Does God Require Perfection ?

Common Sense Commentary: There is no perfection or righteousness in the universe except that which is in and comes from Jehovah God, the creator of it all. The best split second I ever lived would not be sufficient to save my soul, but the smallest sin ever committed, spread equally over earth's millions,  would be enough to send all of our souls to hell. Salvation is in Jesus Christ alone.

What did Jesus mean when He said, in Matt.5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"?

First, His admonition was in the context of "loving your enemies".  God loves them, and gives them sunshine, rain and food.  He also gives them every opportunity to be saved.  But that does not keep them from His judgement or out of His hell, ".......... 
prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt.25:41.

So what does it mean to "Be perfect, even as God is perfect"?  The self-righteous interpretation of this verse is, "Without flaw, without sin.  Perfect is perfect".  How perfect is that?  "Even as your father in heaven is perfect."  "Even as"!!! The self-righteous interpretation of that, has to be, "As perfect as God".  Lucifer also had the delusion that he was "as perfect" and as worthy as Jehovah God to sit upon the throne and be God.  Isa.14:12-15.  If you interpret that verse to mean you can be "even as perfect" as God, you are not even saved much less perfect.  To be saved, a sinner must know he is a sinner, repent of it and accept the perfect Christ to save his imperfect soul. Even after salvation, we must maintain an attitude of repentance of our sins daily, if we are to walk with Him.  Friend, if God is more perfect than you, your perfection falls short of true perfection. 

So, in what way and to what degree is "your Father in heaven perfect", that we might be like Him?  He is as perfect as it is possible for Him to be.  Our goal, as Christians, is to be that perfect.  Does that mean, as perfect as God?  NO!  It means for us to be as perfect as it is possible for us to be.  As Rom.12:18 says, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." That is not possible all of the time with all people.  Neither is it possible, on this earth, for anyone to be perfectly perfect while we are living in this cursed flesh.  We are counted Righteous, through faith in Jesus Christ, in the eyes of God, in our spiritual person, but not in our flesh which is weak, sinful, sickly and dies.  When Jesus returns, at the rapture, even our flesh shall be glorified. "Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it doeth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1Jn.3:2. Perfection!!!

So what does the word perfect mean?  Today's common usage of the word means, without flaw and that is all it means to the average person, without flaw, sinless.  No sane, honest person can truly believe they are without flaw and sinless. God, himself is without flaw and sinless, but not one single fleshly human being is that perfect. Heb.4:13 declares that our High Priest, Jesus Christ, "was, in all points, tempted like as we are, yet without sin." God the Father is flawless.  Jesus Christ is flawless.  But we, in the flesh, are not.

Webster breaks the word "perfect" down perfectly ... almost. He says, the word comes from the Latin word perfacere = per (thoroughly) + facere (to do)= "to do thoroughly". His first definition of "perfect" is "expertly proficient".  His second definition is, "flawless". This one fits God but nobody else. His third definition is, "satisfying all requirements".  Jesus did that for us. His fourth definition is, "corresponding to an ideal standard". This one should be our goal.  Webster's fifth definition is my favorite, "faithfully reproducing the original".  That is our Christian purpose on this earth. He continues defining "perfect" with words like "legally valid", unmitigated, excellence, quality, and mature." All of these define God and what He brings to the life of obedient Christians.

Now, you perfect, without flaw, totally righteous, sinless Christians can have your say.
"But, Wesbster is not God and the dictionary is not the Bible which says, "be perfect".
Well, lets look at the Bible uses of the word "perfect".  The Old Testament has a dozen
Hebrew words all translated into the one English word, "perfect". Here are some of them:

First the word followed by it's meaning:  (binah = thoroughly understanding).....
(gemar = finished) ....... (kun = prepared) ..... (kalil = as good as it gets) ..... (mikloth = completion) ..... (shalem = totally aligned with) ..... (taklith = absolute) ..... (tam = mature) ..... (tom = integrity) ..... (tamim = plainly whole) ..... (alethah arukah = work went up).  

New Testament Greek words translated "perfect" are:  (akribos = accurate understanding) ..... (artios = wholly mature) ..... (pleroo = well done) ..... (teleios - as perfect as possible) ..... (epiteleo = fully complete) ..... (katartizo = adjusted thoroughly) ..... (teleioo = completely finished) ..... (akribeia = exactly accurate) ..... (teleiotes = spiritually mature).

Now, those of you who are perfect, tell me someone, besides yourself, in the Bible, who was perfect besides Jesus.  Was Noah, who found grace with God, perfect?  After the flood, he built an altar and then got drunk. Gen.9:21.  How about Moses the law giver; was he perfect? He disobeyed God and smote the Rock ... twice. Num.20:11.  Let's consider Judah, from which tribe Jesus came. Was he perfect?  He had an illegitimate baby with his daughter-in-law Tamar. Gen.38:15-18.  Then there was David who was the apple of God's eye. Was David perfect?  He got Bathsheba pregnant and then had her husband killed to cover it up. 1 Sam.11. Apostle Peter was the leader of the Apostles and swore he would  stand with Jesus to the death, and then denied Him three times and cursed. Matt.26:70-72. Not even Apostle Peter was perfect.  Maybe the Apostle Paul was perfect.  He wrote half the books of the New Testament. In his own words, Paul confessed his imperfections in the personal pronouns I, me, and my in  present tense verbs, meaning, as he was writing the words.
Rom.7:14-25.  You must read these verses to clearly see that, in the flesh, even Paul was nowhere near perfect ... but he was born again, redeemed, saved, stood against every sin and won many souls to Christ.  I am not glorifying sin.  I hate sin, but I am not immune to the sin in my flesh .... only my born again soul is washed in the blood, not my weak, faulty, bumpie, scaley, sickly, dying old flesh. Don't tell me it's born again.... it might drool on you.

Here is the key ... in the words of that same Apostle Paul:

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, (Him) who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."   2Cor.5:20-21.  That, my friends is the only perfection you or I or anyone else on this earth, in this flesh, has ... the righteousness of Christ applied to our unrighteousness and imperfection like a  holy robe.  "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 ....  Isa.61:10.  We can not earn it; we do not deserve it; so we cannot lose it.  It's entirely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour. What a relief. RB