Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
How do you become perfect before God?
This next verse gives us a bit of insight:
For the eyes of the Lord
run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to shew himself strong in the behalf of them
whose heart is perfect toward him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a
God is looking on our hearts
Be ye perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect,
is impossible in our own strength.
Jesus is our example and is able to give us,
whatever it is we are lacking
to fulfill our purpose in us,
if we draw on Him and look to His perfection
as our example of what to strive for
How can we be perfect?
Why, by being imperfect, of course
from Luke 16:
And he spake this parable unto certain which
trusted in themselves that they were righteous,
and despised others:
Two men went up into the temple to pray;
the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week,
I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,
but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other:
for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased;
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. vs 9-14
Anytime we think we’ve got it right,
have got it made,
are the spiritual one,
know all the answers,
have figured out all of God’s ways,
and have elevated ourselves
to some high spiritual status in the heavenly realm,
we’re lacking the humility that we need to be perfect before God
Just when we think we’ve got it, we’ve then lost it
Boast not in thyself, let another praise thee
Just when you think you are perfect,
that is if you are exalting yourself, you’ll be debased
You want God to notice you?
Read on…For all those things hath mine hand made,
and all those things have been, saith the Lord:
but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembleth at my word. Isaiah 66:2
Scriptural References:
Let another man praise thee,
and not thine own mouth;
a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Proverbs 27:2
Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.
1 Peter 5:6