If you read the context in which Jesus said to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, you will find that He was talking about loving your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48). If you read Luke's account, you find Jesus saying to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6:36). The Pharisees tried to be perfect in that they even tithed their mint, anise, and cummin. Yet Jesus called them hypocrites, for they "neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" Matthew 23:23.
As we can see, perfection isn't something we do, it's about having God's character of love and mercy in our hearts. It doesn't matter how talented and smart you are, if you don't have love, everything you do will be pointless (1 Corinthians 13:2). "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5. Yet this fruit of the Holy Spirit isn't something we can conjure up on our own, we can only have it as long as we abide in Christ. Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5
Character perfection isn't a destination, it's a growth process. When a plant grows, you can't tell that it's growing by looking at it, but over time you can eventually see the changes (Mark 4:27-28). As we grow in Christ (The Vine), God the Father prunes us so we may bear more fruit (John 15:2). God cuts away the thorns of sin from our hearts so that the seed of His word can grow (Matthew 13:22).
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18
When we behold the glory of God's character, we will say like Isaiah: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5. Our prayers will be like that of the publican who said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Luke 18:13. This doesn't mean living in fear of being judged, for "perfect love casts away fear" 1 John 4:18.
This growth process of perfection never ends, we will never claim to have arrived. We will keep going forward from perfection to perfection "The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18
Notice what Paul says here: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14
When we understand that we can only find perfection in Christ, we won't compare ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). We won't be so quick to judge others because we will see that we also fall short in the same things that others do (Romans 2:1-2). Rather than pointing out the speck in another's eyes, we will ask God to help us with the log in our eyes (Matthew 7:5, 2 Corinthians 13:5). Instead of putting others down, we will seek to restore them. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Galatians 6:1.
Biblical perfection is about being united in Christ with fellow believers (John 17:20-23). Love is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14). "If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." 1 John 4:12
Also see: Quotes on Christian Growth
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Friday, August 9, 2019
Bible verses for when you feel angry
Jonah 4:4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
Psalm 4:4-5 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled
Psalms 34:13-14 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
1 John 2:10-11 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4:20
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
Matthew 5:21-24
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Mathew 18:15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
James 4:11-12 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
Colossians 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Colossians 3:12-13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 17:27 He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 14:29
He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.
Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
Proverbs 14:16-17 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.
Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.
Proverbs 10:18
Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 24:17-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby
Isaiah 6:5-7 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
Isaiah 30:15a For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
Mark 4:39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
Psalm 4:4-5 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled
Psalms 34:13-14 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
Proverbs 24:29 (GNT) Don't say, "I'll do to them just what they did to me! I'll get even with them!"
Proverbs 20:22 (CEV) Don't try to get even. Trust the LORD, and he will help you.
Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord
Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
1 John 2:10-11 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4:20
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
Matthew 5:21-24
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Mathew 18:15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
James 4:11-12 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
Colossians 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Colossians 3:12-13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 17:27 He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 14:29
He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.
Proverbs 12:16 (BSB) A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
Proverbs 14:16-17 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.
Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.
Proverbs 10:18
Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 24:17-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby
Isaiah 6:5-7 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
Isaiah 30:15a For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
Mark 4:39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Other helpful verses:
Let the Lord the rebuke Satan (the real enemy) for you
Zechariah 3:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
Jude 1:9
Jude 1:9
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Remember Satan is a defeated foe
Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Helpful music playlists on Youtube
Finding Peace In The Storm
For the broken heart
Storms of life (bluegrass)
Life's trials (bluegrass)
Forgiveness, Repentance, and Salvation (bluegrass gospel)
Sharing God's love with others (bluegrass gospel)
Edit: These links are broken at the moment... come back soon
Also see Proverbs on interactions with others
Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Helpful music playlists on Youtube
Finding Peace In The Storm
For the broken heart
Storms of life (bluegrass)
Life's trials (bluegrass)
Forgiveness, Repentance, and Salvation (bluegrass gospel)
Sharing God's love with others (bluegrass gospel)
Edit: These links are broken at the moment... come back soon
Also see Proverbs on interactions with others
Also see Swift to hear, slow to speak
Saturday, August 3, 2019
The Gift of God's Love
When we know that God has already loves us, then instead of seeking to be loved by others, our focus will be on sharing His love with others. Notice what God's word says: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:10-11.
Love is a gift from God and in order to share His love, we must first have it in our hearts. "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5.
What does God's love look like? "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. God loved us even when we didn't love Him back. That's the kind of love God wants to pour into our hearts and that's the kind of love we are to have toward others.
Not everyone understands that God loves them, is interested in their salvation, and that He is the only one who can save them. Some people leave church and give up on believing in God because others have been cold and apathetic towards them. They don't know we're all like "cups" that need to be constantly filled with the love that only comes from God. It's only the love of God that can expel sin and selfishness from the human heart.
God is able to draw souls to Himself and fill them with so much love that they realize that those who were cold toward them simply need more of His love. God can make them like the Good Samaritan, sharing God's love with everyone around them, even towards who don't like them.
Relevant song: More Love by Trinity Bluegrass Band
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