Teachings from Quest for God's Own Heart Ministry

But You are to be Perfect, Even as Your Father in Heaven is Perfect:

How in the World can we be Perfect?

“‘You have heard that our ancestors were told, You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment. But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!...You have heard the commandment that says, You must not commit adultery. But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart…You have heard the law that says, A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce. But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery…You have also heard that our ancestors were told, You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord. But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, By heaven! because heaven is Gods throne…You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also…“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!’”

“‘But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.’” (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-39, 43-44, 48)

          We all know the Sermon on the Mount. We also know the “You have heard…But I say,” passages. These are powerful verses that take us to the heart of God. Too often in our walk with Jesus, we excuse our actions. It is as if we see ourselves as American Christians, instead of citizens of Heaven. We have added the American culture into the doctrines of our faith. We have lost what it means to be a Child of God.
 
          The Rugged American mentality has caused us to be blind to the fact we should not be angry. Of course, there is such a thing as righteous anger. However, we have continued redefining what righteous anger means in our society. When Jesus hung on the cross, He had every right to be angry. He could’ve destroyed everyone who put Him on the cross, and we wouldn’t have condemned Him for it. Jesus had every right to take the lives of those who put Him on the cross. But, that is not why Jesus came to earth. Jesus came to show us the heart of the Father and to die for our sins. He showed us with His life and the words He spoke we have no right to be angry with anyone. Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
 
          Adultery. It would’ve been easy to leave this part out of my lesson. However, I would be no better than the Pharisees if I did. Jesus said if we even think it in our heart; in God’s eyes, we are committing the act of adultery. The only difference is we are not having the other party participating in our sin. God requires purity in our lives. He requires purity in our heart and our actions. That is the only way we can be the Light of the World to our family, neighbors, coworkers, and anyone else God sends our way.
 
          Divorce? Okay, now I’m meddling, right? Unfortunately, no. Jesus was sharing with us the heart of the Father. He was telling us what purity is in the eyes of God. Once again, we in America have redefined what purity is. We act as if going to church every week, giving our ten percent, sharing the Gospel to those around us, is the only thing God desires from us. Of course, I am not saying any of those things are wrong. Going to church is imperative. Giving back to God is also important. Everything we have comes from God. Why wouldn’t we want to give back to Him? Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ is also part of the Great Commission. However, God requires purity. Divorce saddens the heart of the Father. But, God’s love for us is bigger than our sins. His forgiveness is Pure and Holy. There is nothing we can do that can separate us from the love of the Father. However, that doesn’t mean divorce is what God desires.
 
          Jesus also tells us we are not to make vows to anyone. Instead, we are just to do it. We see this in the family, workplace, neighborhoods, and in the church. I will do it, I promise. I will keep an eye on things for you. I will pray for you. I will help you next week. I will always love you.  Have you made commitments you had no intention of keeping? Commitment is the heart of the issue. We are not to make promises we know we won’t keep. Our yes should mean yes. Our no should mean no. We, as Believers are to be a people who keep our word. When we don’t, we have hidden the Light of Jesus from our lives.
 
          An eye for an eye. In American churches, we have accepted feuds, intolerance, hate, and division. We need to stop believing we can be the judge and jury. Who are we to think we have the right to repay those who have hurt us. Can you honestly say you have not, nor do not hurt God on a daily basis? Our disobedience and our words hurt the Father. Yet, not only does He forgive us because of Jesus, but He also forgets our sins. Should we not do the same? Let us be Jesus to those around us.
 
          Jesus also said not only are we to love our neighbor, but we are to also love our enemies. Wow! Really? Jesus said we are to show love to everyone. Even those who hate us. I go back to Jesus on the cross. His enemies put Him there, and what did He say? Father forgive them. We are to forgive as God has forgiven us. We are to love as God loves us. God loved and loves His enemies. We are to do the same. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see” (1 John 4:20)? Ouch!

          Finally, Jesus said, you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Now, wait a minute. How can God say we are to be perfect? Only He is perfect, right? Here is the point Jesus is making. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can do the right thing, every moment of every day. Of course, we will fail. I know I constantly do. Our old nature rears its ugly head, and we fall all the time. There is a silver lining when we do fall: God forgives us. We don’t have to wallow in self-pity. We don’t have to live our lives as failures. We have the God of the Universe in our hearts. We can choose to do the right thing in every situation we face when we remain in Jesus. We can be the Perfect reflection of His love when we make the right choices in our lives. We must choose not to be angry. We must choose to not have impure thoughts. We must decide to love our spouse, till death do us part. We must choose always to mean what we say, never vowing to do something we have no intention of keeping. We must choose not to repay someone who has harmed us, causing division and strife. We must choose to love those whom we have been taught to hate. Hate has no place in God’s heart. We must choose to do the right thing. Let us show the pure heart of the Father in our lives. Let us decide to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is Perfect.