Jesus Christ requires absolute perfection from those who follow Him. Jesus said:”Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
He Himself was perfect in every way. We read in Hebrews 5:8 to 9 “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered, and having been made perfect He became to all those who obey Him, the source of eternal salvation.” Jesus Christ learned perfection through suffering and those who follow Him will suffer. That is how we are formed and molded into His image to be perfect, as He requires of us.
We read in Acts 14:22 “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” If we follow Jesus Christ we will suffer tribulation, we will suffer persecution, we will suffer according to the flesh, because that is how Jesus works perfection in us. He himself suffered according to the flesh and He learned obedience from the things that He suffered. The very same we will also learn through what we suffer. We will suffer pain, humiliation, rejection. When you start following Jesus Christ you must be prepared for suffering because your faith will be tested, your dedication will be tested, your endurance will be tested, and only those who endure with Jesus until the end, those who endure suffering, they will enter the kingdom of heaven.
We read in 1 Peter 4:1″ Therefore since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the place has ceased from sin.” If you are in pain, if you are in distress, and in sickness, then you lose your appetite for food, you lose your appetite for sin. Things that were pleasurable to you make no sense to you anymore a that is why Jesus perfects us through suffering, but we have to obey Him. Those who obey Him will suffer, because obedience to Christ leads to suffering, but those who disobey Him will also suffer. They will suffer His discipline and if they do not correct themselves, then they will suffer damnation in hell, because Jesus requires absolute perfection of us, and He works perfection in us through suffering. That is His method of forming us into His likeness, of making us as He is, perfect.
If we suffer with Jesus and for Jesus and we endure then we will also be glorified with Him, and we will receive the reward for our endurance. He will change us and make us into His image. We will be like Him. Be prepared for Jesus to work perfection in you and in me through suffering.
May Jesus bless you.
finalcall07 