Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to look at some scripture from Matthew Chapter 5 but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
One Summer a very long time ago I got into the hobby of fishing. Part of that summer we would go out and stand on various fishing docks to see what we could catch and bring home. There was only so far that you could cast and sometimes when reeling in, you would break your line and lose your bobbers in the weeds.
Anyway, our neighbor was selling an old beat-up fishing boat that was functional and didn’t leak. During one month in the summer we completely tore that boat apart. We took off the transom and replaced it. We replaced all the seats and made our own vinyl padded covers. We put in some foldable fishing chairs and I meticulously painted the entire boat inside and out. It looked as perfect as I could possibly get it and it appeared like we had just bought it at a dealer.
When my neighbor saw his old boat again his jaw dropped and he couldn’t believe that it was the one he sold us. He was shocked at how perfect and new it looked.
With a smile he said,..
” …maybe I should have kept it after all.”
It takes some effort to make things perfect doesn’t it?
Perfect is having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be. It’s to make something completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible.
To perfect our boat it required getting some items from the store. It required tearing some things out and putting some new things in.
This event in our lives always reminds me of what the Christian life is about. It’s not about what’s on the outside, but the perfecting of what’s inside of our hearts.
There are always things we can improve on in each of our lives. To become perfect in the eyes of God, we must learn how to love Him and one another.
Matt 5:44-48
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
The bible teaches us that God is love. He wants us to become perfected in love and gives us the grace and forgiveness that we need in order to do this. It’s a new commandment, different then the laws of Judaism that was called the ministry of condemnation. It’s the new testament of God’s love extended to each of us.
John 13:34 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
1 John 4:20 – If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Love is graceful and forgiving. The true love found in Christ gives us ample grace to overcome and cover the many obstacles and missteps that each of us have taken.
1 Peter 4:8 – And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 John 4:7-10 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Remember salvation is not by our own works because those who want eternal life must go to Christ for forgiveness. Once you receive God’s forgiveness He requires that you treat others in the exact same way, being merciful to each other.
Romans 12:10 – Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
1 John 3:18 – My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
The truth is that every single person is a sinner in the eyes of God. He wants all of us to believe in Jesus His Son and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The greatest treasure I have ever know in my life is the love and forgiveness in Christ the Lord.
Luke 6:31 – And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Jesus wants us to love and obey Him. He wants us to follow Him and His teachings. It’s not that any of us loved God, but that He loved us first, even shedding His own blood to redeem us. Look at His love and mercy at the cross, laying down His own life so that we could live.
1 John 4:11 – Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
We are learning how to love each other in the church, and at times problems can arise, but it is charity that forgives and reconciles with others so that we can go on unto perfection. Without God’s forbearance and grace, where would any of us be today?
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Some people felt like they kept the Old Testament law perfectly but the truth is it was there for one reason, to teach us that we need forgiveness with God and to be forgiving with others. True Perfection comes from loving others.
Romans 13:8 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
I think that’s where I’m going to stop for right now but Lord willing, I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.♥️
tlkjbc.wordpress.com
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 