✍️ The Gospel of Grace — Matthew 5:48 Revealed: What God Requires, Grace Fulfills Through the Perfect Life of Jesus Christ Formed Within the Believer
👤 Gospel of Grace: AUTHOR
By Carl Timothy Wray
Carl Timothy Wray is a teacher and author dedicated to unveiling the Finished Work of Christ through the full counsel of God from Genesis to Revelation. His writings focus on revealing the unity of Scripture, the power of grace, and the manifestation of Christ within the believer as the fulfillment of every divine requirement. Through hundreds of books and teachings, he equips readers to move beyond partial understanding into the fullness of God’s eternal purpose—where what God commands, He Himself supplies through Christ.
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The Gospel of Grace — Matthew 5:48 Revealed uncovers the true meaning of “Be ye perfect” by revealing how God’s highest requirement is not achieved through human effort, but fulfilled through the finished work of Christ. This book traces the command for perfection from Genesis to Revelation, showing how the law demanded perfection, man failed to produce it, and Jesus Christ fulfilled it completely. Through the full counsel of God, this teaching demonstrates that grace does not lower God’s standard—it supplies it—forming the perfect life of Christ within the believer and bringing forth the manifestation of mature sons in the earth.
🔥 The Gospel of Grace: INTRODUCTION
“Be ye therefore perfect.”
One sentence.
One command.
One requirement that has echoed through generations—misunderstood, feared, and often used to drive men into striving, condemnation, and exhaustion.
But what if this command was never meant to crush you?
What if the God who required perfection… never intended for you to produce it?
From the beginning, God has never lowered His standard. He has never compromised His nature. He is perfect, and therefore, He commands perfection. Yet within that command lies a mystery hidden from the wisdom of man: everything God requires, He Himself has already provided.
The tragedy of religion is not that it hears the command—it’s that it tries to fulfill it apart from the One who already has.
This book will take you on a journey through the full counsel of God—from Genesis to Revelation—where the requirement of perfection is revealed, the failure of man is exposed, and the fulfillment of all things is unveiled in Christ. You will see that the law demanded perfection but could not produce it, that man fell short in every generation, and that only one Man ever stood before God complete, spotless, and without fault.
And then you will see the mystery:
That perfection was not only fulfilled by Christ…
it is now revealed as Christ.
Not a standard to reach.
Not a ladder to climb.
Not a life to imitate.
But a life to receive.
This is the Gospel of Grace—
not lowering the command,
but revealing the fulfillment.
Not weakening the requirement,
but unveiling the supply.
Not demanding perfection from man,
but revealing perfection as the very life of Christ within His people.
“Be ye therefore perfect” is no longer a burden to carry—
it is a revelation to behold.
And when seen through the light of grace,
it will no longer drive you to strive…
it will awaken you to who you already are in Him.
Chapter 1 — The Command That Shakes the Flesh: “Be Ye Perfect”
The Command Declared
Matthew 5:48 — “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
The command is not hidden.
It is not symbolic.
It is not softened.
It is spoken plainly from the mouth of the Lord:
“Be ye therefore perfect…”
Not partial.
Not improving.
Not progressing toward it.
Be it.
And the measure is not man—it is God Himself:
“…even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
The Witness from the Beginning
This command did not begin here.
It has always been the voice of God to man.
Genesis 17:1 — “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
Deuteronomy 18:13 — “Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.”
Psalm 18:30 — “As for God, his way is perfect…”
From the beginning, the pattern has never changed:
God is perfect.
God requires perfection.
God never lowers His standard.
The Nature of the Requirement
Why does God command perfection?
Because He cannot command anything less than Himself.
Leviticus 11:44 — “Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.”
Habakkuk 1:13 — “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil…”
James 1:17 — “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”
God is not trying to improve man—
He is revealing His own nature.
Perfection is not a human goal.
It is the nature of God Himself.
The Crisis in Man
When this command is heard, something happens within man.
Romans 3:23 — “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:10 — “There is none righteous, no, not one.”
Isaiah 64:6 — “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”
Psalm 14:2–3 — “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
The command says, “Be perfect.”
Man answers, “I am not.”
And here the conflict is revealed:
God requires what man cannot produce.
The Law: The Standard Without Power
The law came and made the requirement even clearer.
Romans 7:12 — “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”
Galatians 3:10 — “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things…”
Hebrews 7:19 — “For the law made nothing perfect…”
Romans 8:3 — “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh…”
The law defined perfection—
but it could not create it.
It demanded righteousness—
but it could not supply it.
The Purpose of the Command
So why would God command what man cannot fulfill?
To bring man to the end of himself.
Romans 3:19 — “That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
Galatians 3:24 — “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ…”
The command was never meant to produce pride—
it was meant to remove it.
It brings man to a place where he must say:
“I cannot be what God requires.”
The Command Points to One Man
If no man can fulfill it…
then who can?
Hebrews 4:15 — “Tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
1 Peter 2:22 — “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
John 8:29 — “I do always those things that please him.”
That man is:
Jesus Christ
He did not strive toward perfection.
He lived in it.
He did not fall short.
He fulfilled all righteousness.
Matthew 3:15 — “Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”
The Hidden Mystery
Here is the mystery hidden in the command:
What God requires…
He fulfills.
John 19:30 — “It is finished.”
Hebrews 10:14 — “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 — “That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Colossians 2:10 — “Ye are complete in him…”
The command was never pointing to your effort—
it was pointing to His finished work.
The First Shift
“Be ye perfect” is no longer:
A burden to carry
A standard to chase
A life to imitate
It becomes:
A revelation of Christ
A doorway into grace
A witness of what God has already done
Setting the Foundation
Let this be settled:
God requires perfection.
Man cannot produce it.
Christ has fulfilled it.
Grace reveals it.
So the question is no longer:
“How do I become perfect?”
But:
Where has God already fulfilled what He requires?
Chapter 2 — The Nature of God: Why Perfection Is Required
God Is the Standard
Matthew 5:48 — “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
The command does not begin with man.
It begins with God.
“…even as your Father… is perfect.”
The measure is not:
- culture
- conscience
- comparison
The measure is God Himself.
Psalm 18:30 — “As for God, his way is perfect…”
Deuteronomy 32:4 — “He is the Rock, his work is perfect…”
God does not call man to a lower life.
He calls man into His own nature.
God Cannot Deny Himself
2 Timothy 2:13 — “He cannot deny himself.”
God cannot act outside of who He is.
If He is perfect—
everything He commands must reflect perfection.
James 1:17 — “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”
His gifts are perfect
Because He is perfect.
His will is perfect
Because He is perfect.
Romans 12:2 — “That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
God does not adjust truth to meet man—
He reveals truth to transform man.
The Holiness of God
Leviticus 11:44 — “Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:16 — “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts…”
God’s holiness is not partial.
It is not progressive.
It is absolute.
Habakkuk 1:13 — “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil…”
This is why perfection is required:
Because God is not divided.
There is no darkness in Him.
No Darkness in Him
1 John 1:5 — “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
Not a little darkness.
Not hidden darkness.
No darkness at all.
This is the nature of the One who speaks:
“Be ye perfect.”
He is not asking for what He is not.
He is revealing what He is.
The Unchanging Nature of God
Malachi 3:6 — “I am the Lord, I change not…”
Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
God has never lowered His standard.
Not in Eden
Not under the law
Not in grace
The command has always been the same:
Be what I am.
The Glory of God: The True Standard
Romans 3:23 — “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Sin is not merely breaking rules.
It is falling short of God Himself.
Exodus 33:18 — “Show me thy glory.”
Exodus 34:6–7 — “The Lord God, merciful and gracious… abundant in goodness and truth…”
The glory of God is His nature revealed.
And man has come short of it.
The Problem Is Not the Command
The issue has never been:
- The command is too high
- The standard is too great
The issue is:
Man is not what God is.
Isaiah 55:8–9 — “My thoughts are not your thoughts… as the heavens are higher than the earth…”
There is a gap between:
God’s nature
and
Man’s condition
And that gap cannot be closed by effort.
The Requirement Stands
Matthew 5:48 still speaks:
“Be ye therefore perfect…”
God has not withdrawn it.
God has not softened it.
Because if He lowered the standard,
He would deny Himself.
But:
2 Timothy 2:13 — “He cannot deny himself.”
So the requirement remains.
The Revelation Hidden in the Standard
Here is the mystery:
If God requires what He is…
then the only way to fulfill it
is to become a partaker of Him.
2 Peter 1:4 — “Partakers of the divine nature…”
The command is not calling you to imitate God—
it is pointing to a union with God.
The Question That Must Be Answered
If:
God is perfect
God requires perfection
God does not change
Then the question is unavoidable:
How can man ever stand before Him?
Job 25:4 — “How then can man be justified with God?”
This question has echoed through every generation.
And it cannot be answered by effort.
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen:
God is perfect
God requires perfection
God cannot lower His standard
So now we must face the reality fully:
What happens to man under this requirement?
Because before grace is revealed,
man must be seen clearly—
not as improving…
but as unable.
In the next chapter, we will uncover:
The failure of man under the requirement of perfection.
Chapter 3 — The Failure of Man Under the Requirement
The Universal Condition of Man
Romans 3:10 — “There is none righteous, no, not one.”
Romans 3:23 — “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Psalm 14:2–3 — “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men… there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
The command says:
“Be ye perfect.”
The testimony of Scripture says:
“There is none.”
Not one.
Not a few.
Not most.
All have come short.
Coming Short of What?
Romans 3:23 — “Come short of the glory of God.”
Man did not just fail a rule—
he fell short of God Himself.
Exodus 33:18 — “Show me thy glory.”
Exodus 34:6 — “The Lord God, merciful and gracious…”
The glory of God is His nature:
- Perfect
- Holy
- Pure
- Complete
And man has come short of that.
The Condition of the Heart
Jeremiah 17:9 — “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”
Genesis 6:5 — “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Mark 7:21–23 — “From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts…”
The issue is not behavior alone.
It is nature.
Man does not occasionally fail.
Man is fallen at the core.
The Corruption of Righteousness
Isaiah 64:6 — “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”
Philippians 3:9 — “Not having mine own righteousness…”
Even when man tries to be right—
it is still not acceptable before God.
Why?
Because the standard is not:
“better than before”
The standard is:
perfect as God is perfect
The Flesh Cannot Produce Perfection
Romans 8:7 — “The carnal mind is enmity against God…”
Romans 8:8 — “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Galatians 5:17 — “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit…”
The flesh is not weak trying to become strong.
It is contrary to God.
It cannot be trained into perfection.
It cannot be improved into righteousness.
It cannot please God.
The Law Exposes, But Does Not Heal
Romans 3:20 — “By the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 3:21 — “If there had been a law given which could have given life…”
Hebrews 10:1 — “Can never… make the comers thereunto perfect.”
The law does something powerful:
It reveals the problem.
But it cannot solve it.
It shows man:
- What perfection looks like
- That he does not have it
But it cannot give him the life to become it.
Every Mouth Stopped
Romans 3:19 — “That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
The purpose of this revelation is not condemnation for its own sake.
It is to silence every excuse.
No man can say:
- “I am good enough”
- “I tried my best”
- “I improved myself”
Before a perfect God,
every mouth is stopped.
The End of Self
Galatians 2:16 — “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Ephesians 2:9 — “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Man must come to the end of himself.
Not partially.
Completely.
Until man sees:
“I cannot fulfill what God requires”
He will continue trying to produce what only God can supply.
The Cry of Humanity
Job 25:4 — “How then can man be justified with God?”
This is the cry:
How can man stand before perfection…
when he is not perfect?
How can the command be fulfilled…
when man cannot fulfill it?
This question cannot be ignored.
It must be answered.
The Setup for Grace
The failure of man is not the end of the story.
It is the setup.
Galatians 3:22 — “The scripture hath concluded all under sin…”
Why?
“…that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Man’s failure is not random.
It prepares the ground for:
- Grace
- Fulfillment
- Christ
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen clearly:
God requires perfection
Man cannot produce it
The question now becomes:
Was there ever a system that could bring man into it?
In the next chapter, we will examine the law more deeply—
The perfect standard that demanded everything…
but could not perfect anything.
Chapter 4 — The Law: The Perfect Standard That Could Not Perfect
The Law Is Holy and Perfect
Romans 7:12 — “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”
Psalm 19:7 — “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul…”
Deuteronomy 4:8 — “What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous…”
The law is not the problem.
It is:
- Holy
- Just
- Good
- Perfect
It reflects the nature of God.
The law does not lower the standard—
it reveals it.
The Law Demands Total Perfection
Galatians 3:10 — “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”
James 2:10 — “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
The law does not allow partial obedience.
It does not accept:
- “Most of it”
- “Trying your best”
- “Getting close”
It demands:
All things. Always. Without failure.
The Law Cannot Produce What It Demands
Romans 8:3 — “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh…”
Hebrews 7:19 — “For the law made nothing perfect…”
Hebrews 10:1 — “Can never… make the comers thereunto perfect.”
Here is the tension:
The law demands perfection—
but cannot produce it.
It commands righteousness—
but cannot impart it.
Why?
Because the problem is not the law.
The problem is the flesh.
The Weakness of the Flesh
Romans 8:3 — “Weak through the flesh…”
Romans 7:18 — “In me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…”
Galatians 3:21 — “If there had been a law given which could have given life…”
The law has no power to give life.
It can instruct.
It can define.
It can expose.
But it cannot transform.
The flesh remains unchanged under it.
The Law Reveals Sin
Romans 3:20 — “By the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 7:7 — “I had not known sin, but by the law…”
The law acts like a mirror.
It shows man:
- What he is not
- What he lacks
- Where he fails
But a mirror cannot clean what it reveals.
The Law Multiplies Transgression
Romans 5:20 — “The law entered, that the offence might abound…”
1 Corinthians 15:56 — “The strength of sin is the law.”
The law does not remove sin—
It makes it visible and increases its accountability.
Where there is no law, sin is hidden.
Where the law comes, sin is exposed and intensified.
The Law Brings Condemnation
2 Corinthians 3:7 — “The ministration of death, written and engraven in stones…”
2 Corinthians 3:9 — “The ministration of condemnation…”
The law is not evil—
but its effect on fallen man is condemnation.
Because it demands what man cannot give.
It declares what is right—
but leaves man unable to perform it.
The Law Shuts Man Up
Romans 3:19 — “That every mouth may be stopped…”
Under the law:
- No excuses remain
- No boasting survives
- No righteousness stands
The law brings man to silence.
It proves:
No man can justify himself.
The Purpose of the Law
Galatians 3:24 — “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ…”
The law was never the destination.
It was a guide.
It leads man to one conclusion:
“I cannot fulfill what God requires.”
And then it points to One who did.
The Transition from Law to Fulfillment
Romans 10:4 — “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness…”
Matthew 5:17 — “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
The law demanded perfection.
Christ fulfilled perfection.
The law required righteousness.
Christ became righteousness.
The Limitation of the Old System
Hebrews 10:11 — “Every priest standeth daily ministering…”
Hebrews 10:4 — “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
The old system:
- Repeated sacrifices
- Continued effort
- No completion
It could cover sin—
but never remove it.
It could point to perfection—
but never produce it.
The Law Brings Us to the End of Ourselves
Galatians 2:21 — “If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
If man could fulfill the requirement—
Christ would not be necessary.
But the law proves:
He is necessary.
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen:
The law is perfect
The requirement is absolute
Man cannot fulfill it
The law cannot produce it
So now the question must be answered:
Did anyone ever fulfill what God required?
In the next chapter, we will behold the only One who did—
The only perfect man to ever walk the earth.
Chapter 5 — Jesus Christ: The Only Perfect Man
The Answer to the Requirement
The command still stands:
Matthew 5:48 — “Be ye therefore perfect…”
The law has spoken.
Man has failed.
The requirement has not changed.
So the question is:
Did anyone ever fulfill it?
The Coming of a Different Man
1 Corinthians 15:47 — “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”
Romans 5:19 — “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
There are two men revealed in Scripture:
- The first man — Adam
- The second man — Christ
One brought failure.
One brought fulfillment.
The Sinless Life
Hebrews 4:15 — “Tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
1 Peter 2:22 — “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
1 John 3:5 — “In him is no sin.”
That man is:
Jesus Christ
He did not struggle with sin.
He did not improve over time.
He did not fall and recover.
He lived:
Without sin
Without flaw
Without deviation
Always Pleasing the Father
John 8:29 — “I do always those things that please him.”
Matthew 3:17 — “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John 4:34 — “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”
The command of Hebrews 11:6 says:
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Yet here is a man who says:
“I do always those things that please Him.”
Not sometimes.
Not mostly.
Always.
Fulfilling All Righteousness
Matthew 3:15 — “Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”
Romans 10:4 — “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness…”
Every requirement of the law—
every demand of God—
was fulfilled in Him.
Not partially.
Completely.
The Law Lived Out
Romans 8:4 — “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us…”
But first—
it had to be fulfilled in Him.
He did not come to adjust the law.
Matthew 5:17 — “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
He came to:
- Live it
- Complete it
- Finish it
The Perfect Obedience
Philippians 2:8 — “He became obedient unto death…”
Hebrews 5:8 — “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience…”
Where Adam disobeyed—
Christ obeyed.
Where man failed—
Christ fulfilled.
His life was not partial obedience.
It was perfect obedience.
The Perfect Sacrifice
Hebrews 9:14 — “Christ… offered himself without spot to God.”
1 Peter 1:19 — “A lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Hebrews 10:12 — “This man… offered one sacrifice for sins for ever…”
Only a perfect man
could offer a perfect sacrifice.
And only a perfect sacrifice
could satisfy a perfect God.
The Finished Work
John 19:30 — “It is finished.”
Hebrews 10:14 — “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
Colossians 2:10 — “Ye are complete in him…”
What the law demanded—
He completed.
What God required—
He fulfilled.
What man could not do—
He finished.
Perfection Is a Person
Perfection is no longer:
- A standard to reach
- A command to struggle with
- A life to imitate
Perfection is a man.
And that man is:
Jesus Christ
The Shift Begins
The command said:
“Be ye perfect.”
Man heard it as:
“Become something you are not.”
But now we see:
Perfection is not something you become—
it is someone you receive.
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen:
God requires perfection
Man cannot produce it
The law cannot supply it
Christ has fulfilled it
Now comes the revelation that unlocks everything:
How does what He fulfilled… become ours?
In the next chapter, we will see the place where:
Perfection was not only lived—
It was transferred.
The Cross.
Chapter 6 — The Cross: Where Perfection Was Accomplished
The Place of Fulfillment
The command still speaks:
Matthew 5:48 — “Be ye therefore perfect…”
The life of Jesus Christ fulfilled it.
But the question remains:
How does His perfection become ours?
The answer is found in one place:
The Cross.
The Declaration of Completion
John 19:30 — “It is finished.”
Not started.
Not progressing.
Not awaiting completion.
Finished.
Everything the law demanded—
everything God required—
was brought to completion in that moment.
The One Offering
Hebrews 10:12 — “This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down…”
Hebrews 10:14 — “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
One offering.
Not repeated.
Not ongoing.
Not needing addition.
And what did that one offering accomplish?
He hath perfected.
The Great Exchange
2 Corinthians 5:21 — “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
At the Cross:
- Sin was placed on Him
- Righteousness was given to us
He took what we were—
so we could become what He is.
This is not imitation.
This is exchange.
The Removal of Sin
Hebrews 9:26 — “Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin…”
John 1:29 — “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The law exposed sin.
The Cross removed it.
Not covered.
Not postponed.
Taken away.
Made Complete in Him
Colossians 2:10 — “Ye are complete in him…”
The command said:
Be perfect.
The Cross declares:
You are complete in Him.
Perfection is no longer ahead of you.
It is established in Him.
No More Condemnation
Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…”
Why?
Because the requirement has been fulfilled.
The law condemned—
because man could not meet its demand.
But now:
The demand has been met.
The End of the Law’s Claim
Romans 10:4 — “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness…”
The law required perfection.
Christ fulfilled perfection.
Now the law has no further claim on the one who is in Him.
Not because the standard changed—
But because it was satisfied.
Reconciled to God
Colossians 1:21–22 — “Yet now hath he reconciled… to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.”
Holy
Unblameable
Unreproveable
This is how God now sees the one in Christ.
Not progressing toward it—
Presented as it.
Perfected Forever
Hebrews 10:14 — “He hath perfected for ever…”
Not temporarily.
Not conditionally.
Forever.
What God required—
He has already established.
The Work Is Not Ongoing
Hebrews 1:3 — “When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down…”
He sat down.
Why?
Because the work is finished.
There is no second sacrifice.
No additional requirement.
No unfinished portion left for man to complete.
The Shift in Understanding
“Be ye perfect” is no longer:
A command driving you forward
A demand hanging over your head
It is now:
A revelation fulfilled in Christ
A reality established at the Cross
The Foundation of Grace
Grace does not ignore the requirement.
Grace fulfills it.
Romans 5:20–21 — “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound… that grace might reign through righteousness…”
Grace does not lower the standard.
Grace establishes it—
by supplying what God required.
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen:
Perfection was required
Perfection was lived
Perfection was accomplished at the Cross
Now comes the next revelation:
How does this become your daily reality?
Because the Cross finished it—
but grace is what brings you into it.
In the next chapter, we will uncover:
Grace — the power that supplies what God requires.
Chapter 7 — Grace: The Power That Supplies What God Requires
Grace Does Not Lower the Standard
The command still stands:
Matthew 5:48 — “Be ye therefore perfect…”
Grace did not come to weaken that command.
Romans 3:31 — “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Grace does not cancel perfection.
Grace establishes it.
Not by lowering the requirement—
but by supplying it.
Grace Is the Source of Salvation
Ephesians 2:8–9 — “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works…”
Salvation is not:
- Earned
- Achieved
- Maintained by effort
It is given.
And even the faith to receive it—
“that not of yourselves…”
Grace is not helping you perform.
Grace is giving you what you could never produce.
Grace Supplies What God Requires
Romans 5:17 — “They which receive abundance of grace… shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
The command says:
Be perfect.
Grace says:
Receive.
Not achieve—
receive.
And what is received?
Abundance of grace
The gift of righteousness
What God required—
grace now supplies.
Faith Itself Is Given
Hebrews 11:6 — “Without faith it is impossible to please him…”
Yet:
Ephesians 2:8 — “And that not of yourselves…”
The very thing required to please God—
is given by God.
Faith is not something you produce.
It is something you receive.
Grace Teaches and Forms
Titus 2:11–12 — “The grace of God… teaching us…”
Grace is not passive.
It is active.
It teaches.
It forms.
It transforms.
Not from the outside in—
but from the inside out.
Strength Made Perfect in Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9 — “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Man says:
“I must become strong.”
Grace says:
“My strength is revealed in your weakness.”
Perfection is not the absence of weakness—
It is the presence of His strength.
Not I, But Christ
Galatians 2:20 — “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
Here is the mystery revealed:
Perfection is not:
You becoming better
It is:
Christ living in you
The life that fulfilled the requirement—
now lives within.
Grace Establishes Righteousness
Romans 5:21 — “Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life…”
Grace does not bypass righteousness.
Grace reigns through it.
It establishes a life that is:
- Right before God
- Accepted before God
- Complete before God
Laboring by Grace
1 Corinthians 15:10 — “I laboured more abundantly… yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
There is activity—
but it is not self-effort.
There is labor—
but it is not self-produced.
It is grace working through the vessel.
Grace Brings You Into What Is Finished
John 1:16 — “Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
Colossians 2:10 — “Ye are complete in him…”
Grace does not move you toward completion.
Grace reveals:
You are already complete in Him.
The End of Striving
Romans 11:6 — “If by grace, then is it no more of works…”
Grace and works cannot mix.
You are either:
- Trying to become
or - Receiving what is finished
Grace ends striving.
Because grace reveals:
It is already done.
The New Way of Living
Hebrews 4:10 — “He that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works…”
Grace brings you into rest.
Not inactivity—
but rest from self-effort.
A life where:
God supplies
Christ lives
Grace works
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen:
God requires perfection
Christ fulfilled perfection
The Cross accomplished it
Grace supplies it
Now comes the next revelation:
Where does this perfection live?
Because grace does not leave it outside of you—
it forms something within you.
In the next chapter, we will see:
The perfection of Christ revealed in the new man.
Chapter 8 — Perfection in the New Man: Christ Formed Within
Christ in You: The Mystery Revealed
Colossians 1:27 — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The command said:
“Be ye perfect.”
The Cross declared:
“It is finished.”
Grace now reveals:
Christ in you.
Perfection is no longer outside of you.
It is not distant.
It is not future.
It is Christ—in you.
The New Man Created in Righteousness
Ephesians 4:24 — “Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
This new man is not improving.
He is created:
- In righteousness
- In holiness
- After God
Not after Adam.
Not after the flesh.
After God.
Born of God
John 1:12–13 — “Born… not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh… but of God.”
1 John 5:1 — “Whosoever believeth… is born of God.”
1 John 3:9 — “His seed remaineth in him…”
This life is not developed by effort.
It is born.
And what is born of God
carries the nature of God.
A New Creation
2 Corinthians 5:17 — “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”
Old things are passed away.
Not being improved—
passed away.
All things become new.
This is not modification.
This is creation.
Perfected in One Body
Hebrews 10:14 — “He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
Hebrews 12:23 — “The spirits of just men made perfect.”
Perfection is not a future state.
It is a present reality in the spirit.
Not growing into perfection—
established in it.
Christ Formed Within
Galatians 4:19 — “Until Christ be formed in you…”
Colossians 1:28 — “That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Perfection is not you becoming something.
It is Christ being formed.
The more He is revealed—
the more perfection is seen.
The Divine Nature
2 Peter 1:4 — “Partakers of the divine nature…”
You are not trying to act like God.
You are partaking of His nature.
Not imitation—
participation.
As He Is, So Are We
1 John 4:17 — “As he is, so are we in this world.”
Not:
As He will be
As He was
As He is… now.
So are we.
This is not future identity.
This is present truth.
The Inner Man
Ephesians 3:16 — “Strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”
Romans 7:22 — “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”
There is a man within—
born of God
filled with Christ
established in perfection
The issue is not creating him.
It is recognizing him.
Not I, But Christ
Galatians 2:20 — “Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
The old identity says:
“I must become perfect.”
The new identity says:
“Christ is my perfection.”
This is the shift:
From self → to Christ
From effort → to life
From striving → to manifestation
The Conflict of Two Realms
Galatians 5:17 — “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit…”
The new man is perfect.
The flesh is not.
The conflict is not:
Trying to become something
It is:
Learning to walk in what has been created within.
The Reality of Completion
Colossians 2:10 — “Ye are complete in him…”
Not becoming complete.
Not working toward completeness.
Complete.
In Him.
Transition to the Next Chapter
We have now seen:
Perfection is not external
Perfection is not future
Perfection is Christ within
Now comes the next revelation:
How does this perfection begin to govern your thoughts?
Because what is within you—
must begin to shape how you think.
In the next chapter, we will uncover:
The mind of perfection — thinking as the Son.
Chapter 9 — The Mind of Perfection: Thinking as the Son
The Battlefield of the Mind
Romans 12:2 — “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
The work is finished.
Christ is within.
Perfection is established.
But the mind—
must be renewed.
Because without renewal,
a man will live beneath what has already been given.
The Natural Mind Cannot Receive It
1 Corinthians 2:14 — “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God…”
Romans 8:7 — “The carnal mind is enmity against God…”
The natural mind:
- Cannot understand perfection
- Cannot receive grace
- Cannot comprehend Christ within
It will always default to:
- Effort
- Striving
- Performance
The Mind of Christ
1 Corinthians 2:16 — “We have the mind of Christ.”
Philippians 2:5 — “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ…”
The believer does not need a better version of his own mind.
He has been given:
The mind of Christ.
Not something to earn—
something to walk in.
Thinking from Completion
Colossians 2:10 — “Ye are complete in him…”
Hebrews 10:14 — “He hath perfected for ever…”
The renewed mind does not think:
“I am becoming complete.”
It thinks:
“I am complete in Him.”
It does not think:
“I am trying to be perfect.”
It thinks:
“Christ is my perfection.”
Casting Down Imaginations
2 Corinthians 10:5 — “Casting down imaginations… bringing into captivity every thought…”
Thoughts will come that contradict truth:
- “You’re not enough”
- “You must try harder”
- “You’re still lacking”
These thoughts must be brought into subjection.
Not by emotion—
but by truth.
Set Your Mind Above
Colossians 3:2 — “Set your affection on things above…”
Colossians 3:3 — “Your life is hid with Christ in God.”
The mind must be trained to look:
Not at the flesh
Not at performance
But at:
Christ
Completion
Finished work
The Renewed Perspective
Ephesians 4:23 — “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
This is not surface thinking.
This is a shift in perspective:
From:
- Earth → Heaven
- Self → Christ
- Effort → Grace
The renewed mind sees:
What God has already done.
Walking by the Spirit
Romans 8:5 — “They that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:16 — “Walk in the Spirit…”
The mind determines the walk.
If the mind stays in the flesh—
the life will follow.
If the mind is set on the Spirit—
the life will manifest it.
Transformation Through Truth
John 8:32 — “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Truth does not improve you.
Truth transforms you.
And the truth is:
Christ is your perfection.
The End of Double-Mindedness
James 1:8 — “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Double-minded thinking says:
“I am complete… but I still need to become complete.”
“I am perfected… but I must perfect myself.”
This creates instability.
The renewed mind becomes single:
Christ is enough.
The Mind Governs Manifestation
Proverbs 23:7 — “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
What you believe internally—
you will express externally.
If you think from lack—
you will live in striving.
If you think from completion—
you will live in rest.
Transition to the Final Chapter
We have now seen:
Christ is within
Perfection is established
The mind is being renewed
Now comes the final revelation:
What does this look like in the earth?
Because what is within—
and what is believed—
must now be seen.
In the next chapter, we will uncover:
The manifestation of perfect sons.
Chapter 10 — The Manifestation of Perfect Sons
The Creation Is Waiting
Romans 8:19 — “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
All creation is not waiting for another command.
It is waiting for a people
in whom the command has been fulfilled.
Not striving sons.
Not improving sons.
Manifested sons.
From Requirement to Revelation
The journey is complete:
- God required perfection
- Man could not produce it
- The law could not supply it
- Jesus Christ fulfilled it
- The Cross accomplished it
- Grace revealed it
- The new man contains it
- The mind agrees with it
Now:
It must be seen.
The Sons Revealed in the Earth
Matthew 13:43 — “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
Philippians 2:15 — “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God… shining as lights in the world.”
Perfection is no longer hidden.
It shines.
Not as self-righteousness—
but as the life of Christ revealed.
Without Spot or Blemish
Ephesians 5:27 — “A glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle… but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Revelation 14:5 — “In their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
This is not future language.
This is the result of what Christ has already finished.
A people:
Without fault
Without blemish
Without accusation
The Life of Christ Made Visible
2 Corinthians 4:10 — “That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
Galatians 2:20 — “Christ liveth in me…”
What was hidden within—
is now expressed outwardly.
Not by effort.
Not by striving.
By life.
Walking as He Walked
1 John 2:6 — “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
John 14:12 — “The works that I do shall he do also…”
This is not imitation.
This is manifestation.
The same life—
the same nature—
the same Spirit—
now walking in the earth.
The End of Accusation
Romans 8:33 — “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
Romans 8:34 — “Who is he that condemneth?”
The law once accused.
The flesh once failed.
But now:
The requirement has been fulfilled.
There is nothing left to charge.
The Righteous Reign
Romans 5:17 — “They which receive abundance of grace… shall reign in life…”
Revelation 5:10 — “We shall reign on the earth.”
This is not survival.
This is reign.
Not through effort—
but through righteousness received.
The Full Circle
We return to the command:
Matthew 5:48
What once felt impossible
is now understood.
It was never:
A demand for man to achieve
It was always:
A revelation of what God would fulfill in Christ
and reveal in His sons
The Testimony of the Sons
The sons do not say:
“I am trying to be perfect.”
They say:
“Christ is my perfection.”
They do not say:
“I am working to be accepted.”
They say:
“I am accepted in Him.”
They do not strive—
They reveal.
God All in All
1 Corinthians 15:28 — “That God may be all in all.”
This is the end:
Not man reaching God—
But God filling man.
Not effort rising—
But life flowing.
Not striving—
But fullness.
Final Call
The command still speaks:
“Be ye perfect.”
But now it is heard differently.
Not as pressure—
But as revelation.
Not as burden—
But as fulfillment.
The Gospel of Grace Declared
What God required—
He fulfilled.
What He fulfilled—
He revealed.
What He revealed—
He placed within.
And what is within—
is now being manifested.
The Gospel of Grace — Matthew 5:48 Revealed: Be Ye Perfect
By Carl Timothy Wray
The Gospel of Grace Series
- The Gospel of Grace — The Finished Work Proclaimed
- The Gospel of Grace — John 3:16 Revealed by the Full Counsel of God
- The Gospel of Grace — Hebrews 11:6 Revealed: What God Requires, Grace Fulfills
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