Jesus said, "Be perfect"

Our Lord's God

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You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

It is disturbing how people will so readily conspire to nullify the words of Jesus. But they go right ahead and resort to such wickedness and teach others to do the same. Rather than seeking the truth with an honest and pure heart, they would rather manufacture up lies to believe and comfort themselves.

These sin laden folks just don't like the sound of these words. To them, the word "perfect" simply means "not sinning" and that is something they just cannot fathom. So they just go right ahead and butcher this teaching of Jesus. And they really don't care what Jesus meant by these words, They have their creedal idols to serve.

So what is Jesus teaching here exactly and why did he say this? Start here:

You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:36

Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5:43-48 are parallel accounts, the same teaching. Jesus is teaching his disciples to love like God loves, a love that goes all the way not just part way.

The word "perfect" at Matthew 5:48 means to be complete, finished, fully mature, to go all the way not just part way. Don't just walk one mile with someone but walk two when he asks you to walk just one. Don't just love your neighbor. That would not be perfect; it would not be complete. Love your enemies too. Jesus is teaching his disciples a righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees (5:20). He does this with several "You have heard it said.... But I say to you....." teachings.

You have heard it said... righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
But I say to you... a righteousness which surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees

Jesus is raising the bar and teaching his disciples that following Jesus is a much higher morality and righteousness than the prescriptions of the Law. And Jesus sums up with this:

You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In other words, love completely and perfectly just like the Father does. Loving your neighbor but hating your enemy is a self-serving love. God is love and He wants us to love just as He loves. While we were His enemies He loved us (Romans 5:8-10; John 3:16; Eph 2:4). Be perfect just as your Father is perfect.

See how easy that was when you actually care about the truth instead of resorting to lies when you don't like what you hear? Notice how this also accords with Luke's parallel account, "Be merciful...." Love is mercifully, compassionately self giving to all and anyone. Such love isn't just given to neighbors you like but also to your enemies and those who persecute you.

Notice how John is saying exactly the same thing:

...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven..... be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
.
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as He is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17

Same thing.

be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
as He is, so also are we 1 John 4:17

So now you don't need to believe and teach lies about Matthew 5:48 anymore.
 
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And without holiness no one will see the Lord.
It is disturbing how people will so readily conspire to nullify the words of Jesus. But they go right ahead and resort to such wickedness and teach others to do the same. Rather than seeking the truth with an honest and pure heart, they would rather manufacture up lies to believe and comfort themselves.
The Lord knows those who are His, [those He made holy Heb 2:11] and those who manufacture lies must turn from iniquity.


As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. Rom 14:22

'Here before Your Throne I've come to worship You
And worship You alone Here within my soul
A song begins to rise Until it to overflows
You are holy, You are holy
I will lift my voice to you And sing it with the angels
You are holy, You are holy
We will offer you our praise In a mighty Chorus
You are holy, You are holy
Unto the One Who sits on the Throne Unto the Lamb
Be all the blessing and Glory and Power and Praise
All creation sing in heaven and earth
We make known You are holy, You are holy'
 
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And without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Your sin is not holy no matter how you try and justify it.
The Lord knows those who are His, [those He made holy Heb 2:11] and those who manufacture lies must turn from iniquity.
He sure does know us who is without and He knows those who are of sin.
As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. Rom 14:22
Not my own at all, I gave myself over to God, I am no longer of self as you are but of Christ just as Jesus was of Christ anointed of God by His Spirit.
'Here before Your Throne I've come to worship You
And worship You alone Here within my soul
A song begins to rise Until it to overflows
You are holy, You are holy
I will lift my voice to you And sing it with the angels
You are holy, You are holy
We will offer you our praise In a mighty Chorus
You are holy, You are holy
Unto the One Who sits on the Throne Unto the Lamb
Be all the blessing and Glory and Power and Praise
All creation sing in heaven and earth
We make known You are holy, You are holy'
You make known your sin and is advocate for sin.
 
And without holiness no one will see the Lord.

The Lord knows those who are His, [those He made holy Heb 2:11] and those who manufacture lies must turn from iniquity.
You make known your sin and is advocate for sin.
You repeatedly make known that you are a blind gnostic, since it is Christ who takes away sin and sets us apart.

For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:19
As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. Rom 14:22

'Here before Your Throne I've come to worship You
And worship You alone Here within my soul
A song begins to rise Until it to overflows
You are holy, You are holy
I will lift my voice to you And sing it with the angels
You are holy, You are holy
We will offer you our praise In a mighty Chorus
You are holy, You are holy
Unto the One Who sits on the Throne Unto the Lamb
Be all the blessing and Glory and Power and Praise
All creation sing in heaven and earth
We make known You are holy, You are holy'
 
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You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

It is disturbing how people will so readily conspire to nullify the words of Jesus. But they go right ahead and resort to such wickedness and teach others to do the same. Rather than seeking the truth with an honest and pure heart, they would rather manufacture up lies to believe and comfort themselves.

These sin laden folks just don't like the sound of these words. To them, the word "perfect" simply means "not sinning" and that is something they just cannot fathom. So they just go right ahead and butcher this teaching of Jesus. And they really don't care what Jesus meant by these words, They have their creedal idols to serve.

So what is Jesus teaching here exactly and why did he say this? Start here:

You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:36

Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5:43-48 are parallel accounts, the same teaching. Jesus is teaching his disciples to love like God loves, a love that goes all the way not just part way.

The word "perfect" at Matthew 5:48 means to be complete, finished, fully mature, to go all the way not just part way. Don't just walk one mile with someone but walk two when he asks you to walk just one. Don't just love your neighbor. That would not be perfect; it would not be complete. Love your enemies too. Jesus is teaching his disciples a righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees (5:20). He does this with several "You have heard it said.... But I say to you....." teachings.

You have heard it said... righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
But I say to you... a righteousness which surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees

Jesus is raising the bar and teaching his disciples that following Jesus is a much higher morality and righteousness than the prescriptions of the Law. And Jesus sums up with this:

You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In other words, love completely and perfectly just like the Father does. Loving your neighbor but hating your enemy is a self-serving love. God is love and He wants us to love just as He loves. While we were His enemies He loved us (Romans 5:8-10; John 3:16; Eph 2:4). Be perfect just as your Father is perfect.

See how easy that was when you actually care about the truth instead of resorting to lies when you don't like what you hear? Notice how this also accords with Luke's parallel account, "Be merciful...." Love is mercifully, compassionately self giving to all and anyone. Such love isn't just given to neighbors you like but also to your enemies and those who persecute you.

Notice how John is saying exactly the same thing:

...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven..... be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
.
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as He is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17

Same thing.

be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
as He is, so also are we 1 John 4:17

So now you don't need to believe and teach lies about Matthew 5:48 anymore.
8"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
 
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8"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. .... but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8
 
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For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8
Good verse.Very Gnostic though. Like 'powers' as in
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
Creation = demiurge.
 
Good verse.Very Gnostic though. Like 'powers' as in
And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord when I make atonement for all your gnostic backsliding ways. Ezekiel 16:62-63
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Creation = demiurge.
And in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Col 2:10
 
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You repeatedly make known that you are a blind gnostic, since it is Christ who takes away sin and sets us apart.

For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:19
The way of the Father is to be like Him and in His same image.

Do you know why you are not in His same image? I do!
 
JonHawk said:
It is Christ who takes away sin and sets us apart.
For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:19
The way of the Father is to be like Him and in His same image.
Do you know why you are not in His same image? I do!
Those known to God, He determined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He be the firstborn among many brethren. These He called, declared righteous and glorified. Rom 8:29-30
 
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JonHawk said:
It is Christ who takes away sin and sets us apart.
Yes Gods anointing in me is the Christ. Christ = Gods anointed.
For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:19
There ya go! I did to the same way Jesus did, he obeyed the Father as well and receieved from Him His anointing. See Matt 3:16.
Those known to God, He determined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
We who are known to God are exactly like Him as Jesus was like Him and we are in His same image just as Jesus was in His same image.
that He be the firstborn among many brethren. These He called, declared righteous and glorified. Rom 8:29-30
And the sinners has been called to Him but refuse to go to Him and you like your sin more than you like God to be like Him instead.
 
Those known to God, He determined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He be the firstborn among many brethren. These He called, declared righteous and glorified. Rom 8:29-30
There ya go! I did to the same way Jesus did,
What did you blind gnostics do, give your life and take it up again?
Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed an apostle 1 Tim 2:5-7
 
What did you blind gnostics do, give your life and take it up again?
Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed an apostle 1 Tim 2:5-7
No way, we took up His life to live ourselves.

What did you blind agnostics do, give up your life then take it up again?

Pretty obvious that you never gave up your sinful life that you say you are off, so you cant pick it up again for you never left that former life of sin.

Paul never gave up his life as a sinner either so he couldn't have taken up that what he never repented from just as you as a sinner.

You cant know that what you dont have from God Himself in righteousness. You would have to give up your life in order to go back to it. Something you never have repented from is self.
 
No way, we took up His life to live ourselves.

What did you blind agnostics do, give up your life then take it up again?
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
 
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20

If you or Paul did you wouldn't be the sinner you guys say you are of.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
Then why do you choose to be the sinner?

Sin is not a defect, sin is a choice that you make just as righteousness is a choice we make.
 
JonHawk said:
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
If you or Paul did you wouldn't be the sinner you guys say you are of.
If you would receive Christ you wouldn't be a blind gnostic.
For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Gal 3:25-29
 
JonHawk said:
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
Paul didnt live in that faith, his faith was in sin the sinner he said he was, and you follow him as a sinner instead of the One who is without sin.

Are not you the sinner you say you are just as Paul did?
If you would receive Christ you wouldn't be a blind gnostic.
If you would receive the Christ to be Gods anointed as Jesus did in Matt 3:16 you wouldn't be that agnostic antichrist that you are of who accuses Him in His ways as a gnostic liar.
For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Gal 3:25-29
For to have the same anointing from God as Jesus had as God demands of you as well if you are to be His saved, you to would be a child of God, but because that isn't possible and gnostic lies, you go in the ways of the antichrist without the Christ to have His same mind and walk in it.

We who has been baptized by God are that person of Christ who is anointed of God.
 
JonHawk said:
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
If you or Paul did you wouldn't be the sinner you guys say you are of.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Rom 8
But whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36
 
JonHawk said:
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
I live the son of God, for I am one.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Rom 8
But not for you for we who are in Christ are condemned as gnostic liars.
But whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36
And you so reject being His son because that would be gnostic lies for you as you keep stating His ways are lies.
 
JonHawk said:
Now the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Rom 8
But whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36
I live the son of God, for I am one. But not for you for we who are in Christ are condemned as gnostic liars.
You blind gnostic hypocrites are condemned because you don't believe that Jesus, the Son of God is the Christ.
Jesus said to them, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16
 
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