Done, and being done

"For by a single sacrifice he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14).

Here, in this verse, are the two parts of sanctification-"past perfect tense" imputation of perfection, and "present continuous tense" perfecting. Christ "has sanctified" us, and we are "being sanctified."

It is a wonderful comfort that we have the imputed perfection of Christ. And it is all the more wonderful that we are "being sanctified," being "transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I would be grateful enough to be positionally perfect in Christ, even if He had told me not to expect much progress in this life-even if He had said I would be consigned to chronic falling, and to being bogged down until the end. But what joy that this is not the case. What joy that "everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). What joy that Christ is "able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless" (Jude 1:24).

Psychologically speaking, what a difference it makes when I get up in the morning, to believe that God is interested in me "increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). Just to know that with every temptation I will face in the course of the day, "he will also provide a way of escape" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Just to know that it makes sense to "make every effort to supplement faith with virtue . . ." because I can have "these qualities" in "increasing measure" (2 Peter 1:4-8). Just to know that it is expected over time to have learned and experienced enough of His grace to become teachers (Hebrews 5:12), and to have our "powers of discernment trained" (Hebrews 5:14), and from there, to "go on to maturity" (Hebrews 6:1).

If I thought otherwise about my life and about Christ, I am quite sure I would lapse into complacency, low-grade depression, and a posture of treading water, expecting that I not only could not hope for much more sanctification until the end, but that I had better not even try.

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