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MATTHEW 5:46-48

"WHAT DO YE MORE THAT OTHERS?"

Intro: Most searching and challenging scriptures. Impossible to just put injunction, "Be ye
       perfect into practice."

I. FIRST INTIMATION, A CHRISTIAN DOES MORE THAN A PERSON WHO IS NOT A CHRISTIAN.
        A. Systems of religious thought outside of Christianity have led man to moral beauties
           and excellent character.
        B. A Christian does what others cannot do.
                1. He goes beyond natural man at his best and highest.
                2. "Except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees."

II. DECLARATION - "BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT."
        A. Beware of exposition that would take these high words of Jesus and try to
           accommodate them to the low living of experience.
        B. Examine Greek word (perfect).
                1. To set out for a given point, traveling toward a goal (root idea..
                2. From this word another derived - to arrive, a result, a termination.
                3. From this word came the word translated perfect. Word means realization,
                   arrival at goal.
                4. Classical Greek word used for adults over against children.
                5. Ambiguity of the word.
                        a. Babe in mother's arms, is it perfect?
                        b. Youth not in teens, is he perfect?
                        c. A few more years, is he perfect?
                6. Perfection is reaching a given limit.

III. WHAT ARE SOME OF CHRISTIAN GOALS?
        A. Thinking Christian goes beyond natural man in his thinking.
                1. Natural man may obey law but never go beyond it.
                        the second mile.
                2. Christian concerned with spirit of law.
        B. Morality - Christian hungers and thirsts for righteousness.
        C. Sin - what about my heart - attitude inside.

IV. HOW CAN THIS PERFECTION BE ATTAINED?
        A. "That ye may be children of your Father."
                1. God has become Father to the Christian.
                2. To others He is God, nothing else.
        B. Word Father suggests dynamic as ethic.