That verse identifies the end goal for those that follow Jesus. If God is perfect and we then align our thoughts, will, and actions with His then we will be perfect. That’s what Jesus did all His life. That’s what followers should strive to ultimately do, too.

Knowing whether you’re fulfilling that verse to God’s expectation is actually quite simple. When we are feeling the Holy Spirit’s presence in great measure (see Galatians 5:23–23 for what that feels like) then we are perfect enough for God. But when that feeling fades then we have sinned, thus have need to repent. When we repent the presence will return. Being perfect means that we are no longer doing anything to cause the Holy Spirit’s presence to leave.

Be aware that when starting out there may be lots of sinful habits that need to be overcome. Fortunately God does not require us to overcome them all before we qualify for the Spirit’s presence. As long as we are moving forward in overcoming the sinful habits then we will qualify to have the Spirit with us. That also means that failing to spiritually move forward will also result in a loss of the Spirit’s presence. Let your love for God be the reason to make the changes that will lead toward perfection.

In response to A2A:

The simplest answer, in human terms, is don't be a hypocrite.

If you want G-d to forgive your transgressions, what type of person are you to not forgive your fellow man?

If you want G-d to help you, in times of need, do you help other people in their time of need?

If you want G-d to bring you peace, how many people do your actions create chaos for?

Humanity will never be perfect. At best, perfectly content withe the fact that we are imperfect.

However, that does not mean we cannot “grow”, learn new things, take that “log” out of our own “eye”, before judging the “mote” in another person's “eye".

It is the classic Christian argument of “works” verses “faith”.

However, the Lord's Prayer states, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. To forgive others falls under “works”.

It has to holiness (or sinless-ness) more than anything.

Peter says the same thing in 2Peter 1:16

“Because it is written, You be(come) holy; for I am holy”

Both Jesus and Peter quote the Old Testament, specifically from Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:7.

A holy behavior should be the target and the goal for anybody under God. As people created in the image of God we should all aim to copy God's character (loving, just, pure etc.)

The way it's stated in all the passages, it seems to me that it is a self-tuning process and that is achievable.

Not to be confused with salvation; that is only and fully achievable through Jesus Christ.

I can be perfect in one thing, being me. If I try to be God, I’m outside the scope of what I can reasonably achieve.

People do a truly dreadful job at being God. If they’d chill out a bit, and let God be God and they be themselves they’d be so much closer to perfection.

People want to lord it over other people. People want to see themselves as the most important person in the world. People want rules that apply to everyone except themselves. People choose lies, deception, trickery and violence to achieve their ends. Not only do they lie to others, they lie to themselves.

God is God precisely because God is able to fulfil the role of perfection above all such things. Being in relationship with God informs us of our relative significance. Thank goodness I don’t have responsibility for everything. It’s a huge relief, though it’s something I continuously have to relearn in order to stop getting too far above myself.

People imagine the good news is somehow not good because they’d rather take God’s role (or maybe the bits they think are a little too hard for Him). The good news is good, because it short circuits that. We are called to be ourselves, and into relationship with God and with each other. That’s something where we are able to become perfect through the process of becoming perfected. We become peculiar creatures able to be our unique selves yet still able to live harmoniously within relationship to God and each other. That’s the good news that Jesus lets us into. The hard work has already been done for us.

I have seen my share of family members and others fret over how far short of perfection they are in comparison to this directive. I’ve worried about it myself at times.

Things got better after 1995, when then-Elder Russell M. Nelson made this verse the subject of a general conference talk titled, “Perfection Pending.” Thanks to his insights on the matter, I’ve learned to take a longer view of perfection—both what it means and how long it will take to attain it. I’ve seen fewer Latter-day Saints fretting over the matter since then, and when it does happen, Brother Nelson’s talk is an excellent resource in helping them take a saner and more reasonable outlook on life.

If you’re unwilling to follow the link above, here are some of the points from that talk.

The original Greek word for “perfect” used in that passage is teleios, which connotes “complete;” the infinitive verb form, teleiono, means “to reach a distant end, be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.”

Comparing Matthew 5:48 with its complementary passage in 3 Nephi 12:48 is also instructive. First, from Matthew:

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Then, from 3 Nephi:

Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Aside from a few wording differences, both passages say essentially the same thing, with one important difference.

When Jesus first gave the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew, he was sinless and by our standards, perfect. But at that point in time, he was mortal. When Jesus repeated the Sermon on the Mount to his followers in the Americas, as recorded in 3 Nephi, he was then resurrected, and included himself along with Father in the list of perfected beings we should aspire to emulate. From this difference, we must conclude that perfection will not be possible for us until after we’re resurrected.

The quest for perfection is also one of the purposes for a church. As Paul explained,

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–13).

Note his use of the word “perfect” here, something achieved through our unity and knowledge as we come closer to Christ. Ponder also the concluding verse of that discourse of faith recorded in Hebrews 11, which says, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:40). All these examples of faith listed, and they without us should not be made perfect?

Joseph Smith expanded on this idea when he introduced the doctrine of baptism for the dead:

The earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect (Doctrine and Covenants 128:18).

I’ve come to understand that perfection has two meanings: 1) flawless, and 2) complete. Perfection is an eternal goal, and it is also a group effort. Even if somebody reaches the point where they have been cleansed from every flaw and failing, they still won’t be complete until they’ve been resurrected and been connected to all those who are willing to join them in the unity of the faith, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

(And critics wonder why we build and maintain temples instead of putting all our efforts on feeding the poor, not understanding that we have to do both if perfection is to be attained by anyone, alive or dead.)

So if you’re beating yourself up because you’re not perfect yet, calm down and relax. It won’t happen in mortality. The best we can do is point ourselves in the right direction by having faith in Christ, following him, and enduring to the [distant] end, beyond resurrection’s day.

Disclaimer:

Disabling comments because Quora does an awful job at telling me when people have something to say. And this is a question and answer site, not a debate site.

Think I’m wrong or unclear about something? Ask me a question about it.

Re your query: What did Jesus mean when he said, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect?

The following information is based on my personal research and from one of my favourite bible references- information which is taken from the Bible Encyclopaedia Insight on the Scriptures Reference Bible Notes

• “You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”​—Matt. 5:48.

A very good question - because we today are from perfect so how can we apply Jesus words today in our lives?

It may surprise you to what extent Jesus Christ emphasized that we need to be like God. In his Sermon on the Mount he said: “You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) But can we imperfect creatures be perfect? Yes, because in the Scriptures, even as in our everyday conversation, the word “perfect” is used in a relative sense. Thus it might be said that a thing is perfect if it completely or fully serves the purpose for which it is intended. Because this is so, we find that such servants of God as Noah and Job were spoken of as being “perfect.” (Gen. 6:9; Job 2:3, Authorized Version, Leeser Version) The Hebrew and Greek words here translated “perfect” have the sense of being ‘complete, fully developed, intact,’ even as the English word “perfect” also is defined as “complete, sound, flawless.”

To ‘be perfect as God is perfect’ involves loving what he loves. This would include pursuing that which is just and right. The Bible tells us that God is “a lover of justice,” and that in him “there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he.” (Ps. 37:28; Deut. 32:4) Therefore, to be “imitators of God” we must be honest in all our dealings, and, if we are employed, that includes our dealings with our employer. (Eph. 5:1) Today when dishonesty is so rampant, it is common for persons to go along with practices that are really wrong, thus, in effect, following “after the crowd for evil ends.”​—Ex. 23:2.

Jehovah God himself sets a shining example for us to imitate in being faithful and dependable. As God’s prophet Moses said to his people Israel: “You well know that Jehovah your God is the true God, the faithful God, keeping covenant and loving-kindness.” (Deut. 7:9) Moses’ successor Joshua also testified to this same fact, saying: “You well know with all your hearts and with all your souls that not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.” Jehovah is our “faithful Creator” to whom we can with utmost confidence and trust “keep on commending” our souls.​—Josh. 23:14; 1 Pet. 4:19; 1 Cor. 10:13.

Still another way in which we can “become imitators of God,” and thus prove ourselves perfect as He is perfect, is by hating what God hates. What does he hate? He tells us: “I, Jehovah, am . . . hating robbery along with unrighteousness.” “There are six things that Jehovah does hate; yes, seven are things detestable to his soul: lofty eyes, a false tongue, and hands that are shedding innocent blood, a heart fabricating hurtful schemes, feet that are in a hurry to run to badness, a false witness that launches forth lies, and anyone sending forth contentions among brothers.” Also, the Bible encourages: “You lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad.” “Abhor what is wicked.”​—Isa. 61:8; Prov. 6:16-19; Ps. 97:10; Rom. 12:9.

What does it mean to “hate what is bad”? It means to have an ‘intense feeling of aversion’ toward what is bad, to ‘dislike it exceedingly.’ Yes, it is not enough that we be indifferent or neutral toward what is wicked or bad. What is bad can at times be so appealing to our fallen tendencies; it can promise excitement, sensual pleasure or even wealth and ease. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that we regard what is bad with detestation. How can we do this?

First of all, we can sincerely endeavor to keep all forms of badness from taking root in us by guarding our hearts, our affections, desires and emotions. (Prov. 4:23; 1 Pet. 3:10, 11) An important way to do this is by being careful about what books, magazines and newspaper articles we read. Do we have a morbid curiosity regarding wickedness to the point that we relish reading about what is bad? Then we cannot be said to be hating it. And if we hate what is bad, we will not be watching TV programs or movies that feature violence, brutality, sexual immorality and other forms of badness. We cannot keep viewing such things without becoming calloused and no longer hating them; in fact, we will even come to desire such things.

Also, if we are to become imitators of Jehovah by hating what is bad we will be extremely careful regarding the persons we choose as companions, remembering that “bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Cor. 15:33)

But, above all, the way that we can prove ourselves ‘perfect as our Father is perfect’ is by displaying the fine quality of love. How his Word magnifies this quality of his! “God IS love,” the Bible says. Especially has God recommended “his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Surely this loving provision of his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, should cause us to respond appreciatively! The apostle John showed this, saying: “If this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.”​—1 John 4:9-11, 16; Rom. 5:8.

Among the ways we can be like God as to love is by being generous. Jehovah is the Giver of “every good gift and every perfect present,” and “he gives generously to all and without reproaching.” (Jas. 1:17, 5) With what can we be generous so as to be imitators of God? For one thing, we have the truth regarding God’s purposes. And since we have freely received it, so we should freely give it by sharing the Kingdom good news with others on every appropriate occasion. We can also manifest Godlike generosity by giving generously of our material means toward the support of the Kingdom preaching work locally and world wide. Yet another way to show generosity is by helping any of our fellow Christians who may be in need. It is absolutely vital that we demonstrate such generosity, for it is an important way that we heed Jesus’ command to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”​—Matt. 5:46-48; 1 John 3:17, 18.

Another way in which we can imitate God as to love is by being forgiving. In fact, it is in connection with God’s being forgiving that we are specifically counseled to become imitators of God. Note the context of the apostolic admonition that we have had under consideration: “Become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you. Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children, and go on walking in love.”​—Eph. 4:32–5:2.

Since we are all imperfect and are limited in wisdom, understanding and discernment, should we not be able to make allowances for the sins of our Christian brothers and be ready to forgive them? Yes, love “covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pet. 4:8) If Jehovah ‘remembers that we are but dust’ and so ‘puts our transgressions as far from us as the sunrise is from the sunset,’ should not we imperfect creatures be even more willing to be forgiving toward those who may transgress against us and who ask our forgiveness? Since God forgives “in a large way,” should not we imitate him also in this? That means that we want to be willing to forgive “seventy-seven times,” as Jesus told Peter to do, including even serious offenses against us if the offender shows true repentance.​—Ps. 103:8-14; Isa. 55:7; Matt. 18:21-35.

Yet another way in which God sets such a loving example for us is by being slow to anger and long-suffering. Pointing toward this appealing aspect of God’s personality, the apostle Peter wrote: “Jehovah . . . is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) How slow to anger God showed himself to be in dealing with his nation of Israel during the reign of the kings! The Bible says: “Jehovah the God of their forefathers kept sending against them by means of his messengers, sending again and again, because he felt compassion for his people.”​—2 Chron. 36:15.

We can imitate this aspect of God’s love by avoiding becoming disturbed because of the shortcomings of others. At times those over whom one presides may show indifference or carelessness, and so how easy it is then for an overseer to “fly off the handle,” as the saying goes. But to be imitators of God overseers also need to be patient, long-suffering and slow to anger.

There is much involved in being an imitator of God and thus proving ourselves perfect as he is perfect! But notice that this matter of being “perfect” is not optional. Jesus said: “You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) Yes, being just and upright, faithful and dependable, hating what God hates, and showing love by being generous, forgiving, long-suffering and exercising endurance is absolutely vital if we are to be true Christians, “imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph. 5:1) But, really, to be perfect as God is perfect results in no great hardship or sacrifice on our part. Rather, we are benefited. For is not Jehovah the “happy God”? (1 Tim. 1:11) Imitating Him will contribute to our happiness too. How so?

For one thing, by imitating Jehovah we make his heart rejoice, even as he tells us: “Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.” (Prov. 27:11) Certainly we can be happy if our course of life is making our heavenly Father rejoice, can we not? And by imitating God we will have not only happiness, peace of mind and contentment now, but also the sure hope of everlasting life in his new system of things. Surely there is every reason to strive to ‘be perfect as our heavenly Father, Jehovah God, is perfect’!

How Can You Be ‘Perfect as Your Heavenly Father Is Perfect’?

IN THE Sermon on the Mount Jesus told his listeners: “You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) Does this sound impossible? How could sinful humans be perfect like their heavenly Father? Yet, Jesus’ words show that we must if we want to prove ourselves his disciples.

How can we do so?

To understand this, we first should rid ourselves of the idea that “perfection” must always be unlimited, all-embracing, and indicating supreme excellence in the most minute aspect. Only God has such absolute perfection. Perfection of any other person or thing is relative. That is, a thing is perfect in relation to the purpose appointed for it by its designer, producer or user. If these find no fault with it, then it is properly called “perfect.”

We could, of course, go around all the time examining everything with a high-powered microscope in our hand. Then ‘perfectly straight’ lines would all show up wavy and ragged; ‘perfectly clean’ clothes, freshly laundered, would all reveal microscopic bits of foreign matter; a ‘perfectly smooth’ table top would appear to have little craters and valleys and resemble the moon’s surface. Yet even if these microscopic factors were eliminated, would it really make any difference to us in our use of these things? So, while we could be dissatisfied with all these things as being “imperfect,” why should we? Such a demanding attitude would be impractical, foolish; it would fill our lives with discontent and exasperation.

The Bible does not present perfection in such an impractical, unreasonably demanding way, but in a sensible, realistic way. In fact, the very same Greek word (teʹlei·os) rendered “perfect” in the record of Jesus’ speech (Matt. 5:48) can also be translated “complete” (1 Cor. 13:10), “full-grown” (1 Cor. 14:20) and “mature.” (Heb. 5:14) The same is true of the Hebrew words translated “perfect” in the Bible. So, in Funk and Wagnalls’ A New Standard Bible Dictionary (p. 694) we read this statement about “perfection” in the Bible:

“When applied to impersonal objects [such as commercial weights (Deut. 25:15)] . . . the word is the synonym of ‘complete,’ . . . The notion does not, however, occur with an attempt at precision, but with the same freedom and approximation to exactness as outside the Bible. . . . When used of man it denotes, first of all, conformity to the ideal entertained at the time, and is there a relative and quite variable and expansive term. David claims to be perfect [faultless] in this sense (Ps 18:23), tho[ugh] elsewhere confessing sinfulness (Ps 51:3.).”

“FAULTLESS,” “BLAMELESS” SERVANTS OF GOD

Yes, the Bible speaks of Noah as being “faultless among his contemporaries” and of Job as being “blameless and upright.” (Gen. 6:9; Job 1:8) The same Hebrew words translated “faultless” and “blameless” may also be rendered “perfect,” for anything without fault is “perfect.” Obviously this does not mean these persons were without sin, for they were all descended from the sinner Adam. So, in what sense were they “faultless” and “blameless”?

They could be spoken of in this way because they measured up fully to what God required of them and God did not require of them more than they could attain. As Micah 6:6-8 shows, God does not make unreasonable demands upon his servants. “He has told you, O earthling man, what is good. And what is Jehovah asking back from you but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God?”

Yes, Jehovah mercifully and reasonably took into account the imperfection and disabilities of his earthly servants. A father would not expect of his young son what he would of a full-grown man, would he? Nor would a potter expect the same quality when molding a vase from ordinary clay as he would when forming one from special refined clay. Jehovah God, who is the Great Potter, takes into consideration the inherent weakness of his human servants. For, “as a father shows mercy to his sons, Jehovah has shown mercy to those fearing him. For he himself well knows the formation of us, remembering that we are dust.”​—Ps. 103:13, 14; Isa. 64:8.

In his Notes on the Gospels, Albert Barnes, Bible scholar of the nineteenth century, makes somewhat similar observations about the “blamelessness” (or “perfection”) of such men. Of the word “perfect” he says: “Originally it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to men, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, where no part is defective or wanting. Thus, Job (i. 1.) is said to be perfect; that is, not holy as God, or sinless​—for fault is afterward found with him (Job ix. 20; Job xlii. 6); but his piety was proportionate​—had a completeness of parts—​was consistent and regular. He exhibited his religion as a prince, a father, an individual, a benefactor of the poor. He was not merely a pious man in one place, but uniformly. He was consistent everywhere. This is the meaning in Matthew [5:48]. . . . let the piety be complete, and proportionate, and regular.”

These men of faith of ancient times merited being called “faultless” or “blameless,” not because they never committed any error or wrong, but because, within the limits possible for them to attain, their devotion and loyalty to God was complete, sound. They manifested “a complete heart” (or “a perfect heart” according to many translations) toward Jehovah. (1 Ki. 11:4; 2 Ki. 20:3) They humbly accepted correction and discipline when they erred. (Job 42:1-6; Ps. 51:1-4, 7-11) Despite their errors and weaknesses, the sum total of what they did added up to what God required of them at that time and under the existing circumstances. Jehovah God was pleased with their worship. So, then, if he did not find fault with their sincere effort and overall course, who could rightfully do so? Compare what the apostle Paul says about anointed Christians at Romans 8:31-34.

How comforting it is to us today to know that Jehovah God will deal with us in the same understanding way, requiring of us only what we are actually capable of doing. This should encourage us to make our expression of love and devotion to him one that is full, constant, one that is manifest in every part of our life.

PERFECTING OUR LOVE AND MERCY

With this in mind, consider again Jesus’ words: “You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The word “accordingly” takes us back to what

Jesus had been discussing with his listeners. What was that? Love and generosity. Luke’s account shows that Jesus also brought in the matter of mercy at this point. (Luke 6:32-36) He had shown his disciples that for them to love those loving them was no great thing. Why, even the tax collectors and people of the nations did that. But if they wanted to ‘prove themselves sons of their heavenly Father’ the disciples must imitate God in the way that he showed generosity. How is that? God “makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:45) Why, God’s mercy is great enough to include even the animals, as shown by the ancient sabbath provisions and in other cases.​—Ex. 20:10; Jonah 4:11.

True Christians, then, should not be narrow, incomplete, imperfect in expressing love and generosity but should show these qualities in a broad, complete, hence perfect way, their love extending even to enemies. (Matt. 5:43, 44) Jesus here was not talking about being like the Most High God in all respects, something impossible for humans, but was emphasizing this particular aspect of expressing a full, rounded-out love.

Do we today manifest love in this way? Do we show love to the point of ‘loving our enemies and praying for those persecuting us’? Jesus himself set us the example. He was like his heavenly Father in all these things. Jesus served and taught all kinds of persons, impartially, generously, lovingly, finally giving his life on behalf of imperfect, sinful mankind. If we perfect our love by broadening out our interest in others, not letting partiality and prejudice hold us back from showing kindness and mercy, then we will be imitating God’s Son as he imitated his Father. This expansive feeling in our hearts will make for fine relations with others. It will assure real warmth and consideration in our family life and keep out friction and disunity and maintain harmony and cooperation in Christian congregations. And, far more than this, our rounded-out, amply expressed kindness will extend out to worldly neighbors, making us considerate, helpful toward them, yes, even toward strangers. Our mercy can often be shown in material ways. But we will always remember that spiritual help is the most vital, as Jesus’ course showed. Our hearts will move us to offer this with the patience and mildness that mercy and love imply.

DO YOU “WANT TO BE PERFECT”?

On one occasion a rich young man approached Jesus and asked him: “Teacher, what good must I do in order to get everlasting life?” He was obeying the Law’s commandments, but Jesus showed him that his worship was still lacking in vital points. It was imperfect. Did he “want to be perfect”? Then he must bring his worship to full development. How? Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and “come be my follower.”​—Matt. 19:16-21.

Do you see, then, how the thought of completeness enters into this matter of ‘being perfect’? The wealthy young man could have done what Jesus recommended. He may well have been single, without family obligations. Even if not, he could have done as others of Jesus’ disciples were doing, for not all of them were single. But the young man did not want to convert his wealth into a means for aiding others, such as the poor among his fellow Israelites. How different his self-centered attitude from that of the heavenly Father, whose love and mercy moved him to give his dearest possession, his own Son, on behalf of suffering mankind! (Rom. 5:7, 8) The young man’s “many possessions” meant more to him than taking hold of this grand opportunity of accompanying God’s own Son in his ministry.​—Matt. 19:22, 27-29.

So, today, it is not a question of being asked to do the impossible, something beyond your reach. It is a matter of doing what you can do in service to God and your neighbor​—and doing it wholeheartedly. Are you doing that? Do you study his Word and put it to work in your life? Then you may have the pleasure and joy of knowing that, on the basis of his Son’s ransom sacrifice and your faith in it, God accepts this as a perfect service on your part. Prove yourself a true child of your heavenly Father. Show love, kindness, generosity and mercy in the way that he does, and let his worship pervade every part of your life.

“The meaning of perfection in the Bible relates to a state of completeness or absolute wholeness. Biblical perfection involves freedom from fault, defect, or shortcoming. In the New Testament, a Greek term for “perfection” can also mean “maturity.” The Bible expresses perfection in at least three different contexts: the perfection of God, the perfection of Christ, and the perfection of humans.

Absolute perfection is a quality that belongs to God alone. Yet only in Matthew 5:48 does the Bible explicitly state that God is by nature perfect: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” As God is the perfect being, all that He does is perfect: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4). His knowledge is perfect (Job 37:16). His way is perfect, and His Word is flawless: “As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 18:30). God’s laws are also perfect (Psalm 19:7; James 1:25). The apostle Paul describes God’s will as perfect: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

In Hebrews 2:10, Scripture says that Jesus was made perfect through suffering: “God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation” (NLT).

As God incarnate, Jesus was already morally perfect. Christ’s suffering and death made Him “perfect” in the sense of qualifying to serve as the faultless high priest for God’s people (Hebrews 7:28). Only through suffering on the cross was Christ able to accomplish the work of redemption and become the perfect, complete, effective Savior of His people (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus was the perfect example of what it means to live in obedience to the Father’s will.

As we read in Matthew 5:48, God’s children are called to be perfect. This does not mean that humans can obtain the same holy perfection as God, for He alone is set apart in holiness (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 99:9; Exodus 15:11). The call to be perfect is what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV). As children tend to imitate their parents, God’s children ought to imitate their Lord and reflect His perfection in the way they live.

The idea of spiritual maturity relates closely to the word perfection in the Bible. Humans are not perfect, but followers of Christ are encouraged to seek perfection: “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4, ESV). Paul said that he had not yet obtained perfection but had made it his goal: “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me” (Philippians 3:12, NLT). Paul knew that perfection for believers would only be realized in the life to come (verses 13–21).

Perfection is a gift that humans receive through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:10–14, NLT).

Another verse that is key to understanding perfection as it relates to the Christian life is 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’” Through the grace God offers in Jesus Christ, Christians are perfected in weakness; through participating in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, they are conformed to His image (Matthew 5:10–12; 1 Peter 2:19–25; 3:14; 4:12–19).”

Quoted source…

Yes, and it is not a command to moral perfection. That would be setting a bar astronomically high. Note the context of the verse. Those “therefore”s are very important. Jesus has just finished talking about loving our enemies:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Matthew 5 NIV 43–47 (emphasis mine)

Even God, the Father, he says, gives good things to the wicked as well as the good, so we should strive to be like him, blessing our enemies, not cursing them, not returning evil with evil. “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In other words, “So, do what your Father in heaven does. Be like him.”

This is buttressed by what Paul wrote in Romans:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 2 NIV 1–4 (emphasis mine)

We do not deserve even the attempt by God to rescue us from our sins, but because he loves us, he sent his Son to die with the weight of all mankind’s sin on his person, to suffer the penalty we should pay. He has made that salvation free to any who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, who repent and confess their sins and turn from their sinful, selfish lifestyles and follow Christ.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6–8, Romans 5 NIV

We were God’s enemies; yet he condescended to rescue us from our own mess. How could we NOT, in turn, do the same towards our enemies? THAT is the “perfection” Jesus is demanding from us.

Christian Perfection?

What then is the "perfection" demanded of the Christian by Jesus in Matthew 5:48 when he tells us, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"? Due to the many misconceptions as to the nature of perfection, it would be well to indicate first of all just what the term does not mean. Perfection Is not a state of liberation from all temptation to sin. As long as we are living in a world filled with wickedness and sinful allurements and are still in a physical body with it's appetites and desires which may be perverted, we will be subject to temptation. Christ was holy, sinless and perfect; nevertheless, we read that he "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Perfection is not freedom from temptation; it is being tested in all points and resisting and overcoming the temptation.

God expects the Christian to overcome all temptation to sin and walk in perfection. The perfection demanded by Jesus is not, secondly, sinless perfection. This term although often used by those who speak or write on perfection, does not occur in scripture, for it implies that the Christian can arrive at a state where he could not sin.

In the new age when all sin and temptation have been done away, and the believer has put on incorruption, it Will be true that he will then live an immortal state of perfection and sinlessness.

However his present state of perfection, which he is to attain by the inward operation of the Holy Spirit, involves a daily overcoming the temptation to sin, and is inward growth unto The fall stature of Christ. Although the Christian has put away sin and does not walk in sin, it is not impossible for him ever to sin again, which sinless perfection might imply, but it is a spiritual warfare in which he overcomes the temptation To sin and walks in holiness and righteousness in the sight of God.

Neither is the perfection which the believer is to attain to the perfection of the angels, who have neither a body of flesh subject to such temptation, nor live in a sinful world as does the Christian. It is not perfection of doctrine, as no Christian has all truth, walking in obedience to it. Nor is it the perfection or innocence of Adam before his sin, for he lived in a world free of sin and wicked allurements, and he himself had no inner weaknesses, wrong habits and sinful tendencies to overcome, as does every believer no matter how consecrated and holy.

What then is the nature of the perfection which Jesus requires of us?

It is Christian perfection-- a perfection of the believers character and conduct having three aspects. It is a perfection which is within the reach of every Spirit filled Christian and is a growth unto the full measure of the stature of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16) Briefly stated, the three-fold for perfection to which the Christian is to attain is a perfection in consecration, holiness, and of the fruit of the Spirit.

Perfect consecration involves, as we have shown, the total yielding of one's life to the Holy Spirit; the willing acceptance of a Kenosis or self-emptying experience; living the Crucified life; being an overcomer; and accepting the conditions of total discipleship.

Christian perfection is, in the second place, holiness, and is the purpose for which the believer has been chosen and called, for "He has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy" (EPH. 1:4).

We are perfected as we conform our lives to God's likeness and moral character. God had no intention of saving men and have them go on living in sin, as Titus 2:11-12 clearly states: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." As the believer, whose heart has been purified by faith, daily consecrates himself and walks in obedience, he overcomes all temptation to sin and experiences a gradual spiritual growth and development.

Finally, Christian perfection is a maturing in our lives of the fruit of the Spirit, which is, according to Galatians 5:22-23,love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.

As stated above sinless perfection is not a biblical doctrine.

There are over 16 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so there could be many potential interpretations of this verse. I can only share my personal thoughts about this scripture, and I’m sure there are other valid interpretations.

• while the English word used for this verse is “perfect,” the Greek word used prior to the English translation is teleios. While we normally associate “perfection” as being free from error, the original meaning of teleios would be more accurately described as complete or finished.
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• I find it interesting that the command to be perfect or complete is preceded by a command to love others, and more specifically to love our enemies. There seems to be a close correlation between our ability to love others and reaching the level of completeness that the Savior desires for us.
• In Matthew, Jesus Christ asks us to be perfect “even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” In the Book of Mormon, after Jesus Christ was resurrected and appeared to those in the American continent, he said, “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” Although Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, he was not complete until he had finished his atonement, including suffering for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, dying on the cross in Golgotha, resurrecting, and finally ascending to his father.

There is a very helpful tool for finding citations of all of the scriptures from general conference. From this tool, there are 125 citations of this one verse, and probably dozens more if you include a few preceding verses. If you’d like, you can read all of the citations to get a better idea of what apostles and other leaders have taught about this verse:

Footnotes

This is an admonition to Holiness. This is an admonition to grow into the person of God.

You have to read this in context, in fact, it’s critical that you do. You can’t understand this without understanding how the OT priests thought about holiness. I think that frames and contextualize the discussion, or it begins to.

The more important framing is actually understanding that in light of the message of the Gospel:

1. We all have “thorns in the flesh” a per Paul. We are all sinners. We are all broken and imperfect.
2. The Prodigal Son and grace, mercy, and forgiveness. In a very real sense, we are all ragamuffins (ala Brennan Manning famous book or book series)
3. The Pharisees legalism versus the opposite relational viewpoint from Jesus
4. In the woman who is about to be stoned for committing adultery by the Pharisees and Jesus commentary addressing that question.

Those four key pillars frame everything else. They frame the OT. And I’m sure reading in Romans and Galatians or any verses about how the Cross is cleansing, redemptive, and a source of salvation helps provide a clearer picture of reality—a much bigger and more historically and contextually grounded narrative.

In fact, with pretty much any challenge to the text, this approach, probably solves about 60% to 80% of the problems.

You have to step back from the text and look at it thematically and as an overarching narrative.

That’s the way you understand literature, story, and ultimately history.

That is the distinction between Fact and Wisdom.

That is the difference between looking at something and looking along something (a CS Lewis reference).

It’s bascially how you read between the lines—or more specifically read somehting looking at the big picture view.

The best way to understand any scripture is to read it in the context it was written. What was the situation and what was Jesus actually saying?

The scripture is from Matthew 5:48. It is part of a famous sermon given by Jesus on a mountain. And in this part of Jesus’s sermon, he is teaching us to how and why to love our enemies. Here’s your verse in context below:

Matthew 5:43–48

• You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

In this verse, being “perfect” is living above the normal human tendency toward hate and vengeance. It’s about learning to view the world and other people as God sees them. And it’s about living by faith. It’s just that simple.

τέλειος means being complete, just as God, and His Son, is.

Let’s put it in context, as Matthew recorded Jesus speaking (5:43 - 6:1)

“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. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven….”

So, Jesus is explaining the behaviour of the well-rounded, fully perfected humans who are subjects in God’s kingdom. Like father, like son.

We have been called to be perfect and strive to be perfect but we are not perfect and God's know that. Don't confused to two.

Sermons on Mount is a perfect example of how Christianity has gone astray.

We are called to be righteous and follow all the laws and commandments. And even exceeded. It is laws of the heart not as a checklist.

You see the Pharisee followed the law but they don't understand the law, they don't live with the law, they only do it because of a checklist but not from their heart. They also do not repent and never see the error. Jesus call us to be different, he called us to humble ourselves, repent and change. This is how your righteous can exceed those of the Pharisee.

When you read the sermon on the mount you will see the real Jesus, the real teaching of Jesus. So follow Jesus and his God, not men.

Beware of the false prophets and false teaching. Beware of the yeast of the Pharisee and Sadducees.

Good evening the passage above at Matthew 5:48 speaks of qualifications of God, there are other passages that tell what the qualifications are.

Leviticus 19:2 Modern English Version (MEV)

2 Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Deuteronomy 18:13 Modern English Version (MEV)

13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

Luke 6:36 Modern English Version (MEV)

36 Be therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Hi Samuel,

This question is not so difficult to answer or to know. When you place all prophecies and predictions of all scriptures and ideologies together, such as the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Sanskrit, the Words of the Buddha and many others and see, what in the big lines is prophesied and predicted for our future. The Truths of Life about our future have already been revealed.

What do these scriptures and ideologies of different prophets all over the world describe the same, as One, in one way or slightly in another?

They all describe that Earth in the End Times shall by destruction such as an Apocalypse, a huge disaster, restore our unbalanced and disharmonious world society and Earth into a balanced and harmonious new civilization and a New Earth again. This new harmonious society shall live without Sin and without almost all Ego. There shall be a human being as the Messiah, called by equal names, as Christ, Mahdi, Mashiach, Kalki, Matreiya or many other names. Still, it is the same person, the Teacher of Man, the Messenger of God. Who shall teach Man how to lift their human Souls to be protected during this ordeal and how to become part of this New Earth in the New Age of Harmony. By studying, sealing and living the Words of the Messiah, how to live a happy and harmonious human life by God’s True Ways. As God created human life to be.

Only the Messiah knows the True Will and Works of God.

A World without almost all Ego is logical too, because Ego is the creator of negative thoughts in oneself, between each other and with Nature. That results always in Sin, disharmony and negativities in our society on Earth.

Why did God design after the Apocalypse a new Earth and a new harmonious civilization living without Sin and Ego? Because, Man did never lived by God’s True Ways and is/was Unwilling to evolve into a harmonious life for Everyone.

The Design of God in our apparently material dimension (=a human world) is restoring Earth into a New Earth. To start over again, in a new Main Cycle of Life of 12 Ages. To erase the cause of disharmony and negativities of Man from the World, to make room for good, loving and harmonious Man. To have an opportunity to live and evolve in a harmonious world, where sin and almost all Ego does not exist by their own choices made by free will. To live a human life, as it was supposed by God to be. So above, so below, means to create a Heaven like, harmonious world on Earth for Man.

Why do the two celestial systems in space have to create this Apocalypse? Because, Man as a specie is killing themselves, destroying Man’s vessels by changing DNA through RNA, destroying Nature and Earth, and is about to destroy a future for Souls on Earth. For Souls to experience temporary to be a human being on Earth with Free Will, Natural having children and living and evolving in a healthy harmonious society. God is sustaining Earth, as a good platform for Souls to reincarnate into Man or other vessels, by erasing the unbalance and disharmony in this equation, all Wicked Man. Nobody really dies, because everyone has eternal life as Soul. This is the real Great Reset.

The reason why celestial systems from space has to intervene is because Man was not Willing to change their thoughts and ways from the disharmonious, negative and wicked thoughts, into the harmonious positive, Loving and Good thoughts. What would have led to a harmonious society for Everyone and Nature. As Life was created by God to be. Just to experience Some negativity on Earth, experience it, dissolve it in oneself, between each other and with Nature and become at the end of your human life enlightened. Or in other words to have purified your human Soul, to purify your human thoughts.

The purpose in our life is Not to gather possessions, money, skills and have fun in life. But, to learn from the Lessons of Life, as negative situations and negative persons and DISSOLVE them peacefully. But, Man did not, Man hid, avoided, embraced and justified negative thoughts. And never transformed all negative into positive, good and loving thoughts, therefor never evolved.

When Man would have Not killed Jesus Christ by choice and free will and would have listened, embraced and lived his original Words, then Man in the Age of Pisces would have become evolved by choice and free will. And the Apocalypse would not have been necessary to unfold. Scientists would say this is nonsense, because they have no clue, how energetic conscious frequency of the beyond of Souls and God works. And have even no idea, how our future is really created. A future is changeable, when Man choose willingly and freely to change their thoughts and ways. Over 12 Ages Man were not able to change their thoughts and ways. Because they were not Willing to listen.

At the end of Every Age, A part of God’s consciousness reincarnates into a Messiah to help and guide Man to change their thoughts and ways. From negative into positive, respectively from disharmony into harmony. The last Messiah of the Age of Pisces was a man called later Jesus Christ. Over all twelve Ages, the Words of these 12 Messiah’s were rejected, as they are now again rejected and ignored by Man, for the same Ego and Pride reasons. Even as a warning placed in your scriptures, “our generation shall reject Messiah”. Still, Man did not learn from this prophecy and dire warning.

The purpose of a human life is to learn from the negative experiences, as Lessons of Life, created by Man’s negative thoughts themselves. To learn to embrace and live the opposite harmony and positive thoughts in oneself, between each other and with Nature. But, Man with Pride and Ego is not willing to change their thoughts and ways, because they know better. Which shall have dire consequences, because the Apocalypse is already unfolding.

Man has failed as a specie in a human life to evolve over 12 Ages, including to listen to the seven guidance’s of God. Because, Man is only Willing to live Man’s ways and thoughts. These seven guidance’s of God exist, to guide Man into a harmonious life by Angels, Spiritual guides, Higher Self and others.

God can never be displeased or have any negative thought, negative emotion or negative feeling. Because God is an entity, that has evolved itself into pure harmony and is unconditional loving. God’s Work was to create for Souls an Earthly platform, our dimension and even the reincarnation and resurrection process to experience temporary to be a human being. God created this in an extreme perfection, where everything works perfectly and harmoniously by itself. Man, as human Souls should be displeased, that they have created this ego and pride to exist and to grow badly, with severe and dire consequences.

A human life is Not about an ego individual life. But, a human life is an individual life experience AND at the same time part of a collective human life experience of a world society. What makes Everyone truly Responsible for themselves AND at the same time Responsible for all others living on this world too, including Earth and Nature. Man has more Awareness and Abilities than other animals and therefor much more Responsibility to create Harmony.

Man should be displeased with themselves, by Not taken this Responsibility. Instead gave room to build and increase the Ego, that led to Sin and negativity.

When you live a harmonious human life, as described by the Messiah of Aquarius, and try to become perfect in your human life. You have still the Responsibility, to share these thoughts and ways with others. The results are not important, this intention of your human Soul is very important.

But, Man believes in Man’s ways, in many different scriptural ways and Not in God’s True Ways. Our generation rejects the Messiah, So, they reject God.

When you think any religion or ideology is the right way to become righteous or perfect, you are denying the Words of the Messiah, who interprets the Will and Works of God. Almost all Man prefer Man’s ways above God’s True Ways. What is written in your scriptures, which I shall explain in the next answer.

What makes these words very unpopular, what results into the rejection of our generation of these written words. What Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindu and many other religious people forget, is that they live Not a perfect life.

A Perfect Life means, that you have purified your human Soul, your thoughts, memory and personality. As a side remark; This human Soul really exist after your human vessel has died, what means Everyone has eternal life as Soul.

When you live a perfect human life by God’s True Ways, it means that you do not experience any negative emotion or negative feeling any more. No fears, no worries, no shame, no disappointments, no jealousy, no irritations, no frustrations, no anger, no hate, no revenge, no despair, no depressions, no violence, no boredom, no lying, no cheating, no deceiving, no manipulation, etc. and no bad or sad feelings. Then you experience and have made room inside your thoughts for True Happiness, Health and Harmony from within.

Perhaps you think, this is impossible and very difficult. But, it is not. It is just to formulate a harmonious, good and loving thought as choice, at every situation in life. Whether you experience a good or bad situation, it should not matter.

Still, the gate into the Age of Harmony into Salvation is narrow, as described in scriptures. Because, Many Man have embraced the Ego perspective as a virtue and are used to formulate negative thoughts, and have justified them. Only the Messiah of Aquarius can explain how to purify your human Soul and how to become enlightened. To prepare the people, who are willing to listen, to change their thoughts and ways, and to become Ready, to enter the Age of Harmony. And can experience to live a harmonious human life without Sin. Or can find the real path to Heaven much quicker in the real unknown afterlife.

These words of the Messiah of Aquarius are step by step written in the small Book of Life, Age of Harmony 2025 - 4185 on Amazon, here you find the Words and guidelines of the Messiah of Aquarius. In these words written in answers on Quora in above profile, you can also see all revelations of the mysteries of the Creation of life, the transition, what happens exactly after death and the Work and Will of God.

Masons shout for Laws and Lucifer, Christians for Christ, Jews for their Mashiach, Hindu for Kalki, Muslims for Mahdi and Buddhists for Maitreya. But, when they hear these words of the Messiah of Aquarius they reject and ignore them, because their prophets have personalized their fictive Messiah by Ego and Pride for specific races and individual groups. With dire consequences.

God loves All people, good and bad, so should Man. Some learn quick and some learn slow. Man are all Equal, only the experiences and Man’s choices differ. There is only One God and One Messiah per Age, for One world population. Be Aware, what your choices are, because time to choose is short.

These words including the Book of Life and almost 2.000 answers on Quora proofs clearly, who I am. Why do I emphasize this? Not for myself personally, but for God and all of Mankind. To teach how to lift your human Souls, to Save your human Souls and to become really Awakened and Alive.

Life is all about thoughts and choices,

Choose well.

In Name of God, the Messiah

Thomas Francisco Pelgero

In my view, it is telling you to do your best to be like God. Blameless. Now you will never be perfect but just because you can't doesn't mean you shouldn't strive for it. And that comes in how faith without actions isnt faith. The reason behind this is because if you do have faith, if you do love God, you will be driven by that love to be “perfect.” Having a relationship with God means giving up everything you have for him. This is where everyone, everyone, falls short. In some way we won't surrender everything and we fall short. And this is where forgiveness comes in. I could go on for a lot longer, but I hope this answers your question. I may even be wrong and there is a whole different reason. But for me this is how I read it.

“Not by might nor by strength but my Spirit saith the LORD.” You and I can't do it in our own strength friend. You'll remember the Savior said “I am the vine ye are the branches, he that abideth in Me, the same shall bring forth much fruit; without me ye can do nothing.” Contrast Romans ch. 7 to Romans ch. 8. In Romans 7 we see the failure of the Apostle Paul. He tried to do it his own strength. It led to defeat. He cried out “O wretched man that I am! who shall save me from the body of this death?” After some time (and we're not sure just how much) Paul could say “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” The flesh is weak and we are weak in the flesh. But to those who walk by the Spirit he says: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be (should read SINCE) the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” We are quickened, that is alive from the dead, by the Spirit of God since we have trusted Christ. “I am the Resurrection and the Life, if any man believe on Me, though he were dead (spiritually) yet shall he live”.

The Apostle John writes: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” We will not be like Him in these bodies of ours, because you and I can't produce perfection. “But if any man sin, we have an Advocate with God, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and wash us from all unrighteousness”.

How do we live after the Spirit? By walking in the Light of the Word of God. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth (just keeps on cleansing us) from all sin.”

What does it mean when the Bible says you should be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect?

43 Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who insult you and persecute you, 45 that ye may be the sons of your Father who is in the heavens; for he makes his sun rise on evil and good, and sends rain on just and unjust. 46 For if ye should love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not also the tax-gatherers the same? 47 And if ye should salute your brethren only, what do ye extraordinary? Do not also the Gentiles the same? 48 Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 DBY)

In the context means Christians are to help even enemies, and pray for them, as God helps everybody, he is even (perfect), he is good with all.

This question doesn’t make sense even for people who believe in the magical sky daddy.

God is as far from perfect as any other fictional character.

As for humans being ‘as perfect’ as God.

Any person who hasn’t murdered a single human being is already infinitely superior than god in terms of morals. Hell, even the biblical Satan is more moral than God. In the bible God killed millions of people. Satan killed 10.

You read that right. Satan killed 10 people. And their blood lies on God’s hands too. Satan killed those people because God made a bet with him. No bet means no deaths.

So anyone who has killed less than the millions of people is already more perfect than god. Those who have killed 0 people infinitely more so.

A couple of nuances of the Greek Text concerning that verse. First of all the word “perfect” there is the Greek word τελειος which typically means “mature” or “complete”, such as in 1Cor 14:20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature

The word “mature” there is the same Greek word τελειος Likewise in Php 3:15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

So you can take a verse like Col 1:28 “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” and just as well translate it “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man (mature or complete) in Christ Jesus.”

The second thing to understand is that the tense of the verb “be perfect” is future tense, which could be either predictive (It is inevitable that you will be perfect) or a command, like we say in English “you shall do what I say”, which is called a future imperative. And that dual meaning has both applications in this case.

Truth - God Himself knows that we can not live perfect lives.

That scripture is a standard we should seek to uphold and indeed as we seek to live a righteous life, we conform more to the character of God which is perfection. We however can not live a sinless life even if we were to start now.

The point I am driving to is that for you to meet that standard before God by yourself is impossible. Because we cannot meet it, we all fall short of what God requires from us. That means we cannot go into the presence of God by ourselves which results into condemnation to hell. (Our righteousness is as filthy rags).

Our sinfulness is why Jesus Christ came to this world. When we are in Christ, we have the perfection of Christ. In of ourselves, it is impossible for us to live perfectly. When we accept Jesus as our personal saviour, we receive righteousness from Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The righteousness of Christ is imputed onto us. That is the only way we can be perfect as God is perfect. Though trying to live righteously will allow a Christian (I have used the word ‘Christian’ deliberately) to keep away from sin, it does not make them perfect.

If anyone is not a Christian, they simply can not do good before God. The Bible teaches that all that is not of faith is sin. The book of Proverbs God says that even when an unbeliever is digging a garden, it is sin. Proverbs 21:4 - An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

The point is that if you are saved, you can then do righteousness but if you are not saved, you can never do righteousness because you do not have Christ Jesus in your heart. You may ask, “What about a moslem who feeds the hungry?”. The ultimate answer is 1 Samuel 16:7, But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

God looks on the heart. If you have never believed on Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, God says you can never please Him. God says that we are to glorify Him in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Glorifying God is something a person that is not saved can not do.

I know my answer is not directly answering your question as you asked it. The reason I answered this way is because there seems a premise in your question that we can achieve perfection or make ourselves acceptable to God on our own.

Mathew 5:48 is essentially saying that you need to be saved if you have never received Jesus Christ into your heart because if you haven’t you have never done any good in the sight of God even though you may think you have.

“Perfect” is a reference to both the perfect character of God, which Christians are to emulate, and to the teachings of the new covenant that Jesus was introducing, which is the perfect law of God.

The Lord prefaced this command with examples of how people operate compared to how God operates (with man's way being the flawed way and God's the perfect way), and He amplified the commands of the law of Moses with their perfection, which is the doctrine that Christians follow.

Hence:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old____; but I say to you____.” (Matthew 5:17–48)

(See also 2 Corinthians chapter 3.)

Apparently Jesus would have plunged straight into some more or less obscure parable, or answer in a similarly cryptic manner.

One thing one may notice when reading the gospels is that Jesus seems woefully unable to give a straight answer to a straight question. Time and time again, his “answers” are elusive and cryptic.

Luke 13:23: Someone asks Jesus, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

“Answer”: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.”

John 12:34: “Who is this Son of Man?” (that you are always talking about).

“Answer”: “The light is among you for a little while longer.”

Luke 23:3: Pilate asks, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Answer”: “You say it.”

John 18:38: Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?”

“Answer:” NIL.

Acts 1:6: Disciples ask Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

“Answer” (paraphrased): “None of your goddurn business.”

So even if you could have asked Jesus something, anything, the reply would likely have been less than enlightening.

Means to have the character of God

Definitions of perfect

adjective ::: having all the required or desirable elements or characteristics: as good as it is possible to be.

Verb ::: to be or make something free of faults are defects or as close to such a position as possible.

By the definition of perfect - can one be perfect - yes.

The question becomes whether we choose to be perfect.

Perfection Jesus refers to is what one chooses to do each and every day of their lives - whether you choose to do right or wrong.

It is written God does not lie, God cannot lie, he is honest, good, just, faithful, without iniquity, righteous and such.

A lot of the teaching stories focus on Jesus expressing compassion and offering forgiveness to those who are viewed as imperfect of even heavily flawed by the general society. One of the more frequently quoted is the woman who had committed adultery and was about to be stoned. From this story we have the famous line “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” The crowd turned away and Jesus said “you are forgiven, go and sin no more.” Read the gospel of Luke to acquaint yourself better with this forgiving, generous spirit.

Another of my favorite stories is that of Zacchaeus who climbed a tree to get a better view of Jesus passing. Jesus stopped at his house for a meal even though Zacchaeus was criticized within the community.

It did not seem that Jesus was focused on having achieved perfection so much as having a sincere desire to become better.

This is, in my view, one of the major distinctions brought in with the New Testament.

THE MYSTERY OF JESUS’ PRAYER

John 17 is the prayer for unity that Jesus prayed to the Father. The mystery is how to become one in spirit with God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Some have called this prayer: the high priestly prayer, prayer of consecration, the prayer for unity, prayer of commissioning. The context of Jesus’ prayer is focused on a declaration to the Father that His people know Him. “That they may know You,” (John 17:3b) The plea to the Father centers on knowledge of God and the sanctifying power of His word, the Truth. (John 17:17) Jesus’ prayer is pure and raw, bold and authoritative.

J. I. Packer the great theologian, answered “What were we made for? To know God, What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is life eternal, that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. “This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God.” (Knowing God. page 29)

Our whole reason for existing is to Know God. This is our mission and purpose. We believe Jesus was sent from God.(John 17:17) We believe Your Words are truth. Our first ministry is to God not to people. He should have our first thoughts each mourning and our last thoughts every night.