told you so

i've heard it said numerous times that once you get one tattoo, you'll want more. i want another, possibly on my other wrist. the more i research and find more meaning, the more i want it. crap.

i was struck when i heard matthew 5:48, "therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." the greek word for 'perfect' means 'finished, complete, having reached its end,' and implies being fully grown or mature.

grace is opposed to earning, but not opposed to effort. we must desire god's will so much that we seek to please him in every area of our lives-that is holiness. jesus says that god's law was never about mere rules but desires a complete righteousness of the heart, a total devotion to god's purposes in this world. thats part of becoming a disciple.

in the surrounding verses, theres a connection to the inability to be perfect apart from others. the bible links perfection with human relationships. christ urges us to be as perfect as our father in heaven and ties the process to how we treat each other. we cannot withdraw from people and still develop the necessary relationship skills, just as god never leaves us but continues to work with us. he is the one who works perfection in us.

in the verse, god becomes the standard of comparison and it suggests that jesus' instruction is exhortation, setting a goal, not assuming a state to which the hearers have already come. (the issue of whether any christian is perfect is irrelevant here. all of us can learn to better reflect god's character; at the same time, god promises us power to overcome any given temptation; and if we can overcome any temptation, we should choose to say no to every temptation.)

....but when we fail, we can fall back on grace. divine grace. god's gifts are gracious. they are unearned and unmerited by us who have willingly sinned against him, desecrated his beautiful creation and either ignored or neglected his awesome purpose. despite this, his gifts of life are nonetheless unforced, an abundant manifestation of his kind nature. he does not return evil for evil; he does not bear grudges, burn with resentment, or plot to get even. rather, he freely gives even to evil doers while he patiently works toward the completion... perfection... of his purpose.

the greek for 'perfect' is used two other times:

for we all stumble in many ways. and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. james 2:1-4 (uh, i think a great thing to be reminded of... with permanent ink)

jesus said to him, 'if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' matthew 19:21 (again, permanent ink would be helpful. in hopes it will be permanently on my heart)

and similar to genesis 17:1, and the hebrew for blameless: when abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'i am god almighty; walk before me and be blameless.'