Donut Theology

Donut Theology

Matthew 5:38-5:48

In the last sentence of our passage today, Jesus says something that is very confusing… "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

Be Perfect! Doesn’t that make you scratch your head?

How can we possibly be “PERFECT”?

Or does it make you feel inferior or guilty?

If perfection is the goal, I might as well give up right now. I know me, and like Paul says in Romans 7, 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

I don’t know if moral and sinless perfection is possible for anyone… but I know it is not for me.

I don’t even understand how the scripture can in one place say that we are to be prefect as God is perfect…

And even give us biblical examples of those who were perfect…

Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."

And Paul’s wrote to the Philippians 3:15 "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded":

And in another place say that NO ONE IS PERFECT…"All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Now something is wrong here!!!!

Either it is possible… or it is not.

Either… Noah and the people Paul is writing to… defied Romans 3:23 or Perfection means something different from what we understand

I guess “it depends upon what the meaning of the word perfect… is.”

CLIP “What Is Is”

Today I want to help you to understand what the meaning of "perfection" is

It is used three different ways in the scriptures

The Perfection OF CHRIST (and God)

The Perfection IN CHRIST

The Perfection LIKE CHRIST

The Perfection OF CHRIST (and God)

We just tend to think of perfection in one way… total sinlessness

As it is applied to Jesus and God… that is true

The scriptures tell us that God is perfect and cannot be tempted to sin

Jesus, God in the flesh, could be tempted… but was “without sin.”

Jesus NEVER SINNED… NO ONCE… EVER

That is perfect moral perfection

It belongs to… or is true of Jesus and no one else

For everyone else… Romans tells the truth… “FOR ALL HAVE SINNED”

God does not expect you or me to have the absolute moral and sinless perfection which Jesus had because he told us it was impossible

So there is the PERFECTION OF CHRIST … a level of perfection to which you and I will not be held

Next… there is

The Perfection IN CHRIST

I want to use this donut to help you to understand the biblical concept of the PERFECTION IN CHRIST

Is this Donut real? YES!! Is the hole real? YES!!

It is real even though we cannot touch it or see it or taste it or experience it with any of our senses

If it were a make-believe hole… this penny would not go through

IT IS REAL

But a real hole is kind of a contradiction… it is real but it isn’t

I can’t take the hole out of the donut and place it on this plate

Now listen really closely to what I am about to say…

THE HOLE EXISTS ONLY IN RELATION TO THE DONUT

THE HOLE EXISTS ONLY IN CONNECTION TO THE DONUT

The hole exists ONLY if the donut exists

If you take away the donut… the hole no longer exists

Now… stay with me… don’t lose me now…

This donut represents the Sinless Moral and Spiritual perfection of Jesus Christ. HE IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT …SINLESS… PURE

He is everything that I cannot be… that you cannot be

The hole represents my perfection, and yours, in relationship to His

My perfection is not a perfection of actions or goodness

It is not moral perfection or sinlessness

It is my perfection in relationship to HIM… When I got saved… His perfection was granted to me… so now it is my standing before God

Apart from the perfection of Jesus Christ… I have no perfection…

I am a sinner… a self centered, flesh pleasing, greedy, lustful, lying, sinner

My perfection… like the donut hole is real, but only in relation to HIS perfection

Hear God’s word from Colossians 2:10 "So you also are COMPLETE (or "perfect") through your union with Christ, who is the head."

So, understand, our perfection is not sinlessness… but STANDING

It is given, apportioned, awarded, bequeathed, conferred, granted, hand out, imparted

The Perfection LIKE CHRIST

BUT there is another dimension to PERFECTION… another meaning of PERFECT

A dimension or definition that is not about our standing or our imputed perfection

It is the Perfection LIKE CHRIST