How on Earth to Be Perfect, Lord?
Aug 2019
I have lived long enough to know that I will never be perfect and can never do anything perfectly, even though Jesus says, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
The Holy Spirit explained it to me:
“Yes, be perfect, not become perfect.
You can BE like God but never become God.
For only God can be God.”
"YES, BE PERFECT, NOT BECOME PERFECTYOU CAN BE LIKE GOD BUT NEVER BECOME GOD.FOR ONLY GOD CAN BE GOD."
“I cannot dwell in the sun, it is too bright a place for my residence, but I can walk in the light of the sun.” — Charles Spurgeon
As Charles Spurgeon wrote, I cannot dwell in the sun - because I will be incinerated into non-existence before I can even go anywhere near it. But I can bask in its warmth. And before long, I will get a tan from the Sonlight and achieve a nice bronzy glow like a sun goddess ☺
Perhaps this is what Jesus meant by being perfect – to reflect his godlike perfection as I walk out of my old dark ways into His light.
Walking in His Light
Then another question pops up - what does it mean, walking in His light? We often say this but what does it actually mean to walk in His light?
To walk in His truth? Biblical truth? Old or New Testament, pre-Jesus or post-Jesus?
The trouble is, the Bible sometimes can be confusing and quite frankly, it has its inconsistencies and is a bit out of date, isn’t it?
I attended a wedding at a church once. The pastor grabbed the opportunity to launch into a long sermon, boring everyone with his impressive knowledge of the good book. The 200 or so guests, mostly unbelievers, shared a look of amused incredulity when he vehemently bellowed into the loudspeaker, “A woman must not wear pants, as the Bible said, for by doing so she is usurping the headship of the man.”
The people in the back, mainly young men and women, stifled their laughs whilst my husband and I looked at each other asking, “Did he just say that?” But it is in the Bible, isn’t it? I could list a hundred more.
Of course, we can talk about context and relevance, but that’s the point.
Rhema and Logos
Religious truth is like flipping on a switch and instantly getting light powered by electricity — an invention made by man, perhaps even given by God. A great invention. But it is light without the warmth of the sun and that light doesn’t give you a god-like tan.
Perhaps walking in the light means to awaken into a new truth, a fresh understanding with each new dawn; different in time, place and season but always shining, always discovering.
Years ago, I taught my community a series of lessons called the “4D”, the four disciplines, in English and in Chinese.
One of the most important lessons in my walk with Jesus has been learning how to hear Him speak. It is mostly about knowing Him rather than just knowing about Him.
"ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS IN MY WALK WITH JESUS HAS BEEN LEARNING HOW TO HEAR HIM SPEAK. IT IS MOSTLY ABOUT KNOWING HIM RATHER THAN JUST KNOWING ABOUT HIM."
The key is to let our knowledge through the Bible (the Logos truth, a necessary foundation) become a Rhema truth - revealed, personal, definitely up-to-date, relevant, powerful and life changing. That can only happen, if we live a life led by the Spirit of God, with Jesus as our light that shows the way.
Yeah… walking in the light of the Son.
Perhaps, that is how then we can be perfect like Jesus said.
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