Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

This last line in chapter 5 of the sermon on the mount is puzzling to me. How can we who are imperfect be perfect? Then I saw the next sentence.

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

Practice makes perfect.

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

I make mistakes. Be merciful as He is merciful, practice righteousness.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

How do we identify that any new thing is God doing His will?

My first thoughts go to the quality and character of the God I know via His Word. Is it consistent with who God is but do I know God as well as I thought?

2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Do Peter’s words help?

If my thoughts are dark, meaning my view of who God is in quality and character might be wrong, but over time I might see the truth more clearly..