You Must Always Act Like Your Father In Heaven

MATHEW 5:48
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:48‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://www.bible.com/114/mat.5.48.nkj

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In this life we cannot be flawless, we are all imperfect sinners; “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
However, in character, we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible.
In holiness, like the Pharisees, we must separate ourselves from worldly values, and stand strong on God’s values. But unlike the Pharisees, we must be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own and carry His loving mercy into the world; “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
In maturity, we cannot expect to achieve holiness and a Christ like character all at once, we must try or at least be willing to change.
Growth is a process, therefore we should expect to grow in maturity and wholeness as time passes.
If we don’t see positive change in our lives over time there’s something wrong; and the truth is, the problem is not in Christ, it is in us.
Just as we expect different behaviours from our children as they grow up from a baby to an infant, from infant to teenager, and teenager to an adult, so God expects different behaviours from us as we grow in maturity, depending on our stage of spiritual development.
In love, because God loved us first (1 JOHN 4:19), we can seek to love others as God loves us, selflessly, by making our love for others an action rather than just words. Jesus made His love an action by painfully suffering a sinners death on a cross even though He never sinned, that we might have eternal life; a gift that not one of us deserves.
Make your love for others an action by reaching out to the needy, helping and supporting others; making their needs as important as your own. Not to put yourself on a pedestal, or for something in return, but for the glory of our Father in heaven
We may not be perfect in this world today, however, you can be sure that God is working on it;
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
But if we are to grow in Christ, we must humble ourselves before God, be close to Him through continuous prayer, building our individual relationship with Him, remaining obedient, while studying hard His Word, taking it in, digesting and putting it all into practice. That is cooperation. The truth is, if we do our best, God will do the rest.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My brethren, it is when your minds are renewed and you come to prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God, and you can truly serve Him to the full.
Therefore, today, present your bodies a living sacrifice, making God’s will your number one goal, serving Him with a yes and amen, seeking to live right by faith, not being conformed to the things of this world, that you as an individual part of His body, are transformed by the renewing of your mind, and come to understand what is that good, and acceptable, and the perfect will of God in your life, so that you can serve Him to the fullness of Christ like a well oiled machine within His body, the church, of which He alone is the head, for the glory of our Father in heaven.
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.