for one offering perfecting to the extent continuous, the one consecrated. (Hebrews 10:14)
now, when this priest offered a single sacrifice on behalf of sin to the extent continuous, he sat down at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:12)
Therefore, brothers, since we have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19–22)
... let us lay aside all burdens and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with endurance the race placed before us... having not stood against to the point of bloodshed the struggle against sin... (Hebrews 12:1-3)
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
The word continuous is usually translated as "for all time" but it is διηνεκής (diēnekēs) meaning carried through, continuous, (from diá, "thoroughly," which intensifies diaphérō, "to bear") properly, bear all the way across, in an unbroken (non-stop) fashion; to persist all the way, to the (intended) end, i.e. "unbroken, continuous . . . perpetually, forever."* With this definition lets look again at this verse, "for one offering perfecting to the extent continuous, the one consecrated." (Hebrews 10:14) What does it say? He is perfecting continuous (carrying through, bearing across) the one consecrated.
We see the idea of continuous sacrifices by the earthly high priest having to be offered repeatedly, year after year, which can never take away sin. (Hebrews 10:11) But this High Priest offered a sacrifice once, "the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) His sacrifice is continuous, for all time, in that no longer is priestly service needed to offer sacrifices repeatedly for sin. Understanding the idea of consecration will help us.
in that will existing consecrated through the offering of the body of Christ, once. (Hebrew 10:10)
This verse is often translated as something like "existing holy through the offering of the body of Christ, once and for all." It is not once and for all, but ἐφάπαξ (ephapax) meaning once.* Propitiation is once and for all, for those who believe and the whole world. (1 John 2:2) But forgiveness is not for all but to be received in Christ through faith. These exist consecrated through the offering of Christ. The word consecrated ἁγιάζω (hagiazō) has as its root the word hágios meaning holy but it implies not being holy but being consecrated unto holiness, being made holy. Do you see the difference in the translations? One says I am holy because of Jesus's sacrifice and the other says I am consecrated. Consecration is being set apart unto holiness. In which we have a reasonable service. (Romans 12:1-2)
for since the law having a shadow of the good to come not the actual form of reality, it was never powerful to perfect the one drawing near, of the same sacrifices which offered to the extent accordingly yearly. (Hebrews 10:1)
The law was a shadow or outline of that to come. The outline we can see in regards to perfection is that it could never perfect the one drawing near to God. In the Old Testament, God consecrated a people and set them apart as his own people but the Law and service in the temple did not perfect the one drawing near. Consecration did not imply holiness then as it does not today. They were consecrated but still needed to live a holy life, the temple service was there for the specific purpose of them falling short of the righteous requirements of the Law, a temporary sacrifice for their sin that did not cleanse the conscious.
... it was never powerful to perfect the one drawing near...
What does this mean, perfect the one drawing near? The word perfect τελειόω (teleioō) means to reach the end of, run through, finish; to consummate, place in a condition of finality; to receive fulfillment; to be brought to the goal; to be fully developed. God is perfect, thus to draw near to God we need to be perfect. God consecrated people to be like him but the law and temple service did not accomplish that goal. This shadow of the good to come, what does it tell us today, in regards to consecration and holiness?
We know in the new covenant Christ has made a way for us to draw near to God. This way also perfects the one drawing near. The Law did not cleanse the consciousness from sin as the blood of animals temporarily offered year after year could not. He has given us a Spirit of adoption, so we are born into the kingdom of God, thus we have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:18) He has redeemed and forgiven us our trepasses. "For Christ suffered once for sin, the righteous for the unrighteous in order to bring us near to God, putting to death in the flesh and being made alive in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) "Therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Because of these things, what Christ has done we have great confidence to approach God.
I am not perfect but the goal is perfection, a completion, consummation. "You, however, are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) I am consecrated but I live in a body in which sin dwells. We having received the blessings from the riches of His grace, predestined to be sons, to be before him, holy in his presence, in love. Have you? Are you going to heaven to be in the presence of a holy God? then you are called to holiness. God is working in us through the glory that shines in the face of Christ, not the veiled glory, nor is he a God thundering from a mountain that can not be touched, but a God we can draw near to because of what Christ has done. We have come to Mount Zion, before a living God, "and to the assembly of the firstborn whose names are inscribed in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect," (Hebrews 12:16-23) Who are those in heaven with God? "the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect." That's the goal, being made perfect. Now, in the new there is a way, that perfects the one drawing near, and perfecting to the extent continuous, the one consecrated. God has consecrated us, set us apart, and is now perfecting the ones who draw near.
Since then we have these promises, beloved, cleanse yourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, finishing holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Before explaining finishing holiness, which is not the same word as perfecting though often translated that way, let us look at "since then we have these promises..." What promises do we have? We look back into chapter 6, we have received in the new covenant the promise Paul writes, "for we are the temple of the living God, just as God said 'I will dwell in them and walk with them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.'" (2 Corinthians 6:16-17) The Holy Spirit is called the promised Holy Spirit because God fulfills his promise as prophecied that he would put his spirit in us and write his laws within, we would be his people, and he walks among us because he is in us, we are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Since we have these promises, we are his people, our body is his temple, thus we need to cleanse ourselves from every "defilement of flesh and spirit, finishing holiness in the fear of God." This implies the perfecting work of Christ in purification of the body of sin. Which I believe is the testimony of water.
"In Him also circumcision, circumcision, not made from hands in the putting off the body of flesh, but in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism also raised through the faith of the energetic working of God, the one raising him from the dead and though you were dead in the trespasses and uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Christ, forgiving us all the trespasses."(Colossians 2:11)
The sign of the new covenant is still circumcision, just like the old, but the Jew is no longer outward but inward, and the circumcision is not of the flesh by the hands of man but of the heart by the Spirit. (Romans 2:28-29) The circumcision of Christ also puts away the flesh, to render it powerless, so that we walk in newness of life. We receive in Christ the blessing of adoption, for whom the Spirit is one of adoption which testifies we are his children. (Ephesians 1:3-5, Romans 8:16) In the old testament the hand of a man cut away the flesh to circumcise, but the circumcision of Christ cuts away or puts off the flesh, the flesh is crucified and buried with him, and the new man has been raised a new creation, with a new heart and God's Spirit within. And in this truth "God made you alive together with Christ, forgiving us all the trespasses," we see the testimony of Spirit and blood. It is a new covenant in his blood, it took his death to establish it, to make us alive, in Spirit, and forgiving our trespasses. So we are consecrated, set apart.
... cleanse yourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, finishing holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Since I am a child of God, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, I have these promises, and I am now part of what he has purposed in Christ, to be a people of his own, holy, blameless in his presence, in love. Because of what Jesus did and what I have received through faith, I have the boldness to approach God. He predestined me for adoption, called, justified, and now is bringing about glorification. (Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:30) The word glorified here means to think, suppose, imagine. So we get into the idea of finishing holiness. The word finishing ἐπιτελέω (epiteleō) means to bring to an end; to finish, complete, perfect. Any time you see the word teleó in transliterated words from Greek it speaks of an end, a goal. Finishing implies I begin with righteousness in Christ, and he is finishing holiness or perfecting until consummation. Consummation speaks of the act of final completion, the ultimate end.
we ourselves have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly awaiting our adoption, the redemption of our bodies... (Romans 8:23)
Though we are being transformed from glory to glory in Christ, the scriptures tell us consummation will not happen until we actually see Jesus face to face. The scriptures in Romans 8:18-30 really speak to this. We await "the revealing of Lord Jesus Christ who will establish you until the end (telos) blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful through whom called us into fellowship with His son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:7-9)
"for us by the Spirit, through faith, eagerly await the righteousness for which we hope." (Galatians 5:5)
Even righteousness we await consummation, or finality, why? because we are in a body in which sin dwells and evil is near, using its desires to war against our souls. Though we receive the blessing of adoption, by the Spirit a pledge of our inheritance, but though pledged, promised, it is not consummated, we await the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23, Ephesians 1:14) And we await consummation of our salvation. (Philippians 3:20) As Christ will appear a second time to those waiting not in reference to sin but salvation. (Hebrews 9:28) So we see we await the consummation, the final completion, the ultimate end of our salvation, redemption, and adoption. As we will see, this also applies to our sanctification. Consummation or the reality of who we are in Christ being brought to completion is perfection. Perfection is happening now, unlike in the Old they were not made perfect, we are being perfected as we draw near to God through the better hope that was introduced in the new covenant, in his blood.
Not because I already have in hand nor already been perfected but I press on if also to make it my own to the extent like as Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:12)
Christ Jesus has made me his own, he is perfect. I am chosen, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven, for the purpose of being His own. The word perfection means to consummate, place in a condition of finality. Though I can say my spirit, which sits in the heavenlies with Christ is holy, complete, sanctified... there is finishing holiness, so I do not think nor suppose nor imagine that I have obtained glorification because I look in a mirror dimly, it is foggy, I do not see myself as I am known in Christ. But it is my purpose to mature, to grow up in knowledge of Christ, thus I put away childish things. This is why Paul runs the race, this is why it is an upward calling in Christ and why Christ has made us his own; perfection. One day it will be consummated.
Really perfection, the end goal, is to become like Jesus. Being transformed from glory to glory or being conformed to the image of Christ, which is God's eternal purpose in Christ.* Since sin is missing the mark and falling short of the glory of God, in Christ we make that mark. God has and is working through Christ on our behalf unto perfection. What does that look like here on earth? to find God's will as perfect. How is it to be accomplished? In his power, to find that His grace is sufficient because it is his power transforming me. Grace is not a means to continue in sin, but the means to endure against the struggle of sin and evil. Grace reigns through righteousness.
if we love one another God abides in us and his love exists perfected in us. (John 4:12)
There are things given by God to aid in perfection. There is perfecting love, agape love that is a bond that leads to perfection, "so the one who fears has not been perfected in love." (Colossians 3:14, 1 John 4:18) We have perfecting gifts coming down from our Father. (James 1:17) We have Jesus in whom we fix our eyes upon as perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) We have the perfecting law, that if looking into intently will provide liberty, which are the words of Jesus, as he said "the one who abides in my words will know the truth and be set free." (James 1:25, John 8:31-32) And there is the perfecting work through suffering, which brings about maturity, a wholeness, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4) Jesus as the Son of Man was perfected. "It was appropriate for God through Jesus, to bring many sons to glory, perfecting the champion of our salvation, perfecting through suffering." (Hebrews 2:10) Perfecting love brings about obedience, as John writes, "now, whoever keeps his word, truly in that person the love of God is perfected, in knowing because we exist in him." (1 John 2:5) This is why Paul prays we have a foundation, of power, faith, and love, so that we have strength to grasp and know the love of Christ, because it brings us into a fullness in Christ. This ministry could be called Love Perfected but "Love Fulfilled" means the same thing and speaks of the same goal. Agape love is fulfilled in the perfecting work of Christ.
in this agape love is perfected among us so that having confidence in the day of judgment because just as he exists also we exist in this world. (1 John 4:17)
We have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way and since we have a great priest over the house of God, we can draw near to God and be perfected, with the assurance of faith, pure hearts sprinkled, cleansed from a guilty conscience and a body purified from sin. (Hebrews 10:19–22) Yes, in Christ we have received many blessings but the perfecting work of Christ continues as our great High Priest, who is perfecting the one drawing near to God, something which did not happen in the Old. Is it important? Listen to John, "the love of God is perfected in us when we keep his words thus we know we exist in him." (1 John 2:5) Will I have confidence on the day of judgment when I give account to Jesus for what I have done in this body, that in the world I walked as Jesus, the Son of Man walked? "Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked." (1 John 2:6) In the purification of the body of sin, this is where the perfecting work of Christ continues, in preserving our souls, in a good conscious toward God so that we are blameless in this world, though in the flesh not walking accordingly but walking as Jesus walked.