Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
(Matthew 5:48)
This is a great command for true followers of Jesus Christ to strive for, the command is to 'be perfect' but what does that mean?
Strongs defines it as: complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness:—of full age, man, perfect.
In our English language we would use the the word 'mature' in addition to 'complete'. Both together show a greater picture of how a follower of Christ is to mature into completion, or be striving for it but it is not something that can just be learned by reading but also by doing:
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)
Over time the experiences of trials and errors in a believers walk will bring to life the words of teaching and admonishment and a deeper understanding will slowly form and shape one into maturity, able to pass on those lessons to others in hopes that they will understand as they come across such situations.
Maturing, perfection, completion can only come to those who are walking obediently in the Word, willing to pick up their cross and deny themselves in this present world. Only then will the Lord allow deeper understanding and growth.
2 Peter 5:1-7 helps us on that path...
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
We are also admonished in 1 Corinthians 13:11:
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
What a believer needs to do is obey what they learn and the more they learn and obey, the more the Lord will reveal to them in a deeper level. It's one thinig to obey the scriptures because you see what is written in them but it's maturity from doing so that will allow you to see the depth of the meaning. Let's use a few examples. Say a new believing man sees in the scriptures that NFL sports are sinful and gives them up even if his flesh doesn't want to. He has rightfully done so out of obedience but as he matures in Christ and the further he gets away from that past sin the more he sees how it also caused him to be competetive and aggressive etc.
A woman may read the scriptures on biblical dress and headcovering and obeys the scriptures by dressing and covering herself. As she walks along in her obedience and matures in the faith she will see how deep seeded her sinful nature of pride and vanity were.
A man could have a job offer and he tells his brother in Christ. His brother may have walked that path before and would share that it would be troublesome to his Christian life in that he would be constantly pressured to sin or compromise his faith to the point of vexing his spirit and causing him to stumble in his walk.
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked
(2 Peter 2:7)
The man might take that job, not heeding the council of his mature brother but in time he will gain a deeper understanding and see why he was warned. Sadly that seems to be the case in many areas and sometimes there is much damage done already that it is hard to undo.
A woman may read about submission and having a quiet, gentle spirit and not fully know how to do that but as she walks in obedience in the best way she can, she will see how her obedience affects others and through those results will see the depth of every area she needs to work on.
Just as a child does not fully understand the reasoning of an adult until they become one, Christians will also learn as they grow.
A woman may read the scriptures on biblical dress and headcovering and obeys the scriptures by dressing and covering herself. As she walks along in her obedience and matures in the faith she will see how deep seeded her sinful nature of pride and vanity were.
A man could have a job offer and he tells his brother in Christ. His brother may have walked that path before and would share that it would be troublesome to his Christian life in that he would be constantly pressured to sin or compromise his faith to the point of vexing his spirit and causing him to stumble in his walk.
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked
(2 Peter 2:7)
The man might take that job, not heeding the council of his mature brother but in time he will gain a deeper understanding and see why he was warned. Sadly that seems to be the case in many areas and sometimes there is much damage done already that it is hard to undo.
A woman may read about submission and having a quiet, gentle spirit and not fully know how to do that but as she walks in obedience in the best way she can, she will see how her obedience affects others and through those results will see the depth of every area she needs to work on.
Just as a child does not fully understand the reasoning of an adult until they become one, Christians will also learn as they grow.
Deep study and clinging to God's Word will mature a saint in knowledge, then walking in obedience to it will mature saints in a deeper level, until our Father has picked away at everything to refine us and make us....
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.(Matthew 5:48)
We at dontperish have made enough mistakes in our walk and gained much maturity (we have a long way to go too!) so we wanted to use the knowlege of the Word and our experiences to help others who are walking just behind us. We pray that those who are ahead of us will do the same and share what they have learned!
Be patient as you will not learn everything at once...
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
If you are diligent and bring your requests to God, asking for wisdom, He will grant it to you.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)
Let us know if we can help you!
God be praised!
www.dontperish.com
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