The Cross Has Perfected Us

Someone has compared sanctification to a man working a yo-yo as he ascends the stairs.

Though the yo-yo has ups and downs, its overall progress is upward and eventually it arrives at the top of the stairs because the man who is carrying it.

Do you ever feel like you’ll never change? I feel like that at times. But if Christ has saved us, he will change us. He won’t stop until he’s conformed us to himself. He may need to take us around the mountain a few times on the way to the top of the stairs, but we’ll get there, because that’s where Christ is going and he’s carrying us.

How do I know this? Because the cross guarantees our sanctification.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (HEB 10.12-14)

What an encouraging verse! The single offering of himself that Christ made on the cross has perfected us for all time! The cross guarantees our sanctification. The cross has PERFECTED FOR ALL TIME (finished) those who are BEING sanctified (still in process). We are now being sanctified, but Christ has already perfected us for all time. Our sanctification was purchased at the cross, along with our forgiveness, justification, and adoption.

This is why Paul speaks in past tense of our future glorification:

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (RO 8.30).

Our glorification was purchased on cross along with all our other blessings.

This should give us hope and encourage us to action. Don’t be discouraged if you’re a yo-yo on a downswing right now. Get back up and begin to fight the good fight of faith again. Praise Jesus that his blood assures you of victory over every sin. He was disfigured so you’d be perfected in his image. He was tortured to purchase the full ticket for you. He didn’t merely purchase forgiveness. He bought the whole ride all the way to glorification.

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