“You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 is an emphatic future command revealing the intentions of God to bring each of His children to spiritual maturity. God purposefully steers us to places where we must choose between our desire and His will, using trials and testing to refine and approve our faith, and nurture our new nature into Christlikeness. In Psalm 11:5 we find, "The Lord tests the righteous." And again in Psalm 17:3, "You have tested my heart. You have tried me…” Paul affirms this with, "We speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts." (1 Thess. 2:4) James admonishes us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2), Peter to “not think it is strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (1 Peter 4:12), that the “genuineness of your faith” may be tested and approved (I Peter 1:7). Paul to “glory in tribulations.” (Rom. 5:3). The Greek word translated “fiery trial” in 1 peter 4: 12 is an old smelting term used for the refining of precious metals in a furnace. When the smelter skimmed the dross off the liquid gold ore and could see his own reflection, he knew the ore was pure gold. When God looks at us in the cauldron of adversity and sees only the likeness of His precious Son, His perfecting process is finished. (Send an e-mail request for complete study)
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