Perfection According to God

There is no doubt we have a beautifully and wonderfully perfect God. So much so it actually staggers my mind. Recently, our pastor was giving a sermon on Matthew 5:43-­48: 


“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 

This is Christ speaking as part of the Sermon on the Mount and what a challenge we see. If we start at verse 48, we see the command to be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. At this point our pastor said, “What is perfection according to God?” 

Well this has caused me to think. The dictionary says that perfection is the quality or state of being perfect. Digging deeper in Greek the word perfection is actually teleios and it means brought to its end; finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, full grown, adult, mature. 

So I see this image of being complete, a finished work, fully mature. Therefore, we must ask what are we lacking? Did you notice that in the middle of verse 48 there is a therefore? I was taught that when you see a therefore, you must ask what is the therefore there for. 

What is Christ telling us? He is telling us to love even our enemies and to pray for them. He is telling us that as believers this should be the difference and if there is no difference then what’s the difference? 

As I continue to think this through I realized that when I was an enemy of God he loved me still. Therefore, to be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect; love must be my foundation – loving God and loving others. 

Glorious and Perfect Father, thank you for your perfect love and your grace, thank you for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might truly love. Father, help us all to love you perfectly and help us to love others as you so perfectly love us.
Grace and Peace!