#verse48

#GospelOfMatthew #WordsOfJesus #LovingOurEnemies #Chapter5 #Verse48 A lot of times we take Scripture out of context, sometimes entirely. And most often when we do it only makes for a complete misunderstanding of the words being spoken. If we read a few verses before 48 we realize that Jesus is teaching us about loving our enemies. This is the last verse from Him making this particular point, but if we were to read just that verse I'm sure most of us would be like, um... yeah that's impossible because only Jesus is perfect, so this doesn't make any sense. How can we be perfect? 1) In character: in this life we will never be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. 2) In holiness: Like the pharisees (religious people of Biblical times) we are to separate ourselves from the world's sinful values. But then unlike the pharisees, we are to be devoted to God's desires rather than our own, and carry his love and mercy into the world. 3) In maturity: We can't achieve Christ-like character and living holy all at one time, but we must grow toward maturity and being whole in the Spirit. Just as we expect different behavior from people at different ages & stages of their lives, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development. 4) In love: We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us. We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level -- perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin should never discourage us from striving to be more like Christ. He calls all of his disciples to excel, to rise about mediocrity, and to mature in all areas of our lives, becoming more like Him in the process. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (another Scripture reference would be 1 John 3:2, 3). And that is the point Jesus was trying to make! AMEN! #BLESSED #EternallyGrateful #NeverPerfect #StrivingAnyway #KeepTheFaith #StraightNoChaser #GodsWord https://www.instagram.com/p/B3EOaC5Ap6r/?igshid=1bwf99hou2e4k