| Matthew 5:48 Display Chapter and Footnotes 48 Therefore, be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."8 [There are many scripture references to the requirement of perfection in the New Testament, (click to see), and in the Old Testament too! (click to see). Only the power of God can change a man to be perfect, and the completion of His perfection process of you is when Jesus appears to crush the head of the Satan under your feet. Rom 16:20. We must be righteous as He is righteous, 1 John 3:7-10. We must be merciful as He is merciful, Luke 6:36. We must become pure as He is pure. 1 John 3:3. But as he who has called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of conduct, 1 Pet 1:15. So that we walk as he walked, 1 John 2:6, and as he is, so are we in this present world. 1 John 4:17. There is no flexibility and no equivocation in any of these stated requirements.] | Luke 6:36 Display Chapter and Footnotes 36 Therefore be merciful, as your Father also is merciful. [The only way you can be as merciful as the Father is to have crucified your sinful nature so that you hear God direct all your words just before speaking and to do only what you are ordered by God; that is the only way Jesus judged, spoke, and acted — always and only as he was commanded by God. We must be righteous as He is righteous, 1 John 3:7. We must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Mat 5:48. We must be merciful as He is merciful, Luke 6:36. We must become pure as He is pure, 1 John 3:2-3. But as he who has called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of conduct, 1 Pet 1:15. So that we walk as he walked, 1 John 2:6, and as he is, so are we in this present world. 1 John 4:17. There is no flexibility and no equivocation in any of these stated requirements.] | 1 John 3:2-3 Display Chapter and Footnotes 2 Beloved, now we are to be sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we will be, but we know that when He is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. [A Son of God is like Jesus, who is holy, harmless, pure, separate from sinners, and with no sin in Him; and when we see Him, we will be like Him. Jesus appears in the hearts of purified believers. Jesus is seen. Jesus is revealed. He who has been hidden is revealed, Christ in you, the hope of glory. From the Word of the Lord within: "You are a son when Jesus appears in your heart to guide you." Then you are like Him: holy, harmless, pure, without any sin.] 3 And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He [Jesus] is pure.2 [From the Word of the Lord within: "We must become like Him to merge with Him." What hope?—The hope of being like Him and of seeing Jesus appear in your heart is the hope that saves and purifies you; for we are saved by hope. Rom 8:24. You must have this hope for the power of God to be released to purify you. For of this you can be sure, that no sexually immoral, or impure, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Eph 5:5. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God, Mat 5:8. — Christ in you, the hope of glory.] | 1 Peter 1:15 Display Chapter and Footnotes 15 But as he who has called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of conduct;5 [So you must be holy, perfect, pure, and righteous. You must perfect holiness.] | 1 John 2:6 Display Chapter and Footnotes 6 He who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way that He walked. [We must be righteous as He is righteous, 1 John 3:7. We must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Mat 5:48. We must be merciful as He is merciful, Luke 6:36. We must become pure as He is pure. 1 John 3:2-3. But as he who has called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of conduct, 1 Pet 1:15. So that we walk as he walked, 1 John 2:6, and as he is, so are we in this present world. 1 John 4:17. There is no flexibility and no equivocation in any of these stated requirements.] | 1 John 4:17 Display Chapter and Footnotes 17 In this [abiding or dwelling in God] love is brought to perfection, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this present world. [As God is perfect, holy, pure, and merciful, so are his children in whom love is perfected. Notice! John is saying that crucified true Christians have been changed and perfected so that they are the same as God in this present world — not after they pass away, but while on earth!] |