Words of Grace – May 26, 2016

WordsOfGraceThe man was watching a baseball game on television. The pitcher was throwing a no-hitter, and he was sitting on the edge of his chair.

When his wife, who thought baseball was boring, walked into the room and saw him glued to the TV set, she looked to see what he was watching. Then she asked him why the crowd at the game was so excited.

“It’s a perfect game,” he told her. “Do you know what that is?”
 “Yeah,” she answered, “one that’s over.”

When Jesus said to his disciples, in Matthew 5:48, that they were to be perfect, just as their Father who is in heaven is perfect, what did he mean? What does it mean to be perfect?

There are those who think that, because nobody is perfect, then we just need to do the best that we can. As long as we are trying to be good, God will be satisfied with our effort.

One Bible commentator has written that Jesus set a standard that could not be attained when he said we had to be perfect. A perfect God could not set an imperfect standard.

The good news of the gospel is that Christ our Savior has met this standard on our behalf. The perfect one “who knew no sin” was made “to be sin for us” so that “we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

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