Quote:
Originally Posted by Forrest
When you posted your thoughts, my mind went to: Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
How is it possible for anyone to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect? Are we? It's difficult to accept this reality because we live in our sinful mortality, but in Christ we are perfect! 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
The righteousness of God is unchangeable. It's mine in Christ. Is that amazing grace or what? 1 John 3:8-9 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Absolute. Final. Finished. Thank you Heavenly Father for the undeserved, unearned, unmerited riches of Thy grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen. |
Yes, amen. I believe as you do, it's wonderful and joyful to consider the position we are in in Christ, seated in heavenly places even now, WOW.
Yet I'm still not sure Paul is referring to our position in Christ when he says to be perfect. I think your first comment on the emphasis being about "good works" is heading in the right direction, for the following examples of perfect men are given in scripture:
Job 1:1 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.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Psalms 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
Compare Job and James and we see that a perfect man is one who is upright, fears God, avoids/shuns evil, and controls his tongue and his flesh. If anyone can practise such a walk as this on earth it is the new creature in Christ, the born again believer who has a new nature, to be perfect.
Also, Noah was said to be perfect (Gen 6:9), God told Abraham to be perfect (Genesis 17:1), not to mention all of Israel (Deut 18:13), and there is a fair bit in the OT about having a perfect heart with the Lord.