INQUIRER: It's a traditional belief that it is hard to be perfect. But in Matthew 5:48 - “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” So, is this attainable while living or after life? That is my question.
BRO. ELI F. SORIANO (EFS): You know, sister, I am delighted to have that kind of question, to hear that kind of question, because it is a very intelligent question. It is based on a Biblical verse which is written in Matthew 5:48, it says - “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” So, the perfection that we have to attain is like the perfection of the Father which is in heaven. Now, let us consider ideas about perfection, human ideas. Why am I going to speak of human ideas? Because it is the human ideas which are mixed or mingled with the idea of the Scriptures that corrupt the whole thing, the whole matter. Why? There are humans who say - "Oh, we cannot be perfect, nobody can be perfect. Nobody is perfect, everybody is committing sin." That is their definition. Are they right, that there is no perfect being on this earth? That nobody can attain perfection? Let us read from history. In the book of Job 1:1, it says –
SIS. LUZ CRUZ (LC): "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil."
EFS: Is there a man who is perfect, Sis. Luz?
LC: There is, Bro. Eli.
EFS: Is there only one man considered perfect? Let us read another verse from Genesis 6:9, it says -
LC: "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."
EFS: You see? One of the perfect men of the Bible is Noah. He was just and perfect in his generation. In fact, in the Spanish Bible, it says in Genesis 6:9 - "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect..." In Job 1:1, it says also - "Hubo un varón en tierra de Uz, llamado Job; y era este hombre perfecto y recto," You see? So, there are sufficient evidences to prove that a man can attain perfection. Now, are there other people who are perfect? Let us read from the book of Luke in the New Testament. In the book of Luke 1:5 in the New Testament -
LC: “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
EFS: You see? Zacharias and Elisabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were perfect and upright. How about their son? Let us read in the book of Luke what kind of a son they have, in the person of John the Baptist. Luke 1:15 says -
LC: “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.”
EFS: You see? Even from the mother's womb, John the Baptist is considered to be great, perfect as his parents. You see that, sister? So, there is no question now, biblically speaking, that perfection is attainable. We have eliminated that doubt that perfection is not attainable. No doubt anymore. There are sufficient proofs to say that there are really people who were able to attain perfection. And another verse was recorded by Apostle Paul. In the book of Philippians 3:15 -
LC: “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: See? The Apostle Paul is speaking to perfect Christians in Philippi. See? Including himself - “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:”
EFS: So, there are Christians who have attained perfection. And you also, sister, the door to perfection is attainable. Not only in physical activities but also spiritually. Of course, physically speaking there is a saying that - “Practice makes perfect." See? "Practice makes perfect." But spiritually speaking, how can perfection be attainable? I Timothy 4:8 –
LC: "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
EFS: See? "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” See? Exercising perfection will make you perfect. Exercise holiness and you will be perfect. Exercise piety and you will be perfect. What does it mean? You begin to exercise the word of God. Have an exercise of the word of God, the holiness of the commandment, and you will be perfect. The end result of obeying God's will is perfection. So, it is attainable. Now, people now or religious leaders say - "Nobody can be perfect in this life because everybody have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” That is their verse. And they read it in the book of Romans. Let us read that, Romans 3:23 –
LC: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
EFS: That is the verse. And they claim, "Nobody can be perfect," they say, "Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." That is their way of explaining it. But let us look at the Biblical way. They are misled. But if we are going to solely take our faith from the Bible and consider all the words of God, perfection is attainable. God is not a nonsense God that will tell you to be perfect like Him if perfection is not attainable. Of course, it is attainable. He is not a nonsense God that will command you something which you cannot attain or do. - Amen, Sis. Luz? –
LC: Amen, Bro. Eli.
EFS: God is a God of logic. Whenever He commands something, He knows that it is attainable by human strength because He understands our being. Let us read, in the book of Psalms 103:14 -
LC: “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”
EFS: You see? God knows us from head to foot, from foot to head. God knows us from outside to inside. He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. Now, will He command us anything that will not be attainable by our strength and by our being? It is nonsense. Because God is a sensible God, the most intelligent of all being, He will not command us to do something we cannot do. Now, if that is the case, is perfection attainable? It is. But how can we be perfect? Let us read. In James 3:2 -
LC: “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man,”
EFS: What is a perfect man in the Bible? Biblically speaking, a perfect man is somebody who does not offend in word. He is not offended in God's word. He has a heart that will accept all God's teachings. Then, you are perfect. I hope you got that answer. It doesn’t mean that because you sin, you are not perfect anymore. Paul sinned, but he is perfect. Noah sinned, but he was considered perfect. Job sinned also, but he was considered perfect. The parents of John the Baptist sinned also. Because we are prone to sin, we are weak. But it does not mean that because we commit sin unintentionally, we did not do it with malicious intent or criminal intent, we committed our sin unintentionally, it doesn’t mean that you are not perfect anymore. A man who is considered perfect by God is somebody who accepts all His words, who do not offend in the word of God. That is the meaning of perfection in the biblical concept. I hope you got my answer.
INQUIRER: Thank you.