Strive For Godly Perfection Matt.
5:20-26,38-48 Sept. 16, 2007
Introduction
Any
human being on this earth who desires to reach Godly perfection must
depend entirely
on Christ righteousness, and follow His teachings. We must diligently work with the
Lord as His
Spirit guides, and encourages us to trust in the Lord. In so doing we
will properly Strive For
Godly Perfection..
1.
Godly Perfection . . Displays Jesus' Righteousness.
A. Displays
That Jesus' Righteousness . . Surpasses Human Righteousness. 5:20
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom
of heaven.
B.
Displays
That Jesus' Righteousness . . Supersedes Ancestral Righteousness.
5:21-22
21 "You have heard that it was said to our
ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to
judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to
judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Fool!' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever
says, 'You moron!' will be subject to hellfire.
C.
Displays
That Jesus' Righteousness . . Settles Adversarial Righteousness. 5:23-26
23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you
remember that your brother has something against you, 24
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift. 25 Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary
while you're on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge
to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 I assure you: You will never
get out of there until you have paid the last penny!
The Godly Perfection that Christ gives surpasses the righteousness of
the Pharisees, and any
other man made system of godliness.
Any group who thinks they must set standards for
hairstyles, dress, etc. bothers me. I like to direct a person to depend
upon the Holy Spirit to guide
them, and if necessary ask a more mature Christian to help the less
mature to interpret the Spirit's
direction, and scripture. The godly perfection Christ gives will also
supersede a so called
ancestral righteousness. Following the Old Testament will be beneficial
as we understand Jesus
fulfilled many Old Testament requirements. The godly perfection Christ
gives also settles
adversarial matters
that limit ones desires for Godly perfection.
2.
Godly Perfection . . Depends On Jesus' Teachings. 5:38-42
A. Depends On Jesus' Teachings Related To . . Turning Your Cheek.
5:38-39
38 "You have
heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 39
But I tell
you, don't resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on
your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
B.
Depends
On Jesus' Teachings Related To . . Taking Your Shirt. 5:40
40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let
him have your coat
as well.
C.
Depends
On Jesus' Teachings Related To . . Traveling A Second Mile. 5:41
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
D. Depends On Jesus'
Teachings Related To . . Tenderness In Giving. 5:42
42 Give to the one who asks you, and don't
turn away from the
one who wants to borrow from you.
When any
Christian
fully participates with the Lord in accepting His perfection, they will
seek the leading of the Holy Spirit. They will desire to follow His
teachings toward turning the other cheek, taking your shirt, traveling
a second mile, and tenderness in giving. Does this
passage ask us to give money to those that ask? No, it does not mention
money; it may very well
be speaking to many kinds of help we might give. Does it demand we loan
to every individual? I think not; but it does promote a tender concern
for a person with a legitimate need. The kind of
attitude we display could be illustrated in the way a tamed horse is
submissive. No one doubts
the strength of the animal, but they understand that it has yielded in
obedience. The horse gains
qualities that reach perfection by yielding to the master. That analogy
shares how you and I may
reach a type of perfection by yielding to the control of Christ.
3.
Godly Perfection . . Displays Jesus' Love. 5:43-48
A.
Display
Jesus' Love For . . Enemies. 5:43-45
43 "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and
hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father in
heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends
rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.<>
B. Display Jesus' Love For . . Everyone. 5:46-48
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don't
even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And
if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don't even the
Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly
Father is perfect. HCSB
A
Christian growing in godly perfection will demonstrate a love even for
their enemies. Let me ask you to really think. What does the Lord hate?
Does the Bible ever say He hates His
enemy Satan? We know Christ while on the cross asked for forgiveness
for those crucifying
Him. Did He know Satan was behind the crucifixion? Of course He did and
he still forgave. We are very much like Christ
when we forgive, and it moves us more toward godly perfection. Christians must be different
than the worldly person. Their expressions of love may be very
meaningful, but the Christian must demonstrate love in areas above and
beyond those of the lost
person. We must allow Christ love to direct us to love everyone, and
this is just part of Striving
For Godly Perfection. Amen? Amen!
