AND YOU SHALL BE MY DISCIPLES – Lesson #11
- Be Perfect
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:46–48).
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Jesus is calling us to rise above our carnal nature. Again, humanly, a most difficult if not impossible task. Yet Jesus says we must.
He compares how our human nature is to associate (love = AGAPAO = Which is to love, to feel and exhibit esteem and goodwill to a person, to prize and delight in) those with whom we agree and who agree with us.
But, Jesus is telling us IF WE ARE TO BE HIS DISCIPLES we must adopt a ‘view from above’. We must see the entire picture of humanity as He sees it – from a ‘heavenly perspective’, “as your heavenly Father”.
He tells us we must be PERFECT, just as our heavenly Father is perfect.
PERFECT: Strong’s concordance #5046 τέλειος teleios tel’-i-os
Brought to its end, finished ; wanting nothing necessary to completeness ; perfect ; that which is perfect; consummate human integrity and virtue, of men; full-grown, adult, of full age, mature.
In colloquial terms, to GROW UP and ACT LIKE JESUS. Jesus, Who is PERFECT! We are to be full of integrity, virtue, adult, mature, LIKE JESUS.
Possess Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. The state of being whole and undivided.
Possess Virtue: Behavior showing high moral standards. Moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being.
Doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.
The virtues are temperance, prudence, courage (or fortitude), and justice. Christianity derives the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love (charity) – 1 Corinthians 13.
There is no escape from this. If we call ourselves “Christian”, a disciple of Jesus, this is what we do. It gives a new meaning to the phrase…
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
2 Peter 1:5 ¶ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Now, it is your turn:
HOW CAN YOU DO IT?________________________________________
HOW YOU CAN TEACH IT? ____________________________________
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Whitestone Fellowship 