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40 min read
by Randall McElwain
By the end of this lesson, the student should:
(1) Recognize Jesus as the model of holiness.
(2) Appreciate the meaning of perfection in the Bible.
(3) Commit to continuing growth in perfect love.
(4) Take practical steps to show love both to Christians and non-Christians.
(5) Memorize Matthew 5:43-48.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he passed a tax collector. Because he worked for the Romans, Levi was avoided by Jewish rabbis. To Levi’s surprise, Jesus said, “Follow me” (Mark 2:14). Other rabbis saw only a tax collector; Jesus saw a person to love.
Later, Jesus ate a meal with a group of tax collectors and sinners at the home of Levi. The Pharisees were shocked. Jesus was supposed to be holy; why was he spending time with sinners? Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
Jesus’ example shocked his contemporaries. The Pharisees were considered the holiest people of Jesus’ day. They said, “We are holy, so we stay away from sinners.” Jesus said, “I am holy, so I spend time with sinners.”
Jesus delighted in spending time with sinners. As they followed Jesus, sinful people became holy people. Jesus provided a model of holy love that transforms the world. Holiness is perfect love for God and perfect love for people. True holiness transforms our world.[1]
[1]A Prayer for Holiness:
"Lord, Make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled, as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
- St. Francis of Assisi
► How do people in your world measure holiness? How does this standard compare with how Jesus lived?
What did the people who lived in Jesus’ world believe about holiness? How did they expect a holy person to live? As we see the answer to these questions, we will understand why people were so shocked by Jesus’ life and teaching.[1]
What the People of Jesus’ World Believed
The people of Jesus’ day knew that God is a holy God. They knew that God’s people must be holy. A holy God requires his people to be holy. God sent Israel into exile because his people were not holy.
The people of Jesus’ day knew that holiness requires separation from all that is impure. The Old Testament call to be holy required God’s people to stay away from everything sinful.
The people of Jesus’ day knew God’s promise to write a new covenant on the heart of his people. God promised to give his people a new heart and a new spirit that would enable them to keep the covenant (Ezekiel 36:26). The people of Jesus’ day were waiting for this promise to be fulfilled.
The people of Jesus’ day knew that a holy God keeps his promises. God is faithful to his covenant. Even though Israel had broken the covenant, God remained faithful. The Jewish people believed that God’s glory would return to Israel if his people were holy.
What the People of Jesus’ World Practiced
The religious people of Jesus’ day believed these principles, but they failed to live according to God’s pattern for true holiness. They did not have holy hearts.
The priestly leaders put their faith in the Temple. They believed that if the sacrifices were performed properly, God’s glory would return. Jesus responded, “Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13). Jesus showed that rituals alone are not enough.
The Essenes believed that they could be holy by living apart from other people. They moved into communities by the Dead Sea. Jesus responded, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). Jesus touched lepers; he ate with sinners. He showed that we can be holy in a sinful world.
The Pharisees obeyed outward details of the Law, but they ignored inward impurity. Jesus compared the Pharisees to graves that “outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28). Jesus showed that holiness must begin in the heart. You cannot have holy hands if your heart is not holy.
These people of Jesus’ world settled for rituals instead of true holiness. Instead of loving God, they measured holiness by regulations. Instead of loving their world, Israel built walls to shut out a needy world. Jesus showed that a holy person loves God and loves his neighbor.
[1] Much of this material is based on Kent Brower, Holiness in the Gospels (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2005).
When we read about holiness in the Old Testament, we might be tempted to say, “That makes a nice theory, but what will it look like in real life?” Jesus came to show us what holiness looks like in daily life. Luke’s genealogy showed that Jesus was “the son of Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38). When we look at Jesus, the son of Adam, we see the perfect model of a holy person. The Gospels show holiness in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Holiness Is Walking with God
In Jesus, we see the model of man’s relationship with God. Jesus’ prayer life demonstrated his intimate relationship with his Father. Jesus regularly withdrew from the crowds to be alone with his Father. In his humanity, Jesus sought a close relationship with his heavenly Father. He walked with God.
Perhaps the greatest picture of Jesus’ relationship with the Father is seen in his cry from the cross. As he bore our sins on the cross, “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying… ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46). Dying in our place and bearing the rightful punishment for our sin, Jesus felt abandoned by his Father.
Jesus showed the intimacy of relationship with God. The holiness suggested by Abraham and David was fulfilled in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Holiness Is Separation
To be holy means to be set apart from sin and set apart to God. In his humanity, Jesus modeled separation from sin. He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). The disciple who was closest to Jesus during his earthly ministry testified, “In him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
In his humanity, Jesus modeled separation to God. He lived in willing submission to the Father. Jesus testified, “He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29). Jesus was set apart to His Father.
Holiness Is the Image of God
To be holy is to reflect the image of God. When we look at Jesus, we see the perfect image of the Father. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). When Philip asked Jesus to “show us the Father,” Jesus responded, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:8-9). In Jesus, we see the perfect image of God.
Holiness Is an Undivided Heart
A holy person has an undivided heart; he is devoted completely to God. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus’ heart was surrendered fully to the will of the Father. Jesus shows what it means to have an undivided heart.
Holiness Is Righteousness
True holiness requires righteous behavior. A holy person is marked by justice, mercy, and humility. In the life of Jesus, we see the perfect example of righteousness.
The ultimate picture of justice is seen when Jesus bore the just wrath of God on the cross. Jesus did not deny the justice of sin’s penalty; instead, he paid the penalty on our behalf.
Jesus demonstrated mercy in his treatment of lepers, women, children, and the poor. He showed mercy to the woman taken in adultery, to Zacchaeus, and to the thief on the cross. Repeatedly, Jesus responded with mercy towards those who had been rejected by others.
More than 700 years before Jesus’s birth, Isaiah described Messiah’s humility. “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Isaiah prophesied, “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench” (Isaiah 42:2-3).
Jesus showed his mission of justice, mercy, and humility in his first public sermon. At the synagogue in Nazareth, he read Isaiah’s prophecy of a coming Servant:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19, from Isaiah 61:1-2).
Isaiah foresaw the year of the Lord’s favor, a time of justice for all people. Jesus announced that he had come to fulfill this promise: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Jesus’ earthly ministry provided a model of righteousness.
In Lesson 7, we saw that to be holy is to love God with an undivided love. To be holy is also to love our neighbor. Jesus gave these two commands, “Love God” and “Love your neighbor” as the summary of all the law (Mark 12:29-31).
True love for God will always bring love for other people. If we love God, we will love the people God loves. Holiness is never solitary; a holy life is lived in relationship with our neighbor. Holiness is perfect love for God and perfect love for others. Perfect love for God cannot be separated from love for our neighbor.
Jesus put it this way: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). John linked our love for God with love for our neighbor:
"If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:20-21).
At its root, sin is self-centeredness. In the garden, Satan promised Eve that she could be like God (Genesis 3:5). At Babel, people were determined to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). Against God’s wishes, Israel asked for a king so that she could be like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). In each case, sin is self-centeredness.
If sin is self-centeredness, then holiness (the opposite of sin) will include other-centeredness. If sin causes us to seek our own good, then holiness will cause us to seek the good of others. If sin is self-love, then holiness is love for others. To be holy is to love others. The commandment that is most frequently repeated in the New Testament is the command to love. It is repeated at least 55 times.
Jesus taught that holiness is loving compassion for others. Jesus showed that a holy person will draw sinners to a holy God through a life of holy love.
Obedience to God’s command to “be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” requires us to love our neighbor. Jesus demonstrated perfect love for others and he taught his followers to love others perfectly.
Jesus Demonstrated Perfect Love for Others
Early in Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist sent followers to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:19). A Pharisee would have expected Jesus to respond by pointing to his separated life and wise teaching. Instead, Jesus pointed to his loving service to others:
"Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them" (Luke 7:22).
A survey of Jesus’ miracles demonstrates his perfect love for others. A Roman centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. Most Jewish rabbis would have denied his request. Jesus not only healed the servant, he praised the faith of this Gentile (Matthew 8:5-13).
Even when his miracles brought opposition, Jesus acted out of love. When a crippled woman came to him, he healed her on the Sabbath day. Though nothing in the Law prevented this healing, the Pharisees did not allow healing on the Sabbath. Because of love, Jesus risked the anger of the religious leaders (Luke 13:10-21).
Jesus showed love even to those who were suffering as the result of their own sinful actions. Jesus showed love to a Samaritan woman who lived an immoral lifestyle (John 4). He protected a woman who was caught in adultery. Jesus did not deny her sin; he commanded her to “go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus knew that holiness requires separation from sin, but he also knew that perfect love is stronger than the power of sin.
Just hours before his death, Jesus demonstrated love towards others. Malchus, the servant of the high priest, accompanied his master to arrest Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. When Simon Peter cut off Malchus’ ear, Jesus rebuked Peter and healed Malchus (Matthew 26:50-52). Jesus showed what it means to love your enemy.
As Jesus hung on the cross, a robber appealed for mercy. This robber deserved death; he was a violent criminal. Jesus, who was suffering not for his own sins but for the sins of others, promised mercy to a dying thief (Luke 23:39-43). Despite his own agony, Jesus loved a man who seemed unlovable.
Jesus Taught His Followers to Love Others Perfectly
Jesus taught his followers what it means to love perfectly. Jesus showed that perfect love is the standard for life in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Taught Perfect Love in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
The command “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” is the center of the Sermon on the Mount. This command follows a series of examples of love towards others. To be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect is to live a life of undivided love towards others.
If holiness meant no more than separation from external sin, the Pharisees were the holiest of people. They were called the “Separated Ones.” Jesus required more than the separation of the Pharisees. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
In contrast to the false righteousness of the Pharisees, Jesus showed that citizens of his kingdom are people of love. External behavior that is not matched by internal holiness is hypocrisy, not holiness. We must have holy hearts and holy hands.
A person of perfect love goes beyond obedience to the command, “You shall not murder.” Love seeks reconciliation with an offended brother. A man of perfect love goes beyond obedience to the command, “You shall not commit adultery.” Love refuses even to look at a woman to gratify selfish desires.
A man of perfect love does not seek an excuse for divorce. He loves his wife enough to seek her best interests. A person of perfect love speaks the truth without loopholes. A person of perfect love does not seek revenge.
Jesus concluded:
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:44-45).
To love as God loves is to love your enemy. Jesus did not lower the demands of holiness; he raised the demands of holiness. Your righteousness must exceed the external righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). Instead of settling for external behavior alone, God transforms the heart. When you love as God loves, you are perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus Taught Perfect Love in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
A religious lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded by asking, “What is written in the Law?” The lawyer knew the correct answer: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
The lawyer did not want to face the demands of love. He looked for an excuse to avoid having to put his doctrine into action. “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Jesus answered with the parable of the good Samaritan.
Jesus taught that we are responsible to love our neighbor not just in words, but in actions. Like the good Samaritan, the Christian who loves perfectly seeks opportunity to serve others - even an enemy. If we love our neighbor, we will seek opportunities to serve. James asked:
"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" (James 2:15-16).
Perfect love is seen in actions, not in words alone. Holy people love as Jesus loved. To love perfectly is to love sacrificially.
Jesus Taught Perfect Love by Washing the Feet of His Disciples (John 13:1-20)
On the night of his arrest, Jesus taught one of his greatest lessons about perfect love. As they ate the Passover meal, the disciples began to argue about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus responded, “For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). He then took a towel and began to wash the disciples’ feet, the job of a servant. Jesus knelt and washed the feet of each man in the room - even the feet of Judas.
When he was done, Jesus asked, “Do you understand what I have done to you?” He wanted to teach these position-seeking disciples an important lesson:
"You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you" (John 13:13-15).
In the final hours with his disciples, Jesus taught that perfect love is humble. Perfect love does not seek position; perfect love seeks opportunities for service. Holiness is perfect love.
Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Many people react, “No one is perfect!” However, we cannot ignore Jesus’ command, “Be perfect.” What did he mean? Is it possible for ordinary Christians to obey Jesus’ command?
What Does It Mean to “Be Perfect”?
Two things help us understand Jesus’ meaning. First, look at the definition of the Greek word translated “perfect” in Matthew 5:48. Teleios means “to be complete.” Teleios comes from a noun that means “goal” or “purpose.” To be perfect means to reach a goal.
The Old Testament shows that a perfect person has an undivided heart towards God. This idea continues in the New Testament. God’s goal for his people is complete love, love from an undivided heart. Is perfect performance possible in our own strength? No. Is perfect, undivided love for God possible? Jesus says, “Yes.”
Second, look at the context of Matthew 5:48. The verses before and after Matthew 5:48 show that to be perfect is to love God and our neighbor with a perfect love. Jesus’ command summarizes a life of love towards God and our neighbor.
The command “You therefore must be perfect” follows examples of love towards our neighbor in Matthew 5:21-47. Instead of murder, adultery, divorce, broken vows and revenge, holy people live in love. The last of these commands is “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Holy people love those who seek to do them harm. To be perfect means to love as God loves.
Immediately after this command, Jesus gave examples of what it means to truly love God in Matthew 6:1-18. Hypocrites give to the poor to receive honor from people; those who love God perfectly give to be seen by their Father who sees in secret.
Hypocrites “love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.” Those who love God perfectly go into their room and shut the door and pray to their Father who is in secret. Hypocrites fast to impress other people; they disfigure their faces so that their fasting may be seen by others. Those who love God perfectly want to be seen only by their Father who is in secret.
Paul commanded believers at Colossae to live a holy life. He described a life of love and forgiveness:
"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other…" (Colossians 3:12-13).
The climax of this list is love. “Above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). To be perfect is to put on love. When Jesus said “Be perfect,” he commanded us to put on love for God and for our neighbors. Perfect love is love from an undivided heart.
How Perfect is Perfect Love?
In common use, we sometimes use the word perfect in an absolute sense. We use perfect to mean something that cannot be improved or increased. If we think of perfect as an absolute level of achievement, we will measure holiness by our works. Like the Pharisees, we will view holiness as a measuring stick.
Many people take this approach to the holy life. Like the Pharisees, they have a list of boxes to check. If all the boxes are marked, then they think that they are perfect.
In the Bible, the word perfect is not absolute. It does not deny further growth. Job was perfect (Job 1:1), but he grew in his relationship with God through the experiences he endured.
In the Bible, to be perfect means to be complete at each stage of growth. The writer of Hebrews wrote to Christians who were not perfect for their stage of growth. They had failed to grow into spiritual maturity.
"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature (teleios), for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14).
The writer of Hebrews is not suggesting that mature (or perfect) believers no longer need spiritual food! He is pushing them towards maturity, so they can eat the spiritual food appropriate for their spiritual age. To be perfect is to be properly mature for our stage of Christian experience. To be perfect means that we are complete and whole; we are what God intends us to be.
Instead of a measuring stick, the biblical picture of perfection is a circle. A circle is perfect; it cannot be made any more circular. However, a perfect circle can be made bigger; a perfect circle can grow and expand. It is perfect, but it is still growing.
A holy person is filled with perfect love for God and for their neighbor. As we mature, our capacity for love increases. The circle expands. As we mature, our love abounds “more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9). At every stage of growth, God says, “This person loves me with a perfect love. They are holy.”
A person who has walked with God 40 years will better understand how to show love to their neighbor than a person who has walked with God one year. But both can love their neighbor from an undivided heart. Both can show perfect love.
When a five-year-old child draws a picture for her father, he says, “Thank you! It is perfect!” He does not mean that her artwork could be no better. At 15, this same child will draw a much better picture.
“It is perfect!” means, “This picture came from a heart of love. It is right for her stage of maturity.”
Perfect love is not a standard of performance. Perfect love is undivided love for God and for other people. Perfect love is following the example of Jesus, the one who came to reveal perfect love in daily life.
Is Perfect Love Possible for Ordinary Believers?
The 17th century Puritans stated an important principle of Bible interpretation. They said that biblical commands are “covered promises.” The Puritans meant that a biblical command is a promise in disguise. A biblical command implies a biblical promise. If God commands something, he will make obedience possible. What God requires of his people, he will do in his people.
Imagine an earthly father who gives his son an impossible command. “Son, if you want to please me, you must run a mile in two minutes.” For a while, the son might try to achieve this goal, but his father’s expectations are impossible. Eventually the son would become discouraged or even become bitter. Is this a good father? No.
God is a good Father. He does not frustrate his children with impossible commands. When Jesus commands us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, he empowers us to obey his command.
The Sermon on the Mount shows life in God’s kingdom. This is not a new law that brings greater bondage than the old law. It is not a set of unreachable ideals to show us how far we are from meeting God’s demands. It is a picture of daily life in the kingdom of God. Nowhere does Jesus say, “This is my command, but you cannot obey!” Instead, Jesus says, “This is who you are to be.”
If we look at Jesus’ command through the eyes of human ability, it is impossible. In human strength, we cannot fulfill God’s command to be perfect. In human strength, we cannot love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. However, in God’s strength, we can obey God’s commands. Perfect love is possible through God’s grace.
A rich young man asked, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16). Jesus responded by listing the commandments:
"…You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (19:18-19).
When the young man said, “All these I have kept,” Jesus added one more command. “…If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (19:20-21). To be perfect means to love Jesus more than possessions.
The young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The rich young man did not love his neighbor perfectly; he would not sell his possessions and give to the poor. He did not love God perfectly; he would not leave home to follow Jesus. This young man had a divided heart. He wanted God, but he also wanted his great possessions.
When they saw the demands of discipleship, the disciples were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ response answers the question, “Is perfection possible to ordinary believers?” Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (19:25-26).
In human strength, perfect love for God and our neighbor is impossible. But with God all things are possible. A loving Father does not frustrate his children with commands that cannot be fulfilled. The commands of scripture are accompanied by the grace to obey the commands. “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” is not a legalistic club to drive Christians to despair. It is a gracious promise that God can do in us what we could never do in ourselves.
Is it possible to obey Jesus’ command to be perfect? According to the Sermon on the Mount, the answer is a joyous “Yes!” To be perfect in God’s kingdom is to have a heart of perfect love. To be perfect in God’s kingdom is to have single-minded love for God and for our neighbor. Is this possible? According to Jesus, perfect love is both possible and necessary. Perfect love is God’s purpose for his people.
Jason says, “I love God with all my heart. And I love most other people. But I can’t love black people. I think all black people are lazy.”
Jason’s friend responded, “But Christians are to love everyone! Christians cannot judge other people unfairly.” Jason answered, “I don’t think God is interested in little things like this. Isn’t it normal to avoid people who are different than us?”
God says, “Holy people treat all people – including those who are different than us – with compassion and mercy.”
"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors" (James 2:8-9).
One measure of your character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you. It is easy to show deference and honor to people in a position to reward us with money, jobs, or authority. Love honors those who can do nothing for us: the poor, old people, children, and others with no position. The royal law of love affects how we treat everyone. Love fulfills the law.
Love Fulfills the Law
The theme of perfect love is central to the message of a holy life. In Lesson 7, we saw that love for God is more than an emotion. Love for God changes the entire focus of our life. We now want to please God more than we want to please self. In the same way, love for our neighbor moves our focus from self to others.
Paul wrote to the church at Rome:
"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:8-10).
Every Christian owes the debt of love. Paul assures us that if we meet the obligation of love, we will have met all the other obligations of the law. If we love others, we will not commit adultery, murder, steal, or covet. The obligations of the law will be fulfilled when I love my neighbor as myself.
In the closing chapters of Romans, Paul shows how love fulfills the law. Those who are filled with God’s love:
Love for God changes the orientation of our heart from self to God. Love for our neighbor changes the orientation of our heart from self to others. Both are part of what it means to be a holy person.
John Wesley summed up the meaning of Christian perfection:
"Love is the highest gift of God; humble, gentle, patient love. All visions, revelations, or gifts are little things compared to love. There is nothing higher in religion; if you look for anything but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way.
"And when you are asking others, 'Have you received this or that blessing?' if you mean anything but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them upon a false scent. Settle it then in your heart, that from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in 1 Corinthians 13. You can go no higher than this."[1]
Loving Our Christian Neighbor
Two areas will demonstrate how perfect love looks in relation to other Christians.
Love Respects the Convictions of Other Christians
Writing to the Christians at Corinth, Paul addressed the issue of Christian liberty. How should I respond to another believer who may be spiritually hurt by my freedom? Paul wrote to strong Christians who said, “We know that idols are nothing. Eating food that has been offered to idols means nothing to us.” Paul responded:
"Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble" (1 Corinthians 8:9-13).
Paul will give up eating meat for the rest of his life rather than cause a weaker Christian brother to fall. Perfect love means that he cares more for the salvation of another Christian brother than for his own rights. Later, Paul says, “we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:12).
The Corinthians said, “We are free to do whatever we want to do. We don’t have to consider the needs of another believer.” Paul said, “I am free to serve the needs of other believers. I am not in bondage to my own desires and rights. I am free to love others.” This is the perfect love that God wants to give every Christian.
► Read Romans 14.
In the church at Rome, there were weak Christians who ate only vegetables. These may have been Jewish Christians who continued to follow the Jewish food laws and did not want to risk eating unclean foods. There were also strong Christians who had more knowledge and knew that the food laws are no longer binding on the Christian.
Paul showed each group what it means to love as Christ loved. The weak Christian must not judge the one who eats meat. Love does not judge.
However, the strong Christian must not despise the weak Christian and must not exercise his freedom in a way that will undermine the faith of the weak. Instead, the strong Christian will give up his rights in order to avoid destroying the faith of a weaker believer. Why? For the sake of love:
"For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died" (Romans 14:15).
This is what it means to love your Christian neighbor. We are to love as Christ loved. He gave his life for this weaker brother; surely, Paul says, we can give up our right to eat meat.
► Discuss an area on which sincere and godly believers differ. These are not areas of clear biblical teaching; these are areas of different convictions. Apply Paul’s principles from Romans 14 to this issue. How should each group - weak and strong Christians – address this area?
Love Cares for a Christian Who Falls into Sin
Rachel is a Christian who was cheated in a business transaction by a fellow church member. Isaac sold Rachel a used car, knowing that the car had serious mechanical problems. Isaac lied to Rachel, “I have had this car checked by a mechanic. It is in wonderful condition. You can trust me. I’m a Christian.”
Two days after buying the car, Rachel learned that the transmission in the car was bad – and that Isaac knew about this problem.
► What should Rachel do?
Did you answer, “Rachel should warn everyone that Isaac is dishonest”? Did you answer, “Rachel should say nothing to upset a fellow Christian”? Let’s look at Jesus’ answer.
► Read Matthew 18:15-17.
Jesus gave four steps that show how perfect love treats a fellow Christian who falls into sin. Please understand that this example is about sinful behavior. Jesus is not addressing personal differences of opinion. Jesus is not saying, “Go, get involved in everyone else’s problems.” Jesus is addressing a situation in which a Christian brother sins against another Christian. Look at the steps:
However, please note Jesus’ words. Treat him as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17). How are Christians supposed to treat Gentiles and tax collectors? With love. Even here, the goal is restoration. In 2 Corinthians, Paul addressed the situation of a believer who had been disciplined by the church and had repented. Paul said,
"For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him" (2 Corinthians 2:6-8).
In 1 Corinthians, the church tolerated open sin and did not want to discipline the sinner. Paul reminded them that love for God requires that we discipline those who sin against the body of Christ.
In 2 Corinthians, the church disciplined a person who had sinned, but when this person repented, the church did not want to forgive him! Paul reminded them that love for our neighbor requires that we forgive those who repent (2 Corinthians 2:7).
The goal of church discipline must always be repentance and restoration. Perfect love does not seek revenge.
Loving Our Unbelieving Neighbor
How do we show perfect love towards unbelievers, especially those who hate us because we are Christians? Jesus said:
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:43-45).
When you love those who persecute you, you are perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Holy people love like our heavenly Father loves. This is what it means to be perfect.
Holy people “demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such behavior”.[2]
Christians have always lived in a world that opposes the gospel. Paul called Christians at Rome to respect the authorities and to pay their taxes – to a government that was killing Christians and would soon kill Paul.
Peter commanded Christians to “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17). Again, this was a wicked emperor who would soon execute Peter. But Peter was determined that Christians must love our enemy. By loving even our enemies, we witness to the truth of the gospel. “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:15).
Joshua is a Nigerian pastor in an area of northern Nigeria where Christians have been viciously attacked by Islamic militants. Islamic soldiers have burned churches, killed Christians, and kidnapped young girls to sell into slavery. The last time I visited Nigeria, Joshua showed me pictures of the bodies of members of his church who had been killed by Islamic attackers.
Then Joshua showed me pictures of his church’s response to these attacks. His church built a school in a Muslim village; they dug a well to provide safe drinking water for the village; they have provided wheelchairs for Muslim polio victims; they are building a medical clinic for this village. They are showing love to their enemy.
Pastor Joshua said, “Many Muslims are coming to Christ because they see the love of God through Christians. We are winning them not through guns and revenge; we are winning them by living out Matthew 5:43-48.” This is the product of perfect love lived in our world today.
► What are the biggest challenges to loving unbelieving neighbors in your world? List some practical steps to show love towards unbelievers in your community.
The Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote a short story that shows what it means to live a life of perfect love. Martin was a poor shoemaker who loved God deeply.[3] One night, Martin fell asleep as he was reading from the Bible. He dreamed that Jesus said, “Tomorrow, I will visit your shop.”
The next day, Martin watched for Jesus. Other people came to Martin’s shop, but Jesus did not visit. An old soldier stood shivering in the cold. Martin invited the soldier into his shop for hot tea. A poor woman walked past the shop, trying to keep her baby warm. Martin brought her soup and a blanket for the baby. Later, Martin bought food for a hungry teenager.
Martin was disappointed that Jesus had not come, but he said, “It was just a dream. It was silly for me to think that Jesus would come to a shoe shop.”
That night, as Martin read his Bible, he again fell asleep. He dreamed that he saw people standing in his shop. The soldier said, “Martin, do you recognize me? I am Jesus!” The woman with a baby said, “Martin, I am Jesus.” The hungry teenager said, “I am Jesus.” Martin awoke and began to read:
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:35-40).
In the second century, a group of Christians were called “the Gamblers” because they risked their lives to care for those who were dying from contagious diseases. The Gamblers visited prisoners, cared for the sick, and rescued abandoned babies. The Gamblers showed perfect love.
In A.D. 252, a plague broke out in Carthage. Doctors refused to visit patients; families threw the bodies of the dead into the street; the city was in chaos. Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage, called his congregation together. He reminded them that Christians are called to be people of perfect love. The Christians of Carthage buried the dead, nursed the sick, and saved the city from destruction. They were people of perfect love; they were perfect as their Father in heaven is perfect.
[1] Adapted from John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1966), 99.
[2] From Discipline of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, 2014.
[3] Leo Tolstoy, “Where Love Is, There God is Also.”
Esther Ahn Kim was a music teacher who lived in Korea during the years of the Japanese occupation beginning in 1937. The Japanese required every citizen to bow at the shrine of the sun goddess at Namsan Mountain. In 1939, Esther was ordered to bow to the shrine. The penalty for refusing to bow was prison and torture.
Some Christians had decided, “We will bow outwardly, but we will worship Christ in our hearts.” Esther determined that she could not bow to a false God. She loved God with an undivided heart. That day, she refused to bow.
Late in 1939, after several months in hiding, Esther Ahn Kim was arrested. She had spent those months preparing for prison. She fasted and prayed, she memorized Scripture, she prepared her mind and body to endure suffering.
Kim spent six years in prison. She was tortured many times but she remained faithful because she loved God. But Kim knew that she was also called to love her neighbor. In prison, Esther began to pray each morning, “God, who do you want to love through me today?” Once she gave her food ration for several days to a woman who had been sentenced to death for murdering her husband. Through the love of Esther Kim, this lady was brought to Christ before she died.
Esther Ahn Kim experienced what Thomas Chisholm sought in his hymn, “Oh! to be like Thee… Meekly enduring cruel reproaches, willing to suffer, others to save.”[1]
[1]Adapted from Esther Ahn Kim, If I Perish (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977).
Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
this is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
seeking the wandering sinner to find.
Oh! to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
willing to suffer, others to save.
Oh! to be like Thee, Oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
(1) The people in Jesus’ world believed what the Old Testament taught about holiness. However, they failed to live according to God’s pattern for a holy people.
(2) The perfect model of holiness is seen in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He followed every principle of holiness from the Old Testament.
(3) To love our neighbor perfectly is to love as Jesus loved - sacrificially and humbly.
(4) To be perfect means to be complete. To be perfect does not mean that there is no further growth.
(5) A biblical command is a “promise in disguise.” What God commands, he makes possible. Holiness is accomplished not by human strength but by God’s grace.
(6) Love fulfills the law. When we love as God calls us to love, we will meet the demands of the law.
(1) Prepare a sermon on “Loving Your 21st Century Enemy.” Use Matthew 5:43-48 as the text. Show what it means to love your enemy in our world. Make sure that you include the gospel (the good news) of what God has done through Christ to make loving your enemy possible.
(2) Begin the next class session by quoting Matthew 5:43-48.
(3) Remember to work on the final project that will be due at the end of this course.
You will preach three sermons or teach three Bible studies on the doctrine and practice of holiness. You should record these sermons to submit to the class leader for your final project. You will prepare one sermon or Bible study on each of the following topics:
(1) A sermon or Bible study on one theological aspect of holiness. Choose one:
(2) A sermon or Bible study on a practical aspect of holiness. You may choose a topic discussed in this course, or you may select your own topic. Possible topics include:
(3) A sermon or Bible study on a biblical character who demonstrates holiness.
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