True Service

This is an illustration to the extent of the appointed time, that as far as to those gifts and sacrifices offered, powerless to perfect the server, as far as consciousness.*

This verse is saying that perfection of the server, or the one offering gifts and sacrifices is not through the act of serving and sacrificing. The word perfect means to perfect, complete, finish; (pass.) to reach a goal, be fulfilled, completed, made perfect. The gifts and sacrifices offered by the priest in the old covenant temple did not perfect them, and Paul is using this illustration to teach us that it is true today, these things do not perfect. When we believe we have victory, but we are being matured or perfected into the image of Christ. Consciousness here speaks of the inward moral impression of one's actions and principles or said another way it is character. The scriptures urge us to abstain from the desires of the flesh as they war against the soul. If we truly want to serve Christ then it is beneficial for us to know what perfects us, what strengthens us to this end goal of true service.

present your bodies a living sacrifice, consecrated, pleasing to God, this your reasonable service.*

Consecration means holy, consecrated, acceptable to God and Paul writes that the outcome of presenting the body a living sacrifice is consecration which is a sacrifice acceptable to God, thus it is our true service or reasonable service. Perfection is maturity, and maturity is seen in that we have become like Him, Holy. Holiness is attained through consecration, and in the new covenant it is being transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory, so we can also call it glorification. So when we pray, show us your glory we are asking to be perfected or matured into His image, so that the glory of God shines in us. Perfection of the server, or the one offering gifts and sacrifices is not through the act of serving and sacrificing but through consecration which also means sanctification. So how are we consecrated, holy, and sanctified? lets hear what Jesus said,

I am not asking that you take them out of the world, but that you perfect them, out of evil existing, not existing as of the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Consecrate them in truth, your word exists truth.*

Consecration is achieved through truth, this is what matures and perfects and transforms us. It is for salvation of our soul, for consciousness sake. And it is to perfect, mature, to grow us up., "Like a new child, desire the milk pure, reasonable, so that in it growing up to the extent of salvation."* If we do not enter this service we exist in a wretched state doing the things we are ashamed of, against our true nature. In Christ we are partakers of God's divine nature thus true service is that which from the inward brings out our true identity or true nature, so that our character reflects Christ. Perfection is sanctification in truth, were transformation renews the carnal mind. Perfected we accept God's will or we have matured into his image, the full stature of the measure, thus our character is like Christ. To achieve our reasonable service, consecration, which is growing up to the extent of salvation, we must abide in truth.

In speaking of a new covenant, the first being made old, yea, obsolete and becoming old ready to disappear. Now then, the first covenant also had just service...*

Now, back to the illustration Paul is giving us, that like the priests in the old temple, offering gifts and sacrifices doesn't consecrate us either. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD, so Paul is writing in foresight, seeing it is becoming old and disappearing. We know that in the new covenant we are a Temple of God, the Holy Spirit in us. The first temple had a just service, but it was a foreshadow of things to come. "This is an illustration to the extent of the appointed time..." This word for illustration, parabolē, means a placing one thing by the side of another; a comparing; a parallel case cited in illustration; a comparison, simile, similitude; a parable, a short relation under which something else is figured; a type, pattern, emblem. Paul is using a comparison of the first covenant and the new to help us understand what is our just or true service.

The same thing the Holy Spirit is declaring, the way to consecration has not yet been manifested to the extent the first tent having stood.*

Offering gifts and sacrifices are not the way to consecration, or these do not perfect the server. Some will say they are today, that serving, sacrificing, giving or even tithing is the highest form of worship and true service. But not Paul, and if you don't believe Paul, believe the Holy Spirit who is declaring this also. To help us understand I paraphrase Paul; there were two tents, one outward and one inward, and there was a veil to the inward and the priests served in the outward and only the High Priest was allowed to enter the inward once a year for temporary sacrifice of sin.* The priests were set apart or consecrated further from the tribes of Israel for the purpose of service in the temple. Serving in the temple required strenuous cleansing of the outward body and clothing to be pure, but this did not perfect them. Because the first tent stood, the way into the veil was not yet given, and consecration had not yet been manifested.

this is an illustration to the extent of the appointed time, that as far as to those gifts and sacrifices offered, powerless to perfect the server, as far as consciousness but only deal with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time of correction...*

The first covenant had regulations of service, also an earthly sanctuary... this is an illustration to the extent of the appointed time... the time of correction... also now, Christ appeared as High Priest, the profitable coming into existence, through the greater and perfect tent (not made by hands, existing not of this creation) entered once for all into the Most Holy Place, not through the blood of goats and calves but through that his own blood, obtaining eternal redemption.* Regulations of do not touch, taste, and handle, these things do not perfect, consecrate us. By living to the letter of the law we will not rule over sin. So what will deliver us from this body of death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, our great High priest, the Way to consecration is now manifested.

Therefore brothers, having confidence to the extent of entering the Most Holy Place, in the blood of Jesus, the way, freshly slain and living whom opened for us through the veil, this existing the one his flesh.*

Now, we know that Jesus is the truth, life, and the way.* He is the way to the Father, the Way to consecration. This word opened is often translated consecrated but consecrated is a different word. Truly, he did open the way to consecration. Jesus was a living sacrifice, he was slain, the lamb that takes away sin, and he rose again, living. Jesus is the living Way, and he told the disciples he was going to prepare a way for us, a way through the veil to the Father. Jesus through his blood obtained eternal redemption and he was perfected through suffering, passing through the greater tent of perfection, that not made by the hands of men.

Entering once and for all to the extent of the Most Holy Place, not through the blood of goats and calves, now, through his own blood, obtaining eternal redemption.*

What consecrated the priests was not service in the temple but the blood. We read the blood purified the flesh defiled by sin thus a definition of consecration, is a purification of the body defiled by sin.* Now, I ask what do we see in the new covenant that relates to purification of the body? the teachings baptism, of putting off the old man and putting on the new man. Of course this is not speaking of our eternal redemption. The earthly high priest had to sacrifice an animal to enter the Most Holy Place, but Christ did not enter this way, but by his own blood, thus he obtained eternal redemption. Eternal redemption is by the sacrifice of Christ and it is "once and for all" thus there is no longer needed another sacrifice for sin, it is finished. It is true today for us, serving and sacrificing doesn't consecrate nor sanctify us, the way to true consecration is in Christ, our great High Priest, and in this we see our true service.

for if  the blood of goats consecrated the one defiled so that the flesh is purified, much more the blood of Jesus whom through the eternal Spirit offered himself to God, purify our consciousness from dead works to the extent of worship the living God."*

Do you see why we are to enter this true service? it is such glorious truth, consecration is so that the consciousness is purified. We are sanctified, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, thus we have testimony of blood. And we have the greatest testimony of Spirit, that we have entered into the Most Holy Place, having bold access to our heavenly Father. And we have testimony of water, consecration or purification of the flesh, in this we present the body a living sacrifice, we participate in his death and suffering as he crucified the flesh and was perfected in suffering. In the latter we see the teachings of baptism, to put to death the old man, purifying our consciousness, and perfecting, "... as far as to those gifts and sacrifices offered, powerless to perfect the server, as far as consciousness" but the Way to consecration has been manifested to us who enter into this reasonable service, this highest form of worship to God, this true service.

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