The Impossibility Of Being Perfect - On Your Own

“Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?” OSWALD CHAMBERS

(1 Peter 4:12) “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Why is this happening to me?  Why are they treating me this way?  Hidden behind those questions is the underlying assumption “I don’t deserve it!”  Here is the deal … bad things will happen to “good” people … even to someone as good as you are.  Did you deserve what happened to you? Perhaps or perhaps not.  Whichever the case the issue is how we respond the what happened.  For most of us our response is to hunker down in our foxhole and fire back with “righteous indignation” and perhaps sorrow if the offender holds a close place in our heart. 

(Matthew 5:38-48) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.  Wow!  How hard is that?  It’s not humanly possible.  You will never respond the way Jesus told you to if you try to do it on your own.  The response to others in 1 Peter and Matthew 5 are not derived from the human will but by faith in Jesus and the power of the Spirit in you.  Stop trying to live the Christian life in obedience to the Word of God through human determination .. it just does not work.  Charley