Matthew 5:48
Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Perfection is a lofty goal, but it’s one that Christians are obliged to pursue. No Christian is perfect. Christ’s sacrifice has made you a saint, pure and holy before the Father. Nonetheless, you continue to sin. You still live on by the law of death that once held you so tightly in its grip. You continue to live in sin because you fail to keep your eyes on Jesus. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Christ is your model for perfection. The life He lived was one in the flesh, just as yours. He suffered the same temptations and trials. He was cursed at, laughed at, and abused. Yet in all of this, He never sinned. This is your example. Jesus Christ, fully man, focused on the will of His Father. Perfect. His perfection was the result of sincere desire to bring glory to His Father… to imitate His Father.
Therefore, you are to be perfect… you are to love your enemies, to pray for those who hate you, and to sacrifice all you have for the sake of God’s glory. When others make fun, you are to seek perfection over bitterness. When the weight of persecution and pain overwhelm you, perfection must be the only option you consider. To act in revenge, to strike out in hatred, to hide jealousy in your heart is to turn from the path to perfection… to consciously walk in an opposite manner from what the Lord has commanded you to walk in.
I think a lot of teens nowadays think they could never be perfect like Jesus was, so they don't really bother. I know I don't sometimes. But every now and then I think, "you know, if we're supposed to be like him, let's really do it." And I mean giving up everything we own, going out and walking for the rest of our lives, telling people about Christ. Don't have a house, don't have a job, and the only things you carry are some extra clothes and your Bible. But, as years change, so does culture. We really can't do that, but sometimes I've thought how awesome it would be if someone did that.