That line where Jesus said we were going to be ‘perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect’, (Matt. 5:48), He was really kidding, right? He was using symbolic language there and just wanted us to have sincere intentions, right? I mean, nobody can be ‘perfect’ as we all know, right?

It seems we have a story recorded early on back in Genesis 2, shortly after God created man and set him in the garden, there was a warning given. Maybe ‘warning’ is too strong a word, or maybe not strong enough? You tell me; but you can read there in Gen 2:16-17:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

We are not given tons of information here, other than what is recorded, and I often have wondered if Adam, at this point in time, even understood the concept of ‘dying’ since death had not yet become a part of their existence. Nevertheless, the warning was given. And for those who profess to be ‘believers’, yet find the Book of Genesis problematic, especially the story of creation, I should remind you that several of the NT writers refer back to these pages, including Jesus Himself. Paul would even write later expressing concerns that we believers could fall into the same trap that Eve did, about this very ‘eating-off-this-tree deal.(2 Cor. 11:3-4)

As you should well know by now, Eve had a conversation with a ‘serpent’ who convinced her that God did not really mean what He said. The longer she listened to him, the sooner she was convinced he must be right, even believing the lie that if she ate off that one tree, she would NOT ‘surely die’. (Gen. 3:4)

Boy...was she ever wrong about that one. What a tough way to learn the lesson that when God says something, He really means it. Which then leads me to want to re-examine Romans 8:13 where Paul offers up a similar warning us: “If you live according to the flesh, you will die...”.

I don’t know about you, but I have gotten to a place in my walk and relationship with the Lord that if/when I come across passages in my Bible that may be hard to digest, let alone receive and embrace, I’m not so quick to want to dismiss them, or find someone to convince me that they don’t really mean what they say, given they don’t really fit with how I believe...or ‘want’...to believe.

So when Jesus said “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”, it might serve us well to simply press in and ask God for clarification and understanding; which He is more than willing to give. (James 1:5)

The past few weeks, I’ve touched on this idea of being made ‘pure’ and ‘perfect’ as we follow the leading of God’s Spirit who wants to ‘sanctify’ us and make us ‘holy’. This is, in fact, the ‘will of God’. (1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). Understanding what the ‘will of God is’, and then ‘doing it’ should not be considered an ‘option’ to compliment your ‘faith in Jesus’ either. (Eph. 5:17; Matt. 7:21). I mean, why call Him ‘Lord’, if we are not going to do the things He tells us to do.? (Luke 6:46)

So when He says we are to be ‘perfect/complete’, and then James would later write that the purpose of the trials/tests we encounter are designed to make us ‘perfect and complete’, (James 1:2-4) then there must be something to all this, ... this idea that God means what He says.

Folks back in the OT days knew better than to think they could just enter God’s presence at will, whenever they felt like it. Now I am not suggesting that we are living in OT times...and need priests and blood sacrifices and rituals to be performed before we can come ‘boldly before the throne of God’, as the writer of Hebrews encourages us to do when we need grace in our time of need, (Heb. 4:16), but there are some truths we can glean from back then that might give us a better understanding of God’s holiness, His Character, and His ways.

Take Psalm 24:3-4, for example. “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...”

I only point this passage out because James would later write in the NT, in his rebuke to ‘double-minded’ believers who were still a bit confused on this ‘fruit’ business (3:9-12; Matt. 7:17-20), that they better humble themselves before God and do some serious repenting. (4:6-10). He even admonished them to “cleanse their hands and purify their hearts”. And we all know what to expect if we fail to truly ‘repent’. (Luke 13:1-5)

One of the more amazing qualities about this God whom we profess to love, believe in, and serve, is He is pretty good about forgiving us of our sins. (1 John 2:1). It is not something I would ever advise we take lightly, either. (Heb. 10:26-27). We should also be reminded that ‘if’ we sin, not ‘when’, God will ‘deal with us’, as in ‘chasten us’, just like any loving father would do with his own children when they mess up. (Heb. 12:5-11). We even read there that this chastening will not be ‘joyful’... and even ‘painful’ at times, but it serves a purpose, which leads to holiness. And as we read there in vs. 14...”without this holiness, no one will see the Lord”.

Have you ever given much pause to that and wondered what it meant? Or do you skim over it because you were taught that we can never be ‘holy enough’...and that if we just ‘believe in and put our trust in Jesus’, then all will be well with our souls?

I have repeated in my blog posts here multiple times, I am not on some mission to prove anything to anyone other than exhorting ‘professing believers’ today...that we might want to go back and look at these scriptures that I point out frequently. I think we may have missed a few important ‘elements’ to this walk of salvation. The least you can do is study them out for yourself to see if there is anything to what I am sharing here. (Acts 17:11).

No doubt, the early church had a pretty serious mindset about ‘purifying’ their hearts of anything that might defile them, (2 Cor. 7:1). I mean, many heard or saw what happened to Ananias and his wife back in Acts 5:1-11, so they clearly understood that God was serious about all this. (Phil. 2:12; Heb. 3:12-13)

All that to say that if we are serious in our intentions and desires to ‘see the Lord’ someday, (Matt. 5:8) we too might want to make sure we are ‘laying aside every sin that so easily can entangle us’. (Heb. 12:1; 1 John 3:3)

So going back to this incredible example of God’s mercy and the manner in which He is willing to forgive us of our own sins, He obviously loves us and does not want ‘any to perish’. (Rom. 5:8; 2 Pet. 3:9). And what did Jesus say, or ‘command’ us to do in turn? Love others as He loved us? (John 13:34). My post yesterday addressed this plan as to how we first have to have His nature in us in order for us to even do this – love others as He loves us.

Which leads me to ask you: Do you believe we can enter the kingdom of heaven if God does not forgive us of our sins? I think the answer to that is ‘No’. I should also point out here that there can be no forgiveness when there is no true repentance. And repentance is not genuine unless we actually turn from our sins and walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:7)

I think we might want to take a look at this subject regarding forgiveness. Look what Jesus points out in Matt. 6:15- If we fail to forgive men their trespasses, then neither will our Father forgive us of our trespasses. Do you see how this can become a serious problem...and quickly?

Do you really think you can enter in...to His presence and His kingdom with resentment, and bitterness, and unforgiveness in your heart? I could be wrong, but from everything I am reading and sharing here, I don’t see how that can happen. As I like to say, if you think going through a TSA security checkpoint at the airport is tough, try sneaking into this big wedding feast God has planned with a defiled heart filled with that kind of junk. We read in one parable where someone ‘thought they made it in’ and were promptly dealt with. (Matt. 22:11-14)

Or how about that parable that Jesus told regarding the ‘unmerciful servant’ in Matt. 18. He failed to demonstrate the same love and mercy to another person, that his master had extended to him. And do you know what happened to this servant who failed to follow through in the same manner? He was called before the master, rebuked as being ‘wicked’(32) and then turned over to the tormentors (34). Jesus wraps up that sobering story with this warning: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you... if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brothers his trespasses.” (Matt. 18:35)

So what say you? Does God really mean what He says? I’m more inclined these days to say, Yes, yes indeed...God is pretty serious about all this and He continues to arouse a sleeping church to awaken, and do so speedily.