Has perfected for all time:

Hebrews 10:14

14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

            This is again the perfect tense. It’s done. It’s over. There’s nothing left to be accomplished. We have been perfected … not going to be … already done and over with. For how long? It’s for all time. Unfortunately, we don’t see this perfection taking place in our lives at this time. In fact, many times it may look like we are regressing. As far as God is concerned, it’s finished … just like Jesus on the cross. The part that says “who are sanctified” could probably be better read as “who are in the process of being sanctified”. But I thought we said earlier that the sanctification was a done deal too. Legally and in God’s eyes it is. But there is an outworking in our lives that takes place daily. So while legally we are sanctified and perfected, experientially we are in the process of being sanctified and perfected.

            Remember that salvation is spiritual (done deal), in the soul realm (day-to-day process), and physical (won’t be finished till Jesus returns).

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children in whom I am being formed; I have made you perfect. You are without spot or blemish. I have made you complete. Now walk in that completeness. You are perfected in Me; so act like it. Do not act like the people of the world; but act like My people. You are My perfection. So do not waste it on the things or people of this world. You are above that, My children; for I have bought you with a high price. You are My perfection; so walk in it. You have no need of anyone else or anything else to make you perfect; for I have completed the job on Calvary. Therefore, you are to walk in My perfection all the days of your life.”

            70. I, who am in the process of having my sanctification worked out daily in my life, have been perfected for all time.

How:

            Have been sanctified (perfect tense):

Hebrews 10:10

10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

            We have been sanctified … not going to be sanctified. This is the perfect tense in Greek. What does that mean? It means that the action was completed in the past (Jesus offered His body once for all) and that it affects the present - I am now sanctified by what He did nearly 2000 years ago. He doesn’t have to do it again. It was completed. However, the Holy Spirit has to work out our sanctification day by day. Legally all is over. Experientially, we grow in it throughout our entire lives. We’re destined for it, but we won’t experience it unless we cooperate with Him.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "It was through the death of My Son that you were made free. It was through His death that you were sealed unto Me … pure and spotless just like Him. You are to walk in My holiness because of what He did on the cross. You are to be holy for I am holy. That is the way you are to be. You are holy because of Him. You are to walk in that holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit. Why do you think that He is called the Holy Spirit? It is because He is the only Spirit that is from Me; and He is holy because I am holy and so also are you.”

            69. I have been sanctified. It is a done deal. There is nothing that can happen to change it. I will allow the Holy Spirit to work out that sanctification in my life.

Chapter 7

Sanctification

            Holiness … that is an important word in the Christian Faith. God is holy; therefore, we are to be holy. Jesus was set apart (sanctified) unto God the Father. He was born in holiness and He lived in holiness. While we were born in sin, we were reborn into holiness. It is our destiny. We can’t get away from it. Too many Christians today do not want to live in holiness; but that is exactly what God wants from us. We can go willingly or kicking and screaming; but we will go. It is our destiny!

Calling/Chosen:

            Chosen for salvation through sanctification:

           

2 Thessalonians 2:13

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

            Look at all the ingredients involved in our lives as Christians. God chose us. It wasn’t something we did to earn it; we were chosen before the beginning of the world for salvation. This salvation involves the entire Godhead. The Father chose us; the Son died that we might live; and the Spirit applies it to our lives. We participate in it by having faith in the truth (His Word). We were set apart (sanctified) as holy from the beginning of our Christian experience. We should continue in this holiness until we leave this world. We were destined for this. It shows the people of the world that there is a holy God and that He wants His children to be like Him … holy.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, I could have chosen you to be robots; but I chose you to have free will … to choose to love Me and to obey Me. You are My own; but you are free to follow Me or to not. You are free to do your own thing; but I have chosen you to be better than that … to live a better life than that – holy and free in Me. You are to be an example to the world. The world does its own thing. It lives life the way it wants to; not as I would have it to do. You have chosen freely to follow Me. You can quit at any time; but you will not be happy walking in a lifestyle that is not in Me. You are free only when you obey Me. You are free from the cares of the world because you don’t have to please the world. You only have to please Me. Then you will walk in complete success … free of the stranglehold of the world. It would have you to be in its grasp; but I would have you to be free in Me.”

            68. I was chosen from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and faith in the truth.

You Shall:

            Shall prophesy; visions; dreams:

Acts 2:17-18

17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,

‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

And your young men shall see visions,

And your old men shall dream dreams;

18 Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,

I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit

And they shall prophesy.

            Well, some people will argue that this has passed away. Remember that we’re not going to get into a fight about beliefs. What’s important is that we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. If He pours out these things today, we’d best not be found fighting Him. Leave that up to Him. If you don’t believe they are for today, then you don’t have to receive them. Just be careful about saying they are of the devil. You are treading on dangerous ground, if they do exist today. We can at least agree that on the Day of Pentecost and in the early Church they happened.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I did not choose to pour out My Spirit only on those on the Day of Pentecost. I have chosen to make you equal with them. What they did, you can do if you trust in Me. They are the beginning, but you are the conclusion. Shall I not do more at the conclusion than I did in the beginning? I will perform wonders through you if you will trust Me to do so. You shall do greater works than those if you will only believe in Me and allow Me to perform My works in you.”

            67. God has poured forth His Spirit upon me and I shall be empowered to do whatever He commissions me to do.

            Well, we’ve again looked at a few of the results in our lives that we’re destined to obtain. If they’re not happening in our lives, we need to look to the Word and be sensitive to the Spirit to determine what needs to be done to activate them in our lives.