Who can be Perfect?
For many years I have pondered this question, the common answer is, no one is perfect, only God. That answer has troubled me because Jesus said in Matthew 5:48 “ Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Obviously our expectations of our abilities as Christians and the Lords expectations are far apart. Therefore let us at least be responsible enough to investigate the matter. If our creator is telling us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, it doesn’t matter what we believe because he who is perfect is giving us a direct command, after all if Peter would have said, no man can walk on water, he would have remained in the boat, and never have experienced the great blessing of seeing what God can do through those .who are obedient.
All that Our Lord Jesus commands us is to be regarded and we should never limit our obedience to our lack of faith and understanding. Please open your heart to receive a greater vision of the wonderful work that is being accomplished already, if you indeed are in Christ Jesus. For Christ in you is your hope of glory.
We continually hear that no man is perfect, how can we say that; when
we read what God said about Noah? (Gen.6:9) “ Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God.” What are we to
believe? If God said Noah was perfect who are we to say he is not. I do
realize that Noah did not do every thing right in my eyes, I remember
reading he became drunk in his house and was lying naked. Obviously
Gods’ perspective and mine are not always on the same page. Then there
was Job. God lets us know in the very first verse of the first chapter of
the book of Job, what he thinks of Job. ‘’There was a man in the land of
Uz, whose name was Job; and that man, was perfect and upright, and one
that feared God, and eschewed evil.’’ Our Lords opinion of Job was very
high, no matter what his friends thought of him it didn’t change God’s
mind, he truly knew Job. You see God knew Job before the foundations of
the world. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in
love:” Ep.1:4 Notice he has chosen us in Him (Christ). There is nothing in
Christ that is not perfect and holy. Job like all those who are in Christ
Jesus are called of God to be made in the perfect image of our heavenly
Father. “ Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man
that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1John
3:1-4 Do you have this hope in you?
In Romans 8:28,29 Paul says, “ for we know,” do you know what Paul is talking about? Paul knew that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Paul knew all things that he would go through in this life were designed of God to bring him into the image of the Father, a perfect man, as his Father in heaven is perfect.
I do thank God that we cannot do any works to make us perfect but we rest in the wonderful work of God “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ep. 2: 8-10 Will Jesus do anything less than perfect? We are his workmanship, now we simply trust him and walk in what he has prepared for us. We need not understand how he will accomplish it but we know, “ he hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2 Tim. 1: 9 Then, “that great Shepard of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” Heb.13: 20,21 He will make us perfect in every good work. Because that which he has began in us he will finish. For you see we have come into that heavenly city, the church of the firstborn, among the spirits of just men made perfect. (please read Heb.12:22,23)
Like John said the world does not know us because it knew him (Christ)
not. For we have this treasure in earthen vessels. The perfection we
have is in Christ not in the flesh. The world cannot see what is only
seen in the spirit. We all “shall give account to him that is ready to
judge the quick (living) and the dead. (God knows those who are his)
For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, (we
were dead in our sins when we heard the gospel) that they may be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the
spirit.” 1Pt.4: 5,6
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead; he said, Lazarus come
forth and he came out but he still had all the grave clothes upon him. He had all the appearance of a dead man but he walked out of the tomb, it wasn’t clear if he was dead or not even though he walked out of the tomb. Much the same for the ones, who are called out of the world into Christ they have been made alive in Christ, remember all that are in Christ are perfect. Even though it does not appear what they shall be until all the grave clothes are pealed off. Jesus reminds us be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect; this is what he is calling us to. If we sin however we have an advocate and we are to confess our sins and he will forgive us, and cleanes us of all unrighteousness.
Beloved in Jesus let us not worry about what we don’t understand but let us take heed to this verse in 1Ki 8:61
“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” To keep our hearts right with God is what he requires of us and if we do so, it will have an effect in our living for Christ. In Pro 4:23 it says. “ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”
We know that children aspire to be like their parents, they will try to imitate them and try to do the things that they do; but because they are small it is difficult for them. However the DNA is there and sooner or later they will grow and become like their parents; Paul also knew that the children of God are predestined to be made in the image of their Heavenly Father. The child doesn’t have to do any special work to become like their parents, it will come naturally; if indeed we are born again and have become new creatures in Christ the life of Christ will be made manifest and time will bring the maturity that is lacking.
When the disciples said unto Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:27,28) That is all that he wants us to do. We should not manifest unbelief by trying to do the work that only God can do, but simply rest in Him and trust His work will be done, allowing the hope of Christ to bring the glory of Christ in us. “For the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Pro.4:18)