BECOMING COMPLETE

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete.” (2 Cor. 13:11)  The Apostle Paul begins his salutation of the second book of Corinthians with a statement in the Greek present imperative, a command to do something in the future that will require continuous or repeated action. “Brethren … Become complete.” The King James Version has it “Brethren … Be perfect”, which links well with our Lord’s words: “Therefore you (the brethren) shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”, a declaration of the Father’s heart and will for all His children. (Matt. 5:48) Paul uses the Greek katartiso with the fundamental meaning to put a thing into its appropriate condition, to complete to a pattern or plan. Jesus uses the word teleios with the fundamental meaning to bring to spiritual maturity or completion, used in an absolute sense: God’s perfection is absolute; man’s is relative. So katartiso and teleios are used as synonyms referring to the same process, our transformation… our conformance into Christlikeness. And then there’s that word sanctification which Paul makes very clear is tops on God’s agenda: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” (I Thess. 4:3) Sanctification is translated from the Greek hagiasmos and refers to the activity of the Holy Spirit in separating newly minted believers unto God, effectively setting them apart and transferring them into the ranks of the redeemed. But that is only half of its meaning. Sanctification is also the process of changing a believer so they can live a life befitting those so separated and consecrated unto God – a life pleasing to God -- enabling them to be holy even as God is holy. (1 Peter 1:16) We are, after all, commanded to “Pursue … holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14), so sanctification is, likewise, a synonym referring to the saint’s transformation process. In point of fact, we are “predestined to be conformed to the image (nature) of His Son (Christ), that He (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29) “Predestined”… This is pretty important to God!

Scripture leaves declarations, and commands as big as boulders about what is in store for the willing few who submit to the Lordship of Christ, putting their wannabe lord, Self, on the Cross of death. One need only look to find the dozens, if not hundreds, of New Testament scriptures that speak to this most important part of God’s grand plan. God has purposed it so it will happen, no matter how much we squirm. Salvation, you see, is not an end unto itself, it is “salvation through sanctification by the Spirit” (2 Thess. 2:13), the beginning of a lifelong change process making us ready to inhabit our glorified bodies… ready to walk the streets of gold… ready for our adoption papers to be signed… ready to be a part of God’s eternal family.

“YOU SHALL BE PERFECT”