WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:07.480 practical ways. 4 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:18.359 Good morning, good morning. Do you talk good good morning 5 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:20.719 to you? And you? 6 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:21.280 Yeah? 7 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:27.399 Yes, yeah, yeah we should. I should add jazz hands 8 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:31.519 to that. Yeah, hey, Rich, I don't know what what 9 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:34.280 the heck was that? But hey, good morning everybody. Welcome 10 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:37.200 to the Bible Guys. We appreciate you tuning in or 11 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:40.560 watching whatever you're doing, but thank you for choosing us. 12 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:44.039 Man, that's amazing, and what a day to tune in 13 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.439 because you got good morning song. 14 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.439 Yeah, and we have a would you rather segment? 15 00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:49.439 I love? Would you rather? 16 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:50.119 Yes? 17 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:51.880 All right, Chris, I'm gonna start, and I'm gonna ask 18 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:54.560 you first, go ahead. Would you rather always know the 19 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:57.439 perfect comeback or always know the perfect joke? 20 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.679 Oh? You know me, I already know this is gonna be. 21 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:02.840 You're gonna choose the perfect comeback because you like to 22 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.879 be clever, and I'm gonna choose the perfect joke because 23 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.599 I like it funny. I like to be funny, and 24 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:10.719 I love humor more than I do. Like to be clever. 25 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:13.280 I love I like to be clever too. I just 26 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:13.879 like humor more. 27 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.280 Yeah, I like I like the comebacks, so yeah, yeah, 28 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:19.200 I would have chosen that one. That's awesome. I know 29 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:19.680 you nailed it. 30 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:20.760 You nailed that, I know you. 31 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:22.000 Okay, okay, neverber too. 32 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:26.319 Would you rather never have to do laundry again you 33 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:29.359 probably don't do it now, or never have to wash 34 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:31.680 dishes again? Do you wash dishes? You wash? 35 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:31.840 Oh? 36 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:33.439 Yeah? You cook a lot, cook a lot, so you 37 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:34.519 make your messages a lot. 38 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.480 Yeah. I would prefer to never have to do dishes again. 39 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.719 Oh really? Yeah, yeah, to be honest with you, and I. 40 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:43.840 Do do laundry sometimes. 41 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.760 Do you My wife does the laundry ninety five percent? 42 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:50.560 Yeah, and my wife does it often. 43 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:53.359 Yeah, but I would say uh, but I would say 44 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:55.000 that every once in a while I will do it 45 00:01:55.640 --> 00:01:57.840 and uh, And then it's sort of the same thing. 46 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.239 My wife just has the habit of doing dish is 47 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.640 more often than I do. It's a reminder she really 48 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:04.040 likes it. 49 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:05.079 It's one of her favorite things. 50 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:08.680 As I'm saying it out loud, I'm reminded that I 51 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:11.960 should probably do the dishes, but you know what she does, 52 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:12.439 she loads it. 53 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:14.479 I would do it, but she likes it so much. 54 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:18.599 I don't want to take that away from doesn't know. 55 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:23.199 No, I actually like washing dishes more than I like 56 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:26.680 washing laundry, so I would say I would rather never 57 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:27.400 watch laundry. 58 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:30.639 So I love cooking, but I cook with every pot, 59 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:32.919 pan and dish we have in the room. So yeah, 60 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:36.000 it's it's terrible. Yeah. So when I'm done, there's a 61 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:38.280 you know I made, I made a meal that barely 62 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.560 fits on you know, that fits on like six plates, 63 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:46.840 and the whole kitchen is destroyed. Yeah, so we look 64 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:48.159 at it and go here we go. 65 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:50.120 Yeah, yeah, okay, okay. 66 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:54.840 Would you rather always get free dessert at restaurants or 67 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:56.520 always get free appetizers? 68 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:00.159 Oh? I already know immediately. And again this is you 69 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:01.879 didn't have to think you're gonna be desserts. I'm gonna 70 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:02.400 be appetizing. 71 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:05.719 Oh actually, I think it might be appetized. Now. I 72 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:07.639 believe Jesus has come back at any minute. You shud 73 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.240 eat dessert first. That's one of my core values. But 74 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:14.759 I order appetizers way more than I ordered desserts. 75 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:16.639 At restaurants, and you enjoy them more. 76 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:22.039 Yeah, I order them more. Ah, So I'd rather get 77 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:23.759 those free because I'm already spending money on. 78 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:26.319 Okay, there you go, there you go. So it's it's 79 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:27.159 it's a it's. 80 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:30.280 A it's practical math. It's practicality. Yeah, yeah, math. But 81 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.879 you like appetizers better than desserts, well I don't. 82 00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:33.960 I'm not a dessert person. 83 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:34.199 Yeah. 84 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:35.319 So I'm not. 85 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:38.039 A sweet because you don't like chocolate. Well I don't 86 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:39.240 mean you're barely a Christian. 87 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:41.479 I'm barely a sweet person. 88 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:41.960 Yeah, I know. 89 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:45.520 So I went to Season's fifty two. I'm going to 90 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:48.199 promote a good restaurant. But they have they have little 91 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:49.120 tiny desserts. 92 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:50.120 And shot glass Yeah I love those. 93 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.879 Yeah, and it's the perfect two bites, three bites, yeah, 94 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.240 because you don't have to like, you know, like kill 95 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:57.520 yourself for this dessert. But as she went up and 96 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.599 she was turning the dessert trade and she was like, 97 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:04.080 we have these ten desserts, right, actually thought to myself, 98 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:07.240 I only like two of them, and all my kids 99 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:09.639 are like, I can't choose, and I'm like I barely 100 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:11.400 liked one of them or two of them. 101 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:12.919 So the last time you came to my house, I 102 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:16.560 had those little tiny cheese cake bites. Yeah, yeah, yeah 103 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:20.079 remember those. Yeah, you are good you get two little bites. Yeah, yeah, 104 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:21.639 yeah for dessert. Those are good. 105 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:22.680 It's just too rich for me. 106 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:23.680 Yeah, it's rich. 107 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:27.160 So number three okay, oh no, number four. Would you 108 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.519 rather live in a cozy small town or a bustling. 109 00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:32.319 Big This is an easy one for both of us too. 110 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:34.279 You'd rather be in the big city and I'd rather 111 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:37.639 be in the cozy small town. That's right, Yeahcthough I 112 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:38.560 love small towns, but. 113 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:40.959 My wife would much rather be in the small town. 114 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:42.879 So I married the opposite of me. 115 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.639 Yes, yes, yeah, But why do you love the big city? 116 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:48.439 I get energized around people. 117 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:49.279 Yeah, that's true. 118 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.199 And so I like, for instance, we walked through the 119 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:55.399 city of New York. We've all been there twice, Liz 120 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:57.279 and I. But we go through the city and I'm like, 121 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:58.680 I'm like, man, this is awesome. 122 00:04:58.920 --> 00:04:59.160 Yeah. 123 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:01.360 Well I've been are more, but just twice with her, 124 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:04.639 and and I've and I've said like, this is amazing. 125 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:05.879 Like I walk through it and I'm like, whoa, that 126 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:08.240 was an adventure. Getting from here to there is great. 127 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:12.040 And She's like, oh, thank god, we're off those streets 128 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.000 and we're sitting in this in this restaurant and by 129 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.160 the way, there's too many people in this restaurant, right, 130 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:17.759 we should have chosen the other one because it had 131 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:19.839 less people on it. Yeah, that's what she said. That's 132 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:22.480 what she says, right, And I'm thinking to myself, man, 133 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:23.639 that was that was fun. 134 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:26.519 So every time I'm in a city like New York 135 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:28.800 Now I like Chicago, but it's it's all the same. 136 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.439 I think that the big cities smell like garbage. They do, 137 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:36.839 and people honk it the horn before the light even 138 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:41.519 turns yellow on the other side, and are mostly rude 139 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:44.839 because everybody's like just elbowing to get to get their position. 140 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:50.360 And then in New York City, I've been in New 141 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:54.639 York City, I don't know five times. Every single day 142 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:56.759 i've been in New York City, I've seen rats in 143 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:57.319 the streets. 144 00:05:57.800 --> 00:05:58.279 Every day. 145 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:02.639 I'm like, is this a developing name? So smells like garbage? 146 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:06.120 And every single day I've ever been in in New 147 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.879 York City, I've seen rats and I just man alive 148 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:13.040 right for everyone you see, Yeah, you know there's there's 149 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.800 millions you haven't seen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I love 150 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:17.600 small towns. I love the small town thing anyway. 151 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:20.240 So with Liz would definitely agree. 152 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:24.680 Would you rather be instantly be able to instantly master 153 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:27.000 any board game or any video game? 154 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:31.639 Yeah, I'm gonna go with board games for me, and 155 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:32.920 you're gonna go with video games for you. 156 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:37.680 I'm gonna go with neither. Why Yeah, because uh have 157 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:39.920 the fun of the game is mastering the game. 158 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:41.920 Oh but you have to pick one. 159 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:42.839 I'm not picking one. 160 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:46.480 No, it says would you rather I Uh? Okay, So 161 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:49.160 if you're gonna ruin board games for you or ruin 162 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:50.519 video games, what should you rather know? 163 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:51.800 I like them both? 164 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:53.040 Okay, but you gotta ruin one. 165 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:58.680 I have to ruin one. Uh, video games, believe it 166 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.759 or not. Oh wow, because the board game thing is 167 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:03.360 something I do with the family and vida games, you 168 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:04.639 should somebody do by it myself. 169 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:07.399 Oh good, that's a good, good reasoning, Jeff. 170 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:08.279 Yeah wow. 171 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:10.959 The insight into into the mind. 172 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:14.480 Of the mind of Jeff. There you go, speaking about 173 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.000 getting insights into the mind. We are you gonna do that? 174 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:19.079 Yeah? I was gonna say no, no, no, go ahead. 175 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:20.519 Finish, please please, please you do it. 176 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.959 I was gonna say, speaking of insights from brilliant minds, 177 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:25.279 I was going to give you a compliment. 178 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:26.639 Jesus was pretty brilliant. 179 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.439 I was gonna say, we have another brilliant mind who 180 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:31.040 was actually quite more brilliant than you. 181 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.319 Oh yeah, yes, I just like being said my name 182 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:36.079 in the same sentence sentence as Jesus. 183 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:38.360 Yeah, well we are, we are all made in his image. 184 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.439 Nice, So we all call you very nice, very complimentary today. Chris, Yeah, 185 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:44.000 I know what happened. 186 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:45.480 I don't know. I don't know. 187 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:50.680 You're a Jersey Vitamins. Today's flintstone vitamins just make you 188 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.680 feel better today. Those weren't vitamins. Those are CBD gummies. 189 00:07:54.519 --> 00:08:03.800 Feel better till today. I love you, man, No sir, nohing, okay, okay, shoot, 190 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:06.240 all right, so stand against that. 191 00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:10.439 We're gonna we're gonna jump into Matthew chapter five. We're 192 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:12.639 going backwards today for some reason because. 193 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:14.120 People weren't ready for this one yesterday. 194 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:16.639 All right, here we get a prep for this, that's. 195 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:19.439 Right, Matthew Chapter five, verse thirty eight. So we're still 196 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:21.519 in the Sermon on the Mountain. Yep, Jesus said, you've 197 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:25.079 heard the law that says punishment must match the injury, 198 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.399 an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 199 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.079 But I say, do not resist an evil person. If 200 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:32.639 someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek. Also, 201 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:34.720 if you're suit in court and your shure it's taken 202 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:37.279 from you, give your coat too. If a soldier demands 203 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.039 that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it 204 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:41.799 two miles. Give to those who ask, and don't turn 205 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:44.559 away from those who want to borrow. You've heard the 206 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:46.720 law that says love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 207 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:49.519 But I say love your enemies, pray for those who 208 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:52.679 persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as 209 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:54.720 true children of your father in heaven, For he gives 210 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:57.039 his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and 211 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:59.080 he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 212 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:01.360 If you well of only those who love you, what 213 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:04.279 reward is there for that? Even crupt tax collectors do 214 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:06.799 that much. If you're kind only to your friends, how 215 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.360 are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 216 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:11.799 But you are to be perfect, even as your father 217 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:14.919 in heaven is perfect. There you go. 218 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.600 You know those words are very intimidating. Be perfect therefore 219 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.360 as your heavenly father is perfect. Sometimes I can see why, 220 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:25.639 because you know, if you know me, you know that 221 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:29.600 I don't like law and legalism, especially when Christians try 222 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:35.360 to especially when Christians try to impose it. But there 223 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:40.120 are moments in the scripture where my spirit sort of 224 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:44.559 like jumps up and I actually think to myself, couldn't 225 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:46.879 you have said what you mean there? Because certainly you 226 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:52.960 didn't mean Okay, now go be perfect, and anything less 227 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:56.559 than that is not good. Right. We've all seen enough 228 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.600 movies to know what it's like to try to live 229 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.279 up to you know, your parents' expectations of perfection. Right, 230 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:05.960 We've all seen movies, so we all know that like 231 00:10:06.039 --> 00:10:08.279 it ruins lives. Right. 232 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:08.720 Yeah. 233 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:11.279 So then so then when I hear words like this, 234 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:14.360 be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father's perfect, I'm like, well, gee, 235 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:16.159 thanks for that, Jesus. Couldn't you have said it better? 236 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:20.720 I know? I know, Yeah, I'm giving you when you 237 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:21.159 get to heaven. 238 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:22.559 When you get to heaven, you're gonna say, hey, there's 239 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:23.679 a couple things I'd like to fix. 240 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:27.039 And one of them is so so I have a red. 241 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:32.039 Pen any racer, and I'm a market like like like 242 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:35.440 our friend who gave you that movie script, Ye, look 243 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.159 it over, give me some suggestions to you all marked 244 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:40.000 up and read that's right, that's. 245 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:42.159 Right, and he's thinking, by the way, he's never given 246 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:46.399 me another one since so but uh, that's not true. 247 00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:50.879 He gave me two. But but uh. But anyway, here's 248 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:54.039 what I was going to say, is uh, in my humanity, 249 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:58.080 I'm confessing sin here. I do think that sometimes, and 250 00:10:58.120 --> 00:11:00.960 I think like, I think like, Okay, this helps me 251 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:06.000 understand legalistic Christians a little bit more because somebody could 252 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.360 take that at face value and say, well, hey, Jesus 253 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:14.519 said be perfect as his heavenly father, so therefore I'm 254 00:11:14.519 --> 00:11:18.120 gonna bark at everybody because you're not being perfect, and 255 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:21.480 so grace doesn't abound, right and romans forget Romans. Jesus 256 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:22.200 said be perfect. 257 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:22.799 Right. 258 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:26.320 So anyway, all that to say, I think I know 259 00:11:26.360 --> 00:11:30.600 what Jesus meant, which is you can never be sinless, 260 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:35.639 but you can sin less, right, right. So in other words, 261 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:41.200 we should strive to follow righteousness and follow the nature 262 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:44.440 of our heavenly Father. Because what does the Bible also say. 263 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:47.639 The Bible says that he is conforming us into his 264 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:50.840 image right from glory to glory. He transitions us from 265 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:54.279 glory to glory, and so therefore we are being made 266 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.080 into the likeness of Christ. God continues to work on us. 267 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:01.759 God wants us to sin less, even though that will 268 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:06.200 never be sinless. And so therefore, you know, when I 269 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:09.720 hear be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. You 270 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:11.840 break that down, and what you do is you compare 271 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.639 it to other scriptures. You compare it to You know, 272 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:17.440 God's words is never going to contradict itself. The Bible 273 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.519 is its own best commentary. We always say that, right, 274 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:24.399 and so therefore you can't take that at face value. Legalists, 275 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:27.759 if you're out there and you're a legalist, you probably 276 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:31.320 don't number one, know that you're a legalist. But you know, 277 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:34.639 if it's all about laws and enforcing God's rules and 278 00:12:34.679 --> 00:12:38.480 correcting people's behavior and judging people and all these sorts 279 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:44.720 of things, it could stem from comments like this, You know, 280 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.159 verses like this that maybe you can take perhaps a 281 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.279 little bit out of context without measuring the heart of 282 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:54.840 God or God's intention or what he says about humanity 283 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:55.399 and sin. 284 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:02.440 Yeah, so you know, the the law has a lot 285 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:08.240 of purposes. One of them is to show that we 286 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:10.279 can't keep the law perfectly. The fact that we need 287 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:14.320 a savior. So the people who focus primarily and only 288 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:18.480 on grace reject all the other purposes of the law. Right, 289 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:20.879 but the law also shows us a better way to live. 290 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.919 When when when when we have a society of people 291 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:26.039 who are following God's laws out of fear of God, 292 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:29.320 they're not stealing other people's stuff, it makes a better society. 293 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:34.120 When men aren't sleeping with other men's wives because of 294 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:36.159 the fear of God, it's better God's laws. It's a 295 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:38.799 better society. When we're not killing each other out of 296 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:42.639 fear of God and fear of God's judgment, then it's 297 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:45.159 a better society. So so when we follow God's laws, 298 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:50.799 it's also better. It's a better life. And so he 299 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:53.360 gave them to us for two reasons. One, he's the 300 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:58.720 architect of human life, and so he knows the perfect 301 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:02.799 parameters as the end engineer of life, the perfect parameters 302 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:07.399 for operating at peak operating performance. And then anything we 303 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:12.000 do outside of those parameters typically causes a breakdown and 304 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:18.679 inefficiency stresses on the systems, and it stresses our marriages, 305 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:21.879 it stresses our finances, it stresses our social structures, it 306 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:25.320 stresses our families. Right, it stresses everything. So the engineer 307 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:29.399 of our and designer of human life knows the best ways. 308 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:34.200 So if we see the laws of God as when 309 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:37.559 we follow those, we're going to be operating in peak performance, 310 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:40.639 and when we don't follow those, we're always going to 311 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:43.279 be under more stress and everything in our life is 312 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:47.279 going to be wobbly and inefficient, then we see the 313 00:14:47.320 --> 00:14:49.799 law in a different way. So on one side, if 314 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:53.360 the law is to go to heaven, Paul said, hey, 315 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:56.279 the lawges proofs to us we can't, right. And that's 316 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.919 why the Pharisees were such a problem, because the Pharisees thought, 317 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:00.799 that's how you got to heaven by keeping the law. 318 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:04.240 But if you see the laws as these will set 319 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:09.519 you up for peak performance, then it's inspiration. Right. And 320 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:11.519 then you read a passage like this, be perfect even 321 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:14.320 as your Father and Heaven as perfect. The word perfect 322 00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:18.759 in our minds means sinless. The Greek word for perfect 323 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:23.840 means complete, lacking nothing. That's the meaning of complete. Yeah, 324 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:26.080 and so or the meaning of perfect. And so from 325 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:28.879 that standpoint, then we can look at God's character, we 326 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:33.679 can look at God's God's ways, God's wisdom, and we 327 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:37.120 can we can begin then working towards this completeness as 328 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:40.399 a human in God's design for us. Right, that's a 329 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:42.799 very different way of viewing this idea of perfection. 330 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:46.840 You think that the word perfect could be a poor translation, 331 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:49.200 It could have been better translated as complete. 332 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:53.200 Well, so no, I think that when these words were translated, 333 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.159 I think that English speakers knew the meaning of perfect 334 00:15:58.159 --> 00:15:59.840 in a different way than you and I in this 335 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:04.360 modern because English keeps changing. It's a living language, whereas 336 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.399 Greek coin a Greek is a dead language. So when 337 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:09.080 we go to the Greek, we know exactly what it means. 338 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:13.559 It means complete when we say it in English in 339 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:15.879 this modern way of saying it now, we mean it 340 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:19.799 in a way that means sinless with no imperfections. But 341 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:23.159 that's not the way that it's written as written completeness. 342 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:25.240 There's a completeness to it. There's a note here as 343 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:28.679 a matter of fact, that talks about it in the 344 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:31.639 Life Application Study Bible, and it says, how can we 345 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:34.159 be perfect one in character? Right? But in this life 346 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:36.960 we can't be flawless, but we can be complete in 347 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:39.519 God and aspire to be as much like Jesus as possible. 348 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:42.960 So these are inspirational verses right where he's inspiring us 349 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:46.879 to become more like a In holiness, like the Pharisees, 350 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:49.720 we are to separate ourselves from the world's sinful values. 351 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.080 But unlike the Pharisees, we're to be devoted to God's 352 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:53.879 desires rather than our own, and carry his love and 353 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:56.080 mercy of the world. In maturity, right, we can be 354 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:59.600 complete in maturity. We can't. We can't achieve christ like 355 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:02.080 character and holy living all at once, but we can 356 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:06.920 grow towards maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different 357 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.720 behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, 358 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:13.440 God expects us to continue to have different behavior in 359 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:16.480 each of us depending on our respective stages of spiritual development. 360 00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:18.759 And then in love, we can seek to love others 361 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.640 as completely as God loves us. Right, so we work 362 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.000 in those directions so we can be complete in God 363 00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:28.200 yet have much room to grow. So God makes us 364 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:32.039 complete while he's completing us. Because God's outside of time, 365 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:34.240 and so he can give a command like this, be 366 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:37.640 perfect even as I am perfect, knowing what He's saying 367 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.039 is let me complete you. But when I see you, 368 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.400 I see you beyond time. In Christ I've already completed you. 369 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.160 Now let me do the work while you're living in 370 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:51.319 time to keep completing you. And so this is why 371 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:56.519 Luke six thirty six he says, be compassionate as your 372 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:00.480 father is compassionate. And one Peter, he says, be holy 373 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:03.799 even as I am holy. Right, So, so what God's 374 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:05.759 doing is He's trying to grab our attention. Say, hey, 375 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.640 the goal of me saving you and leaving you on 376 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:11.559 this earth is for you to become more like me, 377 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:16.720 develop my compassions, develop my holiness, develop my completeness in 378 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:19.079 you while I'm making you complete. 379 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:22.759 Yeah right, Hey, in this moment, I hope that God 380 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:24.599 will allow me when I get to Heaven to pull 381 00:18:24.599 --> 00:18:31.039 a Jerry Maguire and say, you complete me. I hope 382 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.440 God allows it. 383 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.480 It'd be great, yeah, yeah, and he'll probably be thrilled, Yes, thrilled. 384 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.519 So oftentimes we quote the you know, the the study 385 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.440 portion of the life application Study Bible. I pulled off 386 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.799 my shelf another Bible because we're no longer using the 387 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:50.839 chronological Bible. That's right, right, So we've been in the 388 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:55.279 chronological Bible forever. Yeah, right, But but anyway, I grab. 389 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:58.279 It went back to the normal the traditional life applications. 390 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:01.559 Stay yeh, yeah, yeah, I grabbed the study Bible. Oh yeah, 391 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:02.079 yeah yeah. 392 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:03.200 So what does it say about that? 393 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:06.400 Verson? So, yeah, it does say that is something about completeness. 394 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:08.640 It says, who can be as perfect as God? No 395 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:12.319 one can be as perfect as God. But Jesus calls us, 396 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:14.880 Oh no, excuse me, but Jesus does not call us 397 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:18.880 to an exercise in futility. The word perfect implies completion 398 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:23.000 and maturity, something that more than sinless perfection. Later, Jesus 399 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:26.640 summarizes the whole law with two basic principles, the laws 400 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:28.720 of love for God and love for your neighbor. Here 401 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.880