Be Perfect
Right after directing us to love our enemies, Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
By this I don’t believe He meant for us to be sinless or having attained perfect behavior. Its more like being without pretense or hypocrisy. It is to be whole, to be loving from the inside out─integrity. That is, to love naturally. To love everyone, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done to anyone, or to us. Even if they’ve abused us or persecuted us.
Christ makes His standard so high, that it can only be done with His help. We get into heaven on only one credential, Jesus our Lord. Without that credential, as will be seen in our life, heaven is still only a theory. Love is the evidence God’s people can hang on to when they feel doomed because their behavior doesn’t match up to others, and the lack of love is how He exposes those who are talented or have the good behavior, but who’ve never known the power of His grace. And He knows them that are His and who they are who hear His voice.
By this I don’t believe He meant for us to be sinless or having attained perfect behavior. Its more like being without pretense or hypocrisy. It is to be whole, to be loving from the inside out─integrity. That is, to love naturally. To love everyone, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done to anyone, or to us. Even if they’ve abused us or persecuted us.
Christ makes His standard so high, that it can only be done with His help. We get into heaven on only one credential, Jesus our Lord. Without that credential, as will be seen in our life, heaven is still only a theory. Love is the evidence God’s people can hang on to when they feel doomed because their behavior doesn’t match up to others, and the lack of love is how He exposes those who are talented or have the good behavior, but who’ve never known the power of His grace. And He knows them that are His and who they are who hear His voice.
posted by David | 2:58 PM
5 Comments:
We shouldn't be comparing ourselves to others, but look to Christ. By beholding, we become changed. Whenever I look at other people, I will compare myself either favorably and get arrogant, or unfavorably and get depressed. When I look at Jesus, I can see my true reality, my weaknesses- yet with hope because He has already won the victory on my behalf. :o)
Hi.Yes, so much hinges on our interpretation of things that we have on record that Jesus said, and even one or two words that have been translated with even a shade of different meaning.
I agree with you. Perfection. Many Christians in bondage have put themselves in bondage to this passage.
I thought of an example. I love Dennis Quaid. In the movie "Good Company" I thought, "he embodies the ideal American man." He is handsome, that is the first thing you see, but he is kind, patient, loves his wife, loves his daughter, is firm with prople without being too harsh, gentle without being too soft. He has a sense of humor and is intelligent. I could go on.
What makes him perfect is his imperfection. He is imperfect enough so that he also embodies humility. Our awareness of our fallible nature and our imperfections, which continue to surface, is our road to humility.
Things have a richer meaning. People want black and white definitions and the 'religious" want to drain the life out of everything.
Hello Gabrielle
We see many good aspects of character from certain individuals. And when we love them, their flaws get overlooked. Of course, that's what charity is all about, it covers a multitude of sins. Maybe Dennis Quaid knows his imperfections and has kept them always in the forefront of this mind, and that has kept him humble. That is a wise person who knows to do that. Maybe his parents were like that also.
Was Jesus more humble than Dennis Quaid? In what ways? Many people will quickly rattle off, "He was crucified for our sins." But that is often not a life changing statement. How can we analyze Christ's characteristics like we do other faulty human beings and find the grace and power that the apostles found? Does the scriptures give us enough documented data to know Jesus that well? How can He become our number one focus, we who have never seen Him in real life, like He was for Peter and John and Paul who met Him? Is it fair? Is He able to come as close to us and reveal Himself to us as well as He did for them in His flesh?
I am not sure what you meant, but I am sure Jesus was more humble than Quaid, but he was the perfect model, right?
Quaid, I'm sure now, has a goodness rooted in some Christian teaching he got growing up like so many Americans. That stuff goes deep. His brother isn't bitter about being the goofy looking one but has used that for good.
Quaid lives in Paradise Valley in Montana. I was there last summer and the locals say they love him. He often visits this old fashioned small town nearby. How cool that the is the kind of man he plays in film.
Yes, its good to see some goodness wherever we can. It doesn't come very often so we have to appreciate it however it comes.
Post a Comment
<< Home