Not Sinners, Than Who? (6)

Being Perfect

As we continue this series of finding out who we are we talked about the last two weeks about Being called Righteous and what that means, but we are also called to be Perfect.

Matthew 5:48 NKJV

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

If you ask my wife I am far from perfect. But this is a command from Jesus to be perfect. So what does it mean?

How are we perfect?

The greek word for Perfect is Teleios (TeleOs)

Teleios- Meaning Complete

You’re not perfect as in flawless, but you are perfected in the Father’s sight.

So In order to be perfected or completed you must first receive the Grace of God.

Understand this first- Jesus was talking to disciples and Jesus’ mission had yet to be completed. There is a school of thought that this perfection or completion cannot be ascertained until we get to heaven, but if you study this scripture Jesus was talking about his work on the cross.

You shall be, once I am sacrificed for your sins, perfect in the sight of the father. Meaning Jesus’ work on the cross washes away your guilt and shame of past sins so that when we come into the presence of God we shall be made complete—lacking nothing.

But here is the interesting thing ready:

In our verse this morning Teleios is an Adjective An adjective describes a noun. Perfect is describing you. But there are times when this word Teleios means finished to make that transition from adjective to verb you go from Teleios to Teleo.

John 19:30 ESV

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It is complete Meaning his work- and thus you are complete. When he took his last breathe he bridged the gap between you and God. When we recieve God’s grace and apply it to our sin we are complete because Jesus’ work is completed.

Colossians 2:10 (NKJV)

10 and you are complete in Him...

You are complete. You have everything you need. You see you may be praying from a place of lack but God says through faith you have everything you need. If you want your prayers to have authority in your life you need to pray from a position of power instead of a position of need. Which means before you pray you need to repent.

Joseph when he was brought up from the jail

Genesis 41:14 ESV

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

You see in the Earthly realm the people in the bible knew they had to prepare themselves to see the king. Joseph had to clean himself, he had to rid himself of jail dirt, Jail hair, and jail clothes to be properly presented to the king. And if he didnt—if he went into the kings chambers smelly and dirty the king would have had him killed. The issue is Joseph didn’t own anything. He used the kings supplies and the kings clothes so that he was presented properly to the king.

If we don’t repent of our sins, if we aren’t made perfect in the Spiritual realm before we enter the thrown room of God then we aren’t heard. We cannot present ourselves.

Only by using the kings supplies can we be made presentable to God. Only through the work on the cross. The sacrifice of God can we be made complete. Start praying from a position of power. In that moment Joseph presented himself to the king he was then given the kings power.

Genesis 41:40 NLT

40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

God, through Jesus, imparted by the Holy Spirit has given us His power and authority. His completeness to do the work that God has given to us.

You have everything you need to become you God made you—You just have to have faith and exercise your authority.