Perfection

Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus first described the beatitudes, then fleshed out what is the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit behind it. Jesus said it is not enough to just not murder people, but it is the root of anger God wants my heart cleansed from...its not enough to just not retaliate against those who are against me, but Jesus says bless them...love them. And then, the icing on the cake..."be perfect." Oh, Jesus, do you know who I am?! How is this command possible to live up to!?!

The truth is, Jesus knew exactly who He was addressing. He was offering a wild invitation to anyone who would choose to come near Him in honesty. The word perfect here is also translated "complete." Jesus was saying "be complete in your desire to agree with Me." Don't be satisfied that you resist gossip, but still harbor anger towards those one or two that just don't "get it." Don't tell yourself you are a good Jesus follower because you don't get drunk, and ignore the fact that you reason your way out of helping those you see that have financial needs or want some more of your time! Be complete...be perfect in my war against those things in my heart that fall short of the perfect standard Jesus set, and He will help me.

Jesus isn't just the "gate" into salvation, He is also the "way" into the kingdom...into greatness in the kingdom forever:

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

There is a narrow way which leads to life. Jesus walked it perfectly...completely...and left a model for me to follow. I can enter through the narrow gate and still not walk the narrow way. This is a completely valid option, BUT it WILL lead to me being "least in the kingdom":

Matthew 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Heaven is coming to earth...here...and when it does, the earth will still be full of all kinds of people filling all kinds of roles. There will be many citizens (those who entered the gate), but not all will have the same living condition, just like now. Those who have chosen to follow Jesus in the narrow way and taught others the value of it will be "great" forever. Those who got in the kingdom through the narrow gate but then took casually what they did after that will be "least."

Many who choose to be least want others to be least with them...it is more comfortable to surround yourself with people that help you be comfortable doing less. Those going after greatness make others uncomfortable. That is why Jesus said this, right after describing the narrow way:

Matthew 7:15-17 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Those who are reaching for greatness...reaching to be more and more like Jesus...they will manifest the fruit of being near Him. Good fruit is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control, faithfulness. Jesus said that before I receive teaching or direction from someone, I should consider the fruit of their "truth" in their own lives, or the lives of those promoting them.

One might preach that I can be great, but they live with no peace or love themselves...that is NOT greatness. One might preach that I can be wealthy, but live in a huge lack of kindness or self-control. That wealth isn't worth it. A false teacher might be great in wealth by the world's standard, and still be poor, blind, wretched and naked by Jesus' true standard that will last infinitely longer.

Revelation 3:17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

On one day in the near future, only one opinion will matter...Based on what I choose today...how perfect I desire to be, Jesus will assign me to some position that will reflect forever His opinion of my greatness...for real.

It is totally up to me. God refuses to violate free will. There is a very specific reason...a physical reason.. why my choice now determines my position forever. It is because right now we live in the time Jesus is making all things new. I am made in the triune image of God. I am spirit, soul, and body. My spirit was renewed when I walked through the narrow gate. My body will get renewed when Jesus splits the sky and changes me in an instant...but my soul...my mind, will, and emotions...those are getting renewed right now...day by day, choice by choice. Everyone gets what they want. If I want the "least" renewal of my soul now, I will be assigned a position that reflects that choice forever. If I want "great" renewal, I will be assigned a position that reflects that choice...forever.

Jesus wants everyone to choose greatness, but greatness as he defines it. This is in direct conflict with greatness the way the world defines it. Jesus, the greatest preacher of the Gospel the world has ever seen, only had 12 people with Him after He preached His last message. His greatness wasn't in numbers that would only matter for a few short years...His greatness was measured by His agreement with the Father, which will never diminish...in trillions of years His choices will still be reflected in the perfect measure of glory assigned the Him by the Father, who has given Him the name above every other name.

What I choose now, while my heart is being re-made, will determine forever my capacity for greatness. I will only be as complete...as perfect... in my capacity as I choose to be now.

If I want completeness...perfection...it is as easy as 1,2, 3:
1. Take an honest inventory of myself compared to what Jesus walked in (recognize my spiritual poverty: blessed are the poor in spirit).
2. Mourn the difference...be unsatisfied with the lack and verbally tell God about it and ask Him to fix it...between what Jesus showed me is available and what I actually walk in (Blessed are those who mourn).
3. Receive the incremental measures of increase as a gift from God with meekness...humility (blessed are the meek).

These are the first three beatitudes. The rest build from there. I can speed this whole process up by fasting, praying, and giving away my time and my money secretly. This is a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. Teaching and doing this is a guaranteed recipe for perfection and greatness!

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!