Now that’s not going to happen. I am just trying to see if I can have a few successes over a few sins. Perfection isn’t even on the radar screen. Plus, we aren’t talking about some kind of human perfection. Jesus is talking about the perfection that God has. That is way out of my reach.

Most of the Sermon on the Mount is presenting hard things to reach for. Matthew 5:48, however, puts the finishing touches on impossible. It is at this moment that we are forced to realize that Jesus isn’t talking about us living this life and doing this ministry. There is going to have to be some other way for us to be obedient to everything Jesus taught (Matthew 28:20).

As we look at Jesus’ teaching ministry, we see an approach that is very different from what most of us Christians, mentors, and ministers do. We often try to make Christianity look easy to live. We pound on the grace and mercy issue while neglecting the impossible requirements of God, for living perfection. We can cause a Christian to relax at the point of salvation and feel like they have arrived. Many new and untrained Christians stay that way because they aren’t shown the message of Jesus. So, let’s keep opening our heart to the ministry of Jesus and learn how to do it His way.

Salvation provided us with a glimpse of how it might be possible for us to start pursuing the perfection of our heavenly Father.