tent, etc,
the word of God says that Noah obeyed all that God commanded him.
God did not tell him that he should not drink wine. In the sight of God,
Noah was perfect because Noah had not disobeyed a single commandment given to
him by God. "Gen 6:9 --- Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
22 Thus did Noah; according
to all that God commanded him, so did he."
God
himself challenged the devil saying that Job lived a perfect life.
"Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job,
that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright
man,
one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"
The Word of God says that
Job has not committed sin. "Job1:22
In all this Job sinned not,---"
God told Abraham to live a perfect life before him. "Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and
nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty
God; walk before me, and be thou perfect". Abraham
fulfilled what God has required of him and received the testimony even from
Jesus Christ. "John
8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is
our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do
the works of Abraham."
When King Hezekiah was sick he asked God to remember
his perfect life and God favored him immediately.
"2King 20:3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before
thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good
in thy sight."

D. Perfect Saints of the New
The
Apostle was speaking to those who were already perfect in the Church of
Philippians. This proves that there were perfect people in the Church. "Phil 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be
perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God
shall reveal even this unto you." The
Apostle rebukes the Corinthian Church for its sins. However, in the middle of the
rebuke, he recognizes that there are perfect people in the Church and speaks in spiritual
wisdom to those perfect ones. "1Cor 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom
of this world, nor of the princes of this world,---."

2.
Church Perfects Saints
God's purpose for the Church is to perfect the believers even to the measure of
the perfection of Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately most of the Churches are teaching evasive false doctrine saying that
man cannot become perfect.
"Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; 12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13
Till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:."
Jesus Christ died for the Church in order to purify
the Church and to make it perfect for himself. "Eph
5:25 --- Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
The
very purpose of the ministry of the Apostle is geared to present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus. "Col 1:28 Whom we
preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me
mightily."
Perfect in Christ means the following. We, as the branches abide in the
vine, should abide by the word of God, receive the power of the Holy Spirit as
the branches receive the sap from the vine, and produce the same fruit as Jesus
has produced while he was a man. "John 15:5
I
am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,
---". In
this case, we will be living as perfect as Jesus Christ was perfect while he was
living as a man.
3.
Carnality and Spirituality
A. Carnal Christians
We
usually think that carnality is sensual lustful living. It is more than
that. If our zeal is for the doctrine of our denomination with its
declaration of faith, rather than the pure truth of the word of God, it is carnality.
"1Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying,
and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one
saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not
carnal?"
B.
Spiritual Christians
The Holy Spirit is the reason that Jesus
Christ told his disciples to wait until they receive him and the power
from heaven. God is Spirit. His commandments are spiritual. God demands that
those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. "John
4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth."
God says that it is not possible to do spiritual deeds with
carnal strength. It is an impossible task. That is why,
he wants us to become spiritual so that the spiritual things may come us naturally.
"Romans 8:8
So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

C. Perfect Through Sufferings
Jesus Christ was God
and had equal status with God the Most High. But when he became a man,
with no godly power attributes, he had to endure suffering in order to become
perfect. "Heb
5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he
suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey him;"
We are called to
obey him by following his steps for the heavenly journey.
The grace of God is mainly taught as
a good gesture
of God, which is given to most Christians and this so called grace will accept a
sinning person into heaven. But in truth, grace is the power and presence of God,
which is given to those who
are humble. This grace will strive with them, endure sufferings and will
make them perfect.
"1Pet
5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,
stablish, strengthen, settle you."

4.
Caution
The Church, the Bride of Christ, will be without spot, wrinkle, or any such
thing, which means that the Church must be perfect and holy.
"Eph 5:25
--- Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26
That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27
That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
The holy and perfect Church is the Bride of Christ. Apostle Paul
wants to present the church as a chaste virgin to Christ. But, some false
workers, with the subtilty of Satan, deceives the church saying that she
don't have to be perfect. "2 Cor 11:2 For I am
jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest
by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." Here,
the simplicity of Christ will accept only a chaste virgin as his bride and no
other.
5. Victory
Along
with the note of caution by Apostle Paul, there is also a sound of victory by
Apostle John, that the Bride, the
Church has made herself ready by her own righteousness. "Rev 19:7 Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she
should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints."

6. Summary
The Word of God says that Noah was perfect. God challenged Satan with the
perfectness of Job. God asked Abraham to live perfect, which Abraham did.
King Hezekiah asked God to remember his perfect life which was readily responded
by God. The purpose of the fivefold ministry is to make the believer
perfect as Jesus Christ is perfect. The Holy Spirit, the Apostles and
Jesus Christ himself are working to present a perfect, spotless Church unto
Jesus Christ. The Bride of Jesus Christ, the true Church of God, has made
herself ready by her own glorious righteousness.
But, the devil always
deceives his people by saying that nobody can be perfect. Are you
belong to the devil or to God. Jesus Christ says that his sheep will hear
his voice and will follow him.
"John
10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my
sheep, as I said unto you. 27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me:"
As the sheep of God, let us hear the voice of God and follow
the way of Jesus Christ. Let us make ourselves also ready for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"Matt
24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
7. Conclusion
The Chosen of God will not listen to the enticing
words of
the devil but will keep marching forward. "Psa
4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the
LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with
your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."
If we are godly, God will make us his sons
and daughters, as Jesus Christ is the Son, so that He will be the
first born and we will be the next after Him and how marvelous that will
be? If God is for us, who
can be against us? "Rom 8:29 For whom
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against
us?"
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