HeadStart - Everlasting Perfection (Part 1)

Hebrews 10:14 'For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified'.

What an inexhaustible and compelling “Knowledge of Truth”.

Yet many are living far short of the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

Think about it: the everlasting perfection resulting from the offering and sanctification.

To many, it is poetry or at best, pure theology.

Primarily, because their day-to-day experiences are far from this parallel “Knowledge of Truth”.

Some even attempt to deconstruct and make a false claim of its’ true significance or deem it not applicable.

And yet it is impossible to live a Christian (Christ like) life without a full understanding, em-bracement, persuasion, consciousness and fulfilment of the knowledge of this truth in our per-sonal lives by faith.

In fact, the opposite is a counterfeit and religious life - implied as a wilful Sin (Hebrew 10:26)

The wilful rejection of the efficacy of this truth will lose its power of restrain and lead to wilful sin

Hebrews 4:1 'Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it'.

Everlasting perfection is the reason why Jesus came, died, resurrected, ascended and seated on God's right hand, and we are seated with him in God.

Ephesians 2:5-6 'Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: '

The Spirit of the Lord instructed the Angel (Messenger) of the church of Sardis that he hasn’t found their works perfect before God.

Revelation 3:2 ' Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.'

By implication, he expects the fulfilment of this perfection in our walk with him and rewards us for it.

James 1:25 'But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.\

In other words, there is a definite blessing reserved and associated for the fulfilment of this perfection.

On one hand Hebrews 10:14 clearly declares we have been made perfect but James 1:25 expects us to walk in this perfection by faith.

This is called the mirror effect in New Testament life – let me explain!

Note the following pattern in the new and you’d get it:

• We are perfected (Heb. 10:14) and yet, we are to walk in the perfection (James 1:25, Mt 5:38).
• We are in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), and yet, we are to put on Christ (Rom. 13:14).
• We are new creatures (2 Cor 5:17), and yet, we are to put on the new Man (Col 3:10).
• We are children of light (1 The. 5:5) and yet, we are to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).
• Your old man is crucified with Christ (Roman 6:6), and yet, you are to put off the old man Eph. 4:24)
• We are dead (Col 3:3) and yet, we are to deaden our members (flesh) (Col 3:5 NKJV) (Rom 8:13 NKJV)
• We are the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21), and yet, we are to yield our members servants to righteousness (Rom 6:19).
• The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5) and yet, we should also walk in love (Eph. 5:2).
• We live in the Spirit; and yet, we should also walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25).

The list is inexhaustible, but it’s no brainer - you got the gist!

It is called the new and living way – the mirror effect.

Before the Cross, It was “thou shall not” and after the cross, it is – “You Are ….”

There is a God part and there is your part through the enablement of the Spirit of God.

He shows you through the creative “Word” who you are, and when persuasively embraced with faith, consciousness, and consistent declaration (confessed, professed), the creative “Word” has the power of the Spirit to transform you into what God says. (Heb. 10:22-23).

He shows you through the creative “Word” who you are, and when persuasively em-braced with faith, consciousness, and consistent declaration (confessed, professed), the creative “Word” has the power of the Spirit to transform you into what HE says.

Everything thing God does, is carried out through the ministry of Word.

2 Corinthians 3:18 'But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'

Notice: we look intensely into the glory of the Lord (Spirit-Word) and are changed into same image.

James 1:22-24 'But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man behold-ing his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.'

Notice: Do the word as you hear the word.

Now back to “Perfection” as we now understand the Mirror effect of Gods intent and purposes:

Hebrews 10:14 'For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.'

Look carefully into the three mutually inclusive components.

1. The offering
2. The sanctification
3. The everlasting perfection:

To understand the everlasting perfection (the finished works of Christ), you need to understand the basics of the offering and sanctification.

The Offering:

The offering is the death of Christ at crucifixion and all that subscribe to Christ through faith.

The Sanctification:

The sanctification was possible through the resurrection of Christ and all that subscribe to Christ through faith.

Hebrews 10:10 'By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. '

This metamorphotic transformation of this heavenly mystery is even more explicit when you closely examine what exactly took place in the eyes of God during the offering and sanctifica-tion.

Romans 6:3-4 'Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. '

Notice, the offering offers the opportunity to be baptised into his death and that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, we are sanctified in the newness life.

Afterall, life isn’t so new if you are still subject to the corruption you were subject to prior to death and resurrection.

Now examine this offering and sanctification a little closer.

Romans 6:9-11 NKJV: 'Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Notice the four distinct components:

1. Christ being raised from the dead dies no more. (Dead Grk. Nekros – Corpse)( Dies Grk. Apothnesko Die off)
2. Death no longer has dominion over him [Death Grk. Thanatos – Deadly (Properly an adjective used as a noun)].
3. He died to sin once for all. (Died Grk. Apothnesko – die off)
4. But the life that He lives, He lives to God

What a metamorphotic transformation in the Spirit and here is where many find it poetry or mystery yet to be experienced in their day-to-day walk with God.

But the writer didn’t stop there, he gave us a hint to how to materialise and experience this life in style.

Romans 6:11 'Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. '

In other words:

Death to “Self” and “alive to God as Christ” results in perfection, as offering and sanctification is to everlasting perfection.

Bear in mind, Death to self-equals death to death (death, corruption, decay, infirmities and all its accomplices) and death to Sin.

Death to “Self” and “alive to God as Christ” results in perfection, as offering and sanctification is to everlasting perfection.

Bear in mind, Death to self-equals death to death (death, corruption, decay, in-firmities and all its accomplices) and death to Sin.

To conclude the first part of this series, below is an excerpt from Romans 8:6-8 from the Mes-sage bible to wrap up this segment:

Romans 8:6-8 MSG Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

Starting from next article we will dive deeper into everlasting perfection and the new testa-ment way to walking in this perfection as revealed by the Spirit of God.