The Christian cannot pursue the impossible task of behavior improvement.

Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”Christians try so hard to become more like Jesus.They try to “follow Jesus” as “disciples”.

But how much of it is possible with behavior change?

A person may become 5% or 10% like Jesus.But nobody is perfect like Jesus in their behavior. Not even close!

Folks love to quote the ten commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, trying to avoid lust, anger, greed, etc.

But who on earth is following this command?

Luke 14:33 “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

Nobody. But folks keep “trying” to become like Jesus.

We quote the Lord’s prayer, confess sins, try to be more loving, etc…..but nobody is “following” Jesus. We cannot quote bits and pieces from the Sermon on the Mount without doing the most difficult command – giving up our lives and carrying the cross *exactly* like Jesus.

Some people may overcome a few sins here and there, but nobody can follow Jesus or become like Him in their behavior.

That’s why He died on the cross alone, with all His “disciples” having ran away in fear after promising to “die” for His name.

Jesus alone did the impossible work of being perfect like the Father in heaven.

He alone obeyed the Sermon on the Mount – that was the fulfillment of the law.Jesus alone lived the perfect life, He died for our sins, He rose from the dead to make us perfect by His obedience.

Adam’s one sin made people sinners who sin many times in their lives.

But Christ’s obedience made us perfectly righteous who never were as good as Jesus in our behavior.

Romans 5:18-19 “so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

Jesus is God, so let’s stop trying to change our behavior trying to match His perfection – it’s impossible.

But let us REST in the finished work of Jesus.He did everything to make us perfect without our assistance.