Daily Devotional – Friday, July 22, 2022
Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 (NKJV)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus went against the norm as He explained the principles of the spiritual kingdom He was establishing. For example, He said, “…love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).
Children of Your Heavenly Father
If forgiving an enemy is not easy, how can I even think about loving such a person? How do I pray for someone who uses me spitefully and persecutes me? It requires a fundamental change of beliefs and attitudes; something the human heart is incapable of doing.
This is evident in the reason Jesus gave for demanding that we love our foes: “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”(Matthew 5:45). Children of God are those receive Him as Saviour and Lord (John 1:12).
As Perfect as Your Father
he perfect character of God makes Him love people unconditionally, for example by He gives rain and sunshine to the just and unjust equally. As His children, we must love our enemies, not just our friends.
In practising unconditional love, we demonstrate the perfect character of God. Now we can understand Christ’s words, “Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48).
Perfection Means Unconditional Love
The standards to which God calls us are very high. Jesus demands we go against the grain and challenge the popular beliefs of the world. Is there a better place to begin than by loving others unreservedly?
Do you want to be perfect like your Father in heaven? Love unconditionally.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, fill me with Your unreserved love that I might love others unconditionally.
Oh God, help me be changed into thy perfect chara
Amen
Indeed, God’s holiness and perfection are based upon and are an expression of His love:just like love gives, so He gave his life; love desires the best, so holiness and perfection proceeds from Him.May we desire to be perfect even as God is.
Quite true, Doc