Instead, Jesus calls you to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and He makes an extraordinary promise

faith, trusting in God's promises despite not receiving their ultimate fulfillment, enduring trials, persecution 40  since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect In this way, God's people of old, together with us would be made perfect (whole and complete).

And so God decreed  to give to Christ those chosen for salvation,  and to call and draw them effectively The word holy is often misunderstood to only mean pure / perfect / without sin. This means that in Christ you are now pure / perfect / without sin.

'Holy' means much more than 'perfectly righteousness.'

Rather, in his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment.

That perfect man who is our Savior is Jesus Christ. As you follow Christ step by step, you are becoming the perfect image bearer you were created to be.

First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness

First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness

First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness

God created them good and in his own image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that they Last week’s readings reminded us that humans cannot keep God’s law perfectly and are inclined by nature