[Pastor Ralph]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

[Tabatha]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

How can we be perfect? (1) in character. in this life we cannot be flawless . but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible (2) in holiness . Like the Pharisees, we are to seperate ourselves from the world's sinful value. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to God's desires rather than our own, and carry His love and mercy into the world. (3) in maturity. We can't achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager , and an adult , so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development . (4) in love. We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us.

We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level-- perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity. and to mature in every area. becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect , even as Christ is perfect. ( 1 John 3:2,3).

[Elwood C O'Dell]

To be perfect as Christ is perfect. What a glorious high calling. Simply to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love one another as we love ourselves is the highest of callings. On our own we will fail, but with Him living the life in and through us, we can love in such a way. We might fail from time to time but the good news is that He is a God who never fails and if we seek Him in our failures, admit them, let Him heal us, we can continue to grow more and more like Him until that great day we see Him face to face.

[Roxanne]

[quote name='Pastor Ralph' date='Dec 19 2007, 11:29 PM' post='32202']
Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?
..
IT MEANS TO LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART...WE ARE NOT PERFECT BUT WHEN WE STUMBLE OR FALL JESUS IS THERE HE NEVER LETS US DOWN!!!!

[charisbarak]

Verse 48 means to seek to mature in Christ. No, not perfection (not on earth, anyway). Yes, maturity. Sinless perfection is Jesus!! We are to model Jesus and our Father, God.

I like how verse 48 is explained in the Amplified Bible: " You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfcet (that is, grow into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity."

and in The Message: "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

Still growing in Him.........

[love.serve.know]

We should be striving toward spiritual growth and maturity and one of the fruits of maturity is genuine love for others

[JanMary]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

1)I think the Amplified bible says it better than I can: "Growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity." For me, that means I am to press on toward that goal as Paul admonishes us. I will not be perfect until my flesh has been shed and I am "in the likeness and image of Christ" in Heaven, posessing His nature and character.

2)No, I don't think this is teaching perfection here on earth, because that is not attainable due to our fallen human nature....however, when God the Father looks at His children, He sees us as perfect because He is looking at us through Jesus shed blood. I LOVE that!

3)That doctrine contradicts scipture. Phil 1:6 teaches that "He Who BEGAN a good work in you, will CONTINUE until the Day of Jesus Christ (developing that good work) and PERFECTING and bringing it to full COMPLETION in you." That work is under way, but THAT DAY hasn't happened and won't until I meet Jesus face to face.....then I will be perfect because I will be like Him and my sinful, fallen nature will have been left here on earth.

4)V48 says we are to grow in spiritual maturity and godliness, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. As we grow in this grace and walk in love and obedience, by the Holy Spirit, we demonstrate (v45) that we are the children of our Father Who is in Heaven.

[tom.nabors]

In the context, verse 48 calls for us to go beyond the type of love unbelievers have. Even unbelievers love their children, their families and even their friends who love them back. Christian agape love calls for the type of love and common grace that God shows even to the wicked, causing "His sun to rise on" and "sending rain to". The only way we can extend our love to this level of Christian maturity is by focusing on Christ instead of ourselves.

[jjj]

To know perfection is to know Jesus. That is part of the journey to know where we are going spiritually. Hard as it is to know when we are falling short and recognize it and to ask for help from the Spirit to move further in that direction. To press into that truth no matter what else is happening in the world around us. Father knows our heart and Jesus total is our destination , all we can do is keep in the race and keep on striving towards the prize. To know when we have fallen short and to ask forgiveness and continue in the knowledge that through the help of the Godhead we will get to that perfection asked of us.

[Bonnie Nelson]

Q6. In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of sinless perfection? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

I believe that verse 48 means that we should strive to do those things that Christ does. Unfortunately, our human nature is not perfect and we will never achieve perfection in this world. But we can strive to do those things that are working towards that perfection. By loving your neighbors, by loving your enemies, by praying and asking the Holy Spirit to touch those individuals that harm us, can we begin to achieve Christ-like perfection. Christian maturity does play a major role in obeying the truth in verse 48 because it seems that the older we get the more forgiving and understanding we become.

[Patricia A]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48)
In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

God's love for the just and the unjust is the end or purpose or goal of our love. It requires us to renounce our selfish and discriminatory love in favor of love for all, even love for our enemies. Christ's death on the cross for our sins is perhaps the best example of all.


We Christians cannot settle for a love that only loves friends. Instead we are to embrace a greater love, impossible unless the Holy Spirit grows this love within our hearts. We aspire to a love that forgives the unforgivable, a love that bridges the enmity of decades, a love that refuses to tire from rejection, a love that never gives up. This is the love we are called to. This quality of love is God's perfection and glory, and is to be ours as well.


We are not to reinterpret the Law in order to justify our hatreds, as the Pharisees did. Rather, we are to redefine ourselves, be renewed in God's image, and imbued with His Spirit so that we might "be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect."

[Patricia A]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48)
In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

God's love for the just and the unjust is the end or purpose or goal of our love. It requires us to renounce our selfish and discriminatory love in favor of love for all, even love for our enemies. Christ's death on the cross for our sins is perhaps the best example of all.


We Christians cannot settle for a love that only loves friends. Instead we are to embrace a greater love, impossible unless the Holy Spirit grows this love within our hearts. We aspire to a love that forgives the unforgivable, a love that bridges the enmity of decades, a love that refuses to tire from rejection, a love that never gives up. This is the love we are called to. This quality of love is God's perfection and glory, and is to be ours as well.


We are not to reinterpret the Law in order to justify our hatreds, as the Pharisees did. Rather, we are to redefine ourselves, be renewed in God's image, and imbued with His Spirit so that we might "be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect."

[s8nfighter]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. God hates sin because sin is what separates us from Him. There is no pain greater than watching a child suffer in sin. Love does not diminish for a child caught up in sin but the distaste for sin which is causing the pain increases. If we are to be like the Father in this way are we not called to love the sinner but hate the sin?

The doctrine of sinless perfection is not what Jesus is refering to here. What he is refering to is best described in 1 Corinthians 13. "1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (NIV)

Darrell

[June]

Jesus is /was perfect in every way.
Strive to be like Christ and do as He would do. Show love to our enemies. Let God be God and try not to pass judgement on others. Show the love and mercy that Christ would.
Christ loves us all equally. He does not love one more than the other.

[mags]

We need to strive for spiritual maturity - to be like Jesus should be our heart's cry. As we grow spiritually everyday we will become more like Jesus everyday, and therefore, closer to the perfection that is Jesus and the Father.

We will not have sinless perfection until the Lord comes again (see Phillipians 1:6). The work in us has begun but won't be completed in us until we see Christ.

Spiritual maturity is the key and as we mature and grow in God our lives will be and are changed dramatically for God's glory.

[Stan]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.


48.Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.



It means that we are to live our lives in Christ trying to be purfect in our love for other as Jesus taught us to do. I think that perfection is the main theme through out all scripture. Living a life of perfection is a life time struggle to acheive so it does require maturity. We are all sinners as Paul stated so sinless perfection is or should be our calling and we should all want to be perfect regardless of wheather we can acheive it or not.

We are all children of the Most High and it is His desire and should be ours that we be perfect.

[Dar]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here?
Yes, perfection is being taught here, the word comes from "telos" meaning, end, goal, limit. Perfection should be the goal for every Christian

Does maturity express the idea best?
Yes, each day we live, we should be maturing in Him. We should be growing in His love, pressing forward to the day we come face to face with the Messiah. What a day that will be, I will be "perfect" - I will indeed be like Him. (1John 3:2) But, until that day comes, I am to be working on my wedding gown, adding to it the good deeds that I have been taught to do, as I read God's words of direction for my life.
Perfection, God tells me, this is to be my goal. I am happy I have the Holy Spirit to help me, for I could never do it with out His help.

[sahala p.s.]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?

In the context, for the Christian verse 48 means we must be perfect in love

Yes, maturity expresses the idea best because those who is mature in God are mature in love because God is love.

About the doctrine of "sinless perfection," sinless perfection is to be ours, we must make effort to attain it, though we will fall short of God’s holiness. We are able to attain it because of Holy Spirit in us.

Verse 48 relate to verse 45 in a way that if we are perfect in love we can love the evil and the good, or love the righteous and the unrighteous as our heavenly Father does to them all.

[JustJeff]

Verse 48 is about becoming a mature Christian. The analogy about a narrow road not only indicates that few will make the Pearly Gates but that we're on a journey as well. As with life, we should grow and become more mature.
I have witnessed people who believe that we can become sinlessly perfect and watched that doctrine destroy them as they become delusional about their spiritual condition. They actually got to the point where they developed a mandate to convince others of their perfect state. Sadly, they were blind guides.
Verse 48 > 45 is about love which is the true perfection here. We should strive to be complete in our love. We are to love everyone.

[Lisa Rupert]

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45?
What I get out of this is that Christ wants us to live as an example of him. We are to live a Christ-like life, even though we are sinners we are to try to avoid sin as much as we can and when we sin we are to repent.