In this nation, instead of exemplifying hard work and high standards, we've lowered the bar so that everyone can be the same, fostering mediocrity rather than excellence. Spiritually, this dumbing down has invaded our lives as well, with some suggesting that perfection is beyond us and that God would not demand it, knowing our limitations. Yet, God's command is clear in Genesis 17:1, where He tells Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect, establishing a condition for His covenant. Similarly, in Matthew 5:48, He instructs all of us to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. The misconception lies in equating perfection with being sinless. While Christ was both sinless and perfect as a human, Abraham was not sinless but was still considered perfect. The Hebrew word for perfect in Genesis 17 means entire, full, without blemish, complete. The Greek word in Matthew 5 signifies finished, having reached its end, or fully grown and mature. The English definition of perfect aligns with this, meaning lacking nothing essential to the whole, without defect, complete. The common thread is completeness, as in being done or finished. God's command to become perfect is a call to spiritual maturity, to have all the pieces of godly character in place, like a completed puzzle. In I Corinthians 14:20, we are urged not to be children in understanding but to be full-grown, complete in comprehension. Ephesians 4:11-16 describes this process of growth, where His gifts equip us to build up the body until we reach real maturity, the fullness of Christ, growing into Him in every way through love and truth. Becoming perfect does not happen overnight; it is a process of growth and overcoming. We must strive for maturity, to become complete Christians, not in the manner of the world's lowered standards, but through striving for excellence in every part of life. James 1:2-4 teaches that trials and temptations test our faith and produce endurance, leading to fully developed character and integrity with no weak spots. Colossians 3:12-14 emphasizes that as God's chosen, we must put on a nature of mercy, kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness, with love binding all virtues together in perfection. This societal push to lower standards and accept mediocrity is an attack, but we must resist it. We are called to grow, to mature, to become complete, to become perfect, as God commands, knowing that even with mistakes and sins, we can still reach this spiritual completeness through perseverance and love.

The command to "be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect," spoken by Christ in Matthew 5:48, stands as a central charge within the Sermon on the Mount, directly tied to the doctrine of moving on to perfection. This command follows immediately after the discussion of mercy as the fifth character trait of the Beatitudes, and its meaning is illuminated by comparing it with Luke's parallel account, where the same statement is rendered, "Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." This parallel indicates that the call to perfection is inseparably linked to mercy; to become perfect as God is perfect requires possessing compassion and mercy toward others. Perfection, in this light, is not an abstract or unattainable ideal but is demonstrated practically through how one treats other people. One is perfect in God's eyes when one is compassionate and merciful, showing that becoming perfect is a matter of character development rather than flawless performance. This understanding of perfection connects to the larger structure of the seven character traits outlined in the Beatitudes—poor in spirit, mourning over sin, meekness, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking. These traits are not optional or selective; all seven must be present together in a single individual, for they collectively constitute the holy and righteous character of Jesus Christ, which God is forming in believers. Since seven represents completion and perfection, the totality of these traits reflects what it means to be perfected in Christ's image. Support for this connection between perfection and character comes from an observation that the number five, representing grace and mercy, corresponds fittingly to mercy being the fifth trait listed—reinforcing the link between mercy and the fulfillment of God's character within His people. Becoming perfect, then, is portrayed as a process of being conformed to Christ's own nature, particularly His servanthood and self-emptying humility, as described in Philippians 2, where Christ, though existing in the form of God, took the form of a servant and humbled Himself even to death. Just as He set aside His own position to serve others, so believers are called to esteem others above themselves and to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, since God is the one working in them both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. This progression toward perfection carries the assurance that God has not called His people to fail but to succeed, since the entire process is empowered by Him. Ultimately, growing toward this perfection is what enables believers to function as salt and light in the world—if they fail to develop these traits, they risk becoming spiritually "tasteless," but if they succeed, their good works shine forth and glorify the Father, fulfilling the very purpose for which they have been called and approved by God.