When Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt.5:48), did He mean you can be as righteous as God is righteous? Some people profess to believe they can be that righteous. But the Greek word translated "perfect" here is "teleios" and means complete or mature. So, how can we be as "perfect, complete or mature" as God? Well, God is as "perfect as it is possible for Him to be... as God, and we can be as "perfect" as it is possible for us to be... as flesh and blood humans. It is comparative not synonymous. A grain of sand is sand and a mountain of sand is also sand, but they are not equal.
To clarify the issue, the Apostle Paul paraphrased a commonly known biblical fact,"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one ..." Rom.3:10.
Then he concluded, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God...." Rom.3:23. He was rehearsing what all Jews had read and been taught in
1 Kings 8:48 which declares, "... There is no man that sinneth not...." and as
Isa.53:6 warns us .... "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him (Messiah/Christ) the iniquity of us all."
Isa.64:6 continues the thought ... "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ...."
So don't try to convince yourself, God or anyone else that you or someone you know is perfectly righteous except as true believers are seen, in the eyes of God, under the blood of Jesus.... forgiven, redeemed, cleansed and born again.
Even the great prophet of God, Isaiah, testified,,,
| " I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness...." (Christ's) Isa.61:10 |
"He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Rom.4:20-25.
