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FAQ # 61
QUESTION 61
: Didn’t Jesus command
us to be perfect (Matt 5:48), how then are we perfect by being born again?
The text reads, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt
5:48).
At the time, the born again plan wasn’t into effect as yet, so no
one could be perfect at that time; as in regenerated. Perfection comes
after conversion (born again). To illustrate, Jesus told Peter, “when
thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Lk 22:32). In other words,
Peter wasn’t converted yet; the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
Christ weren’t completed. This would be the mechanism to which a person
would become truly perfect; by becoming born again.
What made someone imperfect is sin. For instance, “Thou wast perfect
in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found
in thee” (Eze 28:15). In other words, this fallen Cherub was perfect until
iniquity - sin - was found in him. Another example, “the holy flesh is
passed from thee? when thou doest evil” (Jer 11:15). Here the people became
unholy because of sin. Christ came and did the opposite for us, he came
and made us sinless through being born again. Not that we hadn’t sin or
will sin, but through him we would be as if we had no sin, period.
You might also say perfect in this scripture was referring to maturity,
hardly. It means equal holiness and standard with God, pointing to justification.
Even if maturity was argued it would fail, because how can a man on his
own be perfect with God; “even as your father.” Rather it was speaking
of us, through Jesus Christ, becoming equal to God in holiness when we
are born again. That’s the reason the scripture tells us that we are “joint
heirs” with Jesus Christ: Joint means equal and if Jesus is equal to God,
and he thinks it not robbery to be so, we shouldn’t either. “For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb 10:14).
Even further, I checked the Greek word used for “perfect” in Matt 5:48 and it means, “Brought
to its end (finished), wanting nothing necessary to completeness.” Then
I checked the Greek rendering for “perfected”
in Heb 10:14 and it means, “to make perfect or complete, to carry through
completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end.” That’s the reason
I keep telling saints that they are complete in Christ and need nothing
else to “meet up” to God, oh the heights, depths and riches of this salvation.
What happened is this, when God made man, he made him to be like him;
that’s what Adam had and lost. In fact, the very word “man” in the first
book of the Bible translated from the original, means “phantom;” which
signifies a direct replica of God. Adam destroyed this for us, but thank
God through Jesus Christ we have regained it. We, in and of ourselves
couldn’t do it and have even tried relentlessly throughout history to
do so, spanning many religions, sects and fraternities. But what man couldn’t
do, Jesus prophesied in Matt 5:48 and finished when he rose from the dead.
And now any person who is in Christ is complete. You are perfect, complete,
whole and nothing in heaven or earth can change that; not even you!
Part 2
God said something strange
to an unregenerated man, the father of us all, Abraham. He said, “walk
before me, and be thou perfect” (Gen 17:1).
How could Abraham be perfect/righteous? He wasn’t the most honest
(Gen 12:13), he killed (Gen 14:14) and had other imperfections. However,
the reason he was righteous or perfect is the same reason we are righteous
or perfect. That is, “he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him
for righteousness” (Gen 15:6). How else could he be perfect except with
faith? Similarly, we are perfect by faith as well.
When we believe in the Lord, which leads to a consequential born again experience, we become righteous or perfect. We have to believe it; “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5)
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