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Manna Minutes Podcast: Eye-opening Bible study in less than five minutes! Access all episodes here.

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Estudio bíblico que nos hace abrir los ojos en menos de cinco minutos! Acceda a todos los episodios aquí.

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Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.

Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?

The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!

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¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried

Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.

Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6

Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.

Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6

Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!

Commentary On Matthew 5:48 - Be Ye Perfect

One of the most misunderstood fundamentals of Christianity is the question of how to obey the words of Christ who said, "...And be ye perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Is such a high standard of discipleship even possible? It appears, on the surface, to command a negative response. There also appears to exist inexplicable contradiction on the subject, even in scripture; however, this is the case because most Christians understand "be ye perfect" only in the context of the dictionary definition of perfection. Ignorance of the Bible's definition of perfection causes the believer to assume that the perfect Christian is one who never sins. Although sinlessness and perfection are certainly intertwined, they are by no means the same thing.

The believer's occasional sins don't prevent him from attaining perfection in the Lord, whose word has already taught that there's no man that never sins (KJV, I Kings 8.46). Considering this truth, it should be clear that Christ was not referring to the commission of occasional sins when He said, "Be ye perfect." In Matthew 5.48, Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." The simple key to understanding what perfection is lies in the very same passage. In verses 44 and 45, Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."

The Lord ended this passage with the order to be perfect. What was the subject around which His speech had revolved just before He gave this commandment? Was it not love that extends even to the believer's enemies and persecutors? He could not state more explicitly just what perfection means according to God, not according to man. Perfection is love; it is love that reaches even to the believer's enemies. 1 John 4.8 says that God is love; therefore, when the believer is filled with love, he is filled with God. This is the prize of the Christian. Is not perfection the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets? In Matthew 22.37-40, Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Did not the apostle Paul remind believers of the definition of "be ye perfect" when he taught saying, "And above all these things, put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness" (KJV, Colossians 3.14)?

These teachings on the definition of Christian perfection in God's eyes are no more than a basic foundation upon which the believer must carefully build. Such prudence is vital to avoid deception in how to implement into real life love according to Christ, not according to man. Misunderstanding in the carrying out of spiritual love may easily lead to the servant of God becoming a door mat instead of the useful soldier he is meant to be.

There are numerous saints of God living in countries where Christians endure horrendous torture and persecution for their faith in Christ. Nevertheless, organizations such as In Jesus' Name Ministries report stories of Christians' courageous love for their enemies. These men, women, and children of God took Him seriously when He told them, "Be ye perfect."

Yes. It is possible to attain perfection in God's eyes. We read: "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was PERFECT and upright..." (Job 1:1)
--Edited by Ruth Zetek

Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.

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