Be Ye Therefore Perfect
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven is perfect (Mt. 5:48).
By Dr. Lee Warren
(c) 2000 PLIM REPORT, Vol. 8 #6
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Yahshua the Messiah spoke these words to Israel from the mount in the beginning of His ministry. Be ye therefore perfect, is a revolutionary statement, which answers mankind’s questions about how the soul is going to be perfect while still in the flesh. It is quite apparent that the Messiah is speaking in the ‘present tense’ about perfection. He is not referring to a time in the future after the death of the body, but being perfected before one takes off the fleshly body or dies.
The intent of this article is to explore the implications of the Messiah’s statement and its very profound and deep meaning. Israel did not understand these words at the time Yahshua the Messiah spoke them even though Yahweh had spoke these same words to them 1500 years earlier (Lev. 11:44; 19:2). In our modern society today, the question of how the soul can be perfected without the physical body dying is not fully understood. What is needed is proof.
Philosophies of Perfection
Before the coming of the Messiah, there were philosophies espoused concerning the perfection of a man’s soul. Hinduism and Buddhism existed thousands of years before the nation of Israel was formed. These theories believed in reincarnation and were some of the first concepts man created to explain how the soul becomes perfect. Hinduism and Buddhism were predominant thoughts of the era especially among the Gentiles who did not have the scriptures of Israel.
Their most predominant belief was that one had to die and keep returning to the physical body many times until one was finally perfect. The law of Karma was the governing mechanism that governed reincarnation. This is the basis of the Eastern religions, such as the Buddhists and the Hindu.
Some Jews at the time of the Messiah had embraced the concept of Karma in order to achieve perfection. Under reincarnation there is no need for a saviour of any type, for the soul perfects itself by its own will in conjunction with the law of karma. (For more details see “Resurrection vs Reincarnation, Past Lives, Part One and Two” in the January/February 1994 and March/April 1994 issues of the PLIM REPORT.
Israel’s View
Now the Jews that studied the scriptures thought they had to die before they could be perfected and their soul had to wait for the Messiah to resurrect them at the last days. This is what Martha thought when Yahshua came to her after her brother died. He said to her: “Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said to Him: I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day Yahshua said to her; I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:23-27) “
From this statement, the Messiah makes it clear that one does not have to die physically in order for the soul to be perfected. He states that the soul can be resurrected while it is still in a physical body if the person believes in the Messiah, who is the resurrection and life. So in essence, the Messiah is saying that one’s belief in the Messiah brings about the perfection of the soul or its resurrection whether the physical person body’s is dead or alive. He also told Martha that if one were dead, as in the case of Lazarus, and died believing in the Messiah, then one’s soul could be perfected. This was the case from Adam to John the Baptist who died believing that their Savior would come.
What is perfection?
When the Messiah spoke about the soul being perfected, one has to realize that he is speaking to Israel in term of the Law of Moses. One of the first accounts of a man being perfect before Yahweh is Noah and Abram. Moses wrote in Genesis: “… Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with Elohim (God, Gen 6:9).” Abram was also considered perfect by Yahweh Elohim, for Moses wrote: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Yahweh (the LORD) appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect (Gen. 17:1).”
Now one may ask: what does it mean to be “perfect with Yahweh?” Obviously it cannot mean that a man is infallible in judgments and perfect in his actions. If this were the case then man would not need a savior.
Now the Hebrew word for ’perfect’ is ‘tamiym’ (taw-meem’); from OT:8552; entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth: OT:8549 (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.). The Hebrew word ‘tamiym’ is also used in the King James Version of the Bible to mean - without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.
In the New Testament which was written in Greek the word for perfect is ‘teleios’ (tel’-i-os); from NT:5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with NT:3588) completeness: Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. (Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Perfection of mankind with Yahweh refers to the integrity of the heart and obedience to the truth of His words. It is from the heart and mind that man’s actions are made manifest. So if the heart and mind is truthful then the action is truthful. In the case with Noah and Abraham it was their belief in Yahweh that made them perfect.
Outward appearance
Actions and deeds alone do not make one perfect with Yahweh although actions may appear benevolent or perfect in man’s eyesight. The Messiah warns the leaders of Israel about their behavior based on insincerity, and hypocritical intent.
The Messiah told the leaders of Israel: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Mt. 23:27-29 NKJV). ” Thus, so-called caring actions or judgments without earnest and true intent is unacceptable to Yahweh.
Perfection based upon a belief
When one understands this transformational process of perfecting the soul that the Messiah is revealing to Israel, then the idea of reincarnation becomes an obsolete concept. What perfects the souls of humans are the words of truth, which are the words of the Yahshua the Messiah. In other words, faith in the words of the Messiah brings miracles or transformation of the body. He said: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life (Jn 6:62-63 New International Version).”
Proof of this power was Yahshua healing Israel from all manner of sickness, giving sight to the blind and stilling the wind and waves of the sea. What was required is that the individual have faith in Yahweh. For example, two blind men approached the Messiah and asked Him to heal them (Mt. 9:29). The Messiah said to them: “Do you believe that I am able to do this (Mt 9:28-30)?” They replied: “Yes, Lord.” Yahshua the Messiah touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” Immediately their sight was restored.
The principle is that ‘faith’ can bring about a transformation and renewal of the physical body, which makes it a new creation. In fact, this is what occurred at the beginning of Moses’ vision when he described the creation of the heaven and earth (Gn. 1st chp.). Elohim said: “Let there be light,” and there was light (Gen 1:3).”
So Elohim spoke to the earth in its dark and chaotic state and transformed it by just speaking the words. If Elohim’s spoken words can bring about the creation, then surely the soul of man can be transformed and perfected by faith in Elohim’s words of truth.
Believing the words of the Holy Spirit or Elohim brings about the uniting of the soul with the inner Spirit. In the garden of Gethsemane before Yahshua was crucified Yahshua prayed to the Father. He prayed to let them be one as He and His Father were one. He also told a man who wanted eternal life the following. “…If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me (Mt. 19:21).”
Placebo
Now the placebo demonstrates the power of the mind, for the unwavering faith in a mere thought can heal the body. Modern science has demonstrated that the placebo is scientific fact.
Placebos are used in testing the effectiveness of new drugs. Whenever a doctor or medical authority that one has unwavering faith therein gives drugs or pills to patients for a particular illness or disease, there is always the possibility that the placebo effect will occur, which doesn’t show the effectiveness of the drugs. If the drug is truly effective then its cure rate should be higher than the placebo. This why there must be a control group who are given a sugar pill or placebo.
Now the point being made here is that a thought in the mind can bring about a healing effect. Since this is proven fact in the physical realm, the belief in Yahshua the Messiah, who is the resurrection, likewise must bring about the perfection or resurrection of the soul.
Conclusion
The placebo proves unequivocally that the soul does not have to keep coming back into the body or reincarnating over and over to be perfected. It is the belief or faith in the Messiah that makes the soul whole as belief in the placebo heals the physical body. “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour (Matt 9:20-22).”
The Messiah told His disciples: “…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Mt. 17:20).”