In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 11:6-7

v.6

Last time we looked at this chapter I made the observation from verse 5 that we can actually give pleasure to the infinite Creator and Ruler of all reality by trusting (having faith) in him. Verse 6 takes it a step further and tells us that pleasing God is IMPOSSIBLE without faith!

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 11:5

v. 5

We know very little about Enoch. In the Bible he is mentioned only briefly in the Bible and usually as no more than a detail of genealogy or geography. In Jude 1:14 he is called “the seventh from Adam”, likely only because his name appears 7th in order in two Old Testament genealogies beginning with Adam. (Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1)

 Jude, in talking about people who have entered the Christian community and warped the truth, said: 

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15)

 Jude is actually quoting “The Book Of Enoch” here. This non-canonical book has never been considered scripture by mainstream Judaism or Christianity. It's not a book that Jesus would have considered scripture. But authors of scripture occasionally quote non-scripture that contains an element of truth, which apparently this portion of the Book Of Enoch does.

 So from this we can see that Enoch's faith involved an absolute sureness regarding the justice of God and his unstoppable plan to make right all the wrongs of the world, dealing with ALL sin, once and for all, and silencing all the voices that pridefully speak against God.

 I really enjoy digging into the themes, virtues and philosophies being presented in geek entertainment. Creative types in all mediums, myself included, often inject their worldviews, intentionally or not, in the entertainment they create. Some of these themes are so thought-provoking to audiences that the creators themselves, and popular commentators, are given a platform to voice their opinion and teach or inform others regarding their beliefs and values. Entertainment is a useful and powerful tool!

 However I go back and forth between being saddened and angered as I see these voices of geek entertainment neglecting or even boldly rejecting Jesus. I think about those who already reject Jesus and the encouragement this give them to continue in that. I think about those on the fence or close to it who are swayed further from the truth by these voices that are well-read with strong vocabularies who, despite these attributes, have chosen to selectively ignore truth. 

I feel the urge to fire off a long-winded Youtube comment, dismantling their weak arguments and foolish assumptions. And maybe there's a place for that sometimes. But not without first remembering to have faith like Enoch, who knew that he didn't have to fix the world. Yahweh has a day for that. He's going to take care of that.

 So my plans to rip apart the worldview of a popular Youtube voice in the comments change to a simple book recommendation and a “thank you” for the content they produced. Because God has a day set aside. And my defensive, anger-fueled attempts to save the world one person at a time on Youtube are more likely to muck things up than do any good.

 We also see from Genesis 5:22 and 24 that Enoch “walked with God”. The Hebrew word for “walk” in these verses is often used to describe a manner of life. It was Enoch's way of life to just do things “with God”. He probably didn't compartmentalize his activities as “religious” and “non-religious” or “spiritual” and “non-spiritual”. He did life “with God” by default.

 And apparently because of his faith or “by faith”, Enoch did not experience death, but was simply “taken” by God. (Hebrew manuscripts of Genesis do not necessarily imply this, but the Septuagint, the Greek translation quoted by Jesus and New Testament authors, more specifically suggests this, which the author of Hebrews confirms.) What an amazing reward for this man's unshakable trust in Yahweh!

 If God has a “love-language”, it's trust. God loves us no less if we don't trust him. But consider for a second that we can give pleasure to the infinite God of all reality by trusting in him! He feels pleasure when we trust that he really is good and really will provide rescue from this world. Or when we trust his love for us enough to not become defensively angry when we feel attacked. Or when we trust that involving him in the details of our lives will ultimately bring more fulfillment and not less.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 11:2-4

Hebrews 11:2-4

v.2

The word for “commendation” here is a bit elusive to me. The original Greek word means “to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something”. So some scholars say the idea communicated here is that these “people of old” had witness borne TO them because of their faith, the idea possibly being that because of their faith, these people experienced revelation of knowledge about God. However the English word often used to translate this word is “commendation” or something similar, implying that because of their faith they were in some way positively labeled by God.

The King James takes a middle road approach saying “they obtained a good report”, which could mean that they either heard a good report about God in the form of revelation, or that good things were reported about them because of their faith.

In the Hebrew language and writing style, it is often the case that multiple, non-contradictory meanings are intended, so this may be the case here in a book written by a Hebrew, for Hebrews.

v.3

The Greek word translated “the universe” here more literally means “the ages”. This seems significant to me, since it includes not just all that is and has been but time itself as a creation of God. Scientists have since come to agree that time itself has a beginning, which would seem to once again place the word of God ahead of the curve when it comes to our understanding of life and the realities around us.

In this immediate context, the author seems to be refuting an idea circulating in the first century that there was no God and yet there WAS some kind of “creation” event. The author affirms the creation event and identifies its source as God. This perception and understanding comes, as the author says, because of faith.

People often think of faith as something we hold on to when we don't understand something. And at times that's certainly true when life hits the fan. But as the author points out here, faith also facilitates understanding. For example, there are many scholars who subscribe to very late dating of the Old Testament books. But as we track down the specific reasons they give for dating the books these ways the logic is flimsy and the reasoning manufactured out of a seeming desire to deny the possibility of predictive prophecy and other miraculous events described in the Bible. But as faith allows for even the possibility of the miraculous, self-imposed mental barriers are destroyed and data comes together to reveal things that should have been more obvious before.

v.4

While Cain simply brought an offering of “the fruit of the ground”(Genesis 4:3) to give to Yahweh, Abel more specifically and sacrificially gave “the firstborn of his flock”(4:4). The very first “profit” Abel gained from his work as a shepherd he gave to God. By not protectively clinging to his first profits, Abel showed trust that God would provide for him. He also communicated something about the worth of God by giving something so precious.

Because Abel gave in this way, God considered him to be “righteous”, meaning that he was fulfilling the standards set forth by God. It wasn't the gift itself, but the trust and love it communicated that counted as “righteousness”. And this example of “faith” still speaks to us today.

Unlike the trends in sci-fi storytelling that present faith as a barrier to knowledge and discovery, faith in what God has revealed actually allows us to think and perceive more clearly, understanding reality better.

And although it may be a tendency among us geeks to keep a tight grip on our hobbies and comforts, faith also results in love and risk-taking sacrifice for God.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 10:26-39

In the first 10 chapters of the book of Hebrews, the author has been establishing the superiority of Jesus and his sacrifice on our behalf to justly pay for all of our sins so that we can be reconciled with a perfect, and uncompromisingly holy God. Beginning in verse 22 of chapter 10, the author now describes how we ought to see the world and live our lives in light of what Jesus has done for us. In verses 23-25 he says that we should hold firmly to our faith and express it to others, encouraging each other as we commit to living in community with other believers, and as we look forward in anticipation to “the Day”, an expression which refers to the future judgment of Yahweh, in which evil is punished and wrongs are made right. (See Obadiah 1:15-17, where “The Day” Of Yahweh involves justice, and setting wrong things right.)

Geeks And The Local Church - THE TRUTH IS IN THERE

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 10:19-23

Hebrews 10:19-23

Up until this point in the book of Hebrews, the author has been explaining and then emphasizing the absolute sufficiency of Jesus' sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins once and for all, contrasting his work on our behalf with the Old Covenant's ultimately ineffective sacrificial system.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 10:11-18

The author of Hebrews has been explaining the superiority of Christ's sacrifice for sin in comparison to the Old Covenant, with its repeated animal sacrifices, which by their very repetition exposed their ineffectiveness to truly and justly deal with sin once and for all.

In verses 1-10 of chapter 10, the author shows how both prophecy in scripture and the Old Covenant itself, foreshadowed a New Covenant, carried out by the Messiah (or “The Christ”), that would replace the old one.

The final thought in verse 10 is that those who trust Jesus to pay for their sin are uniquely “set apart for the purposes of God” (the meaning of the word “sanctified”).

What this means is possibly explained in just a little more detail in verses 11-18.

v.11-13

The author contrasts again the work of the Old Covenant priests with the work of Jesus. They continually stand day after day, constantly busy at their work to provide mediation between God and humanity. Jesus did his work once... and then sat down! Done!

Not only that, but he sat down “at the right hand of God”, and has been there (physically or metaphorically we can't be sure) ever since, waiting for the time when God the Father will make all the enemies of Jesus like a foot-rest he can prop his shoes on. (This is imagery of the Messiah taken from Psalm 110.)

v.14

The sacrifice of Jesus makes all believers perfect! Obviously we still experience sin in our lives every day. But sin no longer defines believers. Instead it is only a remnant of the old self, (which the Apostle Paul calls “The Flesh”). But beneath this frustrating sticky residue, the true essence of the believer is perfection!

It should also be noted that the word “sanctified” here is used in the literal sense of “being set apart for the purposes of God”, not in the sense that modern theologians use it to describe the concept of a believer becoming increasingly like Jesus in character. In other words, this state of perfection is true of EVERY believer! And the single sacrifice of Jesus is continually “perfecting” new believers every day!

v.16-17

The author quotes again from Jeremiah 31:33 (which he did previously in chapter 8) but paraphrases and quotes selectively to bring out the specific aspects of that passage that he wants to emphasize here.

Under the New Covenant (which we have seen begin but that is not yet completely fulfilled), God will internalize his will for his children. As believers we have already begun to experience some of this through the continual presence of the Holy Spirit, which reminds us of the truth we are meant to live our lives by.

Also under the New Covenant, God has “forgotten” and each day “forgets” our sins. This probably doesn't refer to a literal erasing of knowledge from the mind of God, but instead to a complete forgiveness on his part, in which he doesn't even consider our sins when evaluating who we are.

v.18

Under this kind of forgiveness, there isn't any room for any other sacrifices or compensation to be made. We are not even capable of earning the smallest fraction of our forgiveness, nor do we need to.

So What's In This For Geeks?

There are some hugely important truths here for me, and I think for many geeks, to remember.
The first is that our shortcomings do not define us. Instead of living defensively in denial of our weaknesses, or entering into depression over them, we can and should remember that God “has perfected” us. Past tense. Done deal. Yes we still have this sticky substance coating our skin that constantly annoys us and causes us to stumble around. But it's not what defines us.

This isn't fluffy positive thinking. This is reality. And God's perception of reality is perfect, so we ought to trust him when he tells us, “We'll get this crap washed off you in a little while, but until then know that you are PERFECT”.

The second important truth here is that we cannot contribute in anyway to our forgiveness. We are not responsible for it in the slightest. When we've been in a season of sin or if we've just recently fallen back into an old sinful pattern or habit, it can be easy to feel like God can't use us, or that he needs us to fix ourselves before we can get involved in opportunities to serve that are available to us.

And while it's true that some sin, on obvious and practical levels, can rule us out for some types of service, anyone can be a part of what God is doing no matter what sins may be beating them down.
The more we trust and apply these reality, the more our lives will have less stress, the more we'll be able to relate well with other people, and the more we'll generally be able to engage in what God is doing. (In fact, this response from readers is one of the main goals for the author of Hebrews!)

I am the type of person who is almost daily haunted by memories of conversations I've had with others in which I don't think I came across as wise or intelligent as I want to. I'm obsessed with myself and how others perceive me. By default, I easily let my identity get wrapped up in how well I “perform” in conversations.

This way of thinking and living only brings me stress and wastes a lot of time and mental energy. But I've increasingly found freedom from this when I silently pray “Thank you, Jesus, that is not who I am”, and remind myself that God's righteousness is now placed on top of my record.

We are not defined by our shortcomings OR our successes. And the more we remember that, the more energy we'll have to engage in what God wants us to do in our local Christian communities and in the lives of people around us.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 10:1-10

v.1-4
“The Law”, which here includes the entire sacrificial system, was only a “shadow” of something to come. The Law presented truth, but not in full. It illustrated the problem of sin which was severe enough to require payment in life blood. But through necessary repetition the sacrificial system itself acknowledged that it wasn't truly getting the job done. The blood of animal sacrifices couldn't truly take away sin. However the sacrifices did serve as a valuable reminder of our sin problem.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 9:23-28

Having built a case for Jesus being an infinitely more qualified “go-between” for God and humanity than anyone before him, in chapters 8 and 9 the author of Hebrews compares the method of Jesus' mediation with the methods of the old covenant. Under the old covenant, sacrifices only dealt with sin superficially and temporarily. They used animals (creatures of great, yet limited, worth) as objects of sacrifice and the sacrifices were performed by flawed, limited humans in a place built by flawed and limited humans.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 9:15-22, Part 2

Before moving forward, first a quick recap of some ideas and themes we've seen so far in Hebrews:

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 9:15-22, (Part 1)

Hebrews 9:15-22

(ESV) 15Therefore he is the mediator of a new diatheke(covenant), so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first diatheke(covenant). 16For where a diatheke(will) is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For a diatheke(will) takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first diatheke(covenant) was inaugurated without blood. 19For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, “This is the blood of the diatheke(covenant) that God commanded for you.” 21And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 9:11-14

Hebrews 9:11-14 (ESV)

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.


In previous verses, the author of Hebrews explains the ultimately ineffective nature of the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. While these sacrifices demonstrated the problem of sin, they didn't provide a complete and lasting solution. The author now contrasts the failings of the Old Covenant sacrifices with the absolute effectiveness of Christ's sacrifice.

v.11

As we've observed previously by looking at the meaning and purpose of "priests", we're reminded again here that Jesus functions at the perfect "go between" for us and God. His service in this role has secured all of the "good things" promised to believers. This includes:
1. rescue from punishment we deserve for our selfishness and ungrateful rebellion against God,
2. increasing rescue from lives devoid of purpose and crippled by self-destructive sin, and
3. future permanent rescue from all tendency toward and exposure to evil of any kind.

These three forms of rescue (which theologians call Justification, Sanctification and Glorification respectively) summarize the various contextual uses of the Greek word for "Salvation", which the author of Hebrews (and the other New Testament writers) uses to describe what Jesus has done for us as High Priest. (Hebrews 5:5-10, 7:23-8:13)

Jesus accomplished this relational repair between us and God, not through the earthly temple or tabernacle, but through a method or process unique to God, that the tabernacle was only a shadow of.(Hebrews 8:5)

v.12

Jesus accomplished this through a "once for all" and "eternal" act of sacrifice. The old system required priests to offer animal sacrifices again and again to deal even with unintentional sin and repair human relationship with God. But Jesus' single sacrifice of his own, perfect life, was enough to repair all relational damage between us and God.

There may be times where, on our side of the conversation, we need to clear the air with God in order to experience closeness to him. But the Bible teaches that if any believer chooses to draw near to God, God will draw near to them. (James 4:8) Because our sin has been dealt with in terms of justice, there is no penalty hanging over our heads as we converse with God. He is ready to be as relationally close with us as we will let him!

v.13-14

Under the Old Covenant, the sacrifice of specific animal types was enough to make someone or something fit for the purpose of serving and relating to God, at least temporarily and in a very limited way. The author argues that it's only reasonable that if animal blood could accomplish that, then the blood of Jesus, the perfect man (who is Yahweh himself in human form), in cooperation with the Holy Spirit and offering himself to God (presumably The Father), could do far more!

So what more did his sacrifice accomplish? For starters we are free from "dead works". When looking at Hebrews 6:1 we found that "dead works" refers to activity intended to earn good standing with God, or activity that contributes to relational separation from God. Engaging in "dead works" only leads to an awareness of our failure and shortcomings. The only way to avoid this awareness is to "lower the bar" for ourselves, and try to convince ourselves that God isn't that concerned with evil. (Boy, wouldn't you love to spend eternity with a God who looks at evil and just kinda shrugs and says, "Oh well"? Yikes!)

Jesus has rescued us from the need to lie to ourselves and from the depression and anxiety of failure and shortcoming! Not only that, but he has done this with a purpose greater than simply giving us pleasure. Jesus has rescued us and given us purpose greater than anything we could assign to ourselves! We are rescued to "serve the living God"! We can now have a role in bringing about his agenda for the universe!

Keep in mind, the sacrifice of Jesus that makes this possible is an "eternal, once for all" sacrifice. Our moments of social significance may come and go or never seem to arrive. That great job or career may not last. But for believers in Jesus, every day is a day we are fit for God's agenda.

Maybe you've felt overlooked or misunderstood. Maybe you've felt like you don't fit in and God probably doesn't have much use for you. But that mindset doesn't make any sense in light of what Jesus has done for us! Each of us is uniquely and strategically gifted by God and positioned where we are at, among the people we know or may soon get to know, to bring about the plans of God.

The entertainment world, through both stories and celebrities, is trying to define significance for you and I, whether they mean to or not. It's my natural tendency to attach my significance to how many people know who I am and what they think of me. But our significance is not so shallow and temporary as what we accomplish or what people think of us. It is found in the fact that God has given us a purpose that will NEVER be taken away, that we can choose to enter into more deeply in every moment of every day.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 9:1-10

In previous verses, the author of Hebrews said that the New Covenant ushered in by Jesus makes the old one obsolete. In the first part of chapter 9 he goes on to describe the elements of this "obsolete covenant".

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 8:4-13

The author of Hebrews is now describing how Jesus is not only a superior and ultimate mediator(priest) between us and Yahweh-God, but he serves as our go-between within a far better system of mediation.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 8:1-3

Leading up to this point the author of Hebrews has been making a case for the superiority of Jesus as our priest when compared to earthly priests. As he moves forward, he also explains that the method by which Jesus connects us with God is far superior to the old Levitical system.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 7:20-28

Just before verse 20, in verse 19 of this chapter, the author says that the former system of priests, because of its weakness and uselessness, was set aside, and "a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God."

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 7:11-19

The author of Hebrews points out that "perfection" was not attainable for us under the Levitical priesthood and system of law. The Greek word for "perfection" here means "completion, fulfillment and consummation". In the context of the book of Hebrews, this would refer to the completeness of our unity with Yahweh and receiving his rescue from our sin, as well as his promised rest and reward for his people.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 7:4-10

A theme of Hebrews so far has been "holding on to hope and confidence in Yahweh so that we can be engaged in his plans and experience his blessing and rest". In the verses we looked at previously, the author has been building an argument for trusting in Jesus as the ultimate priest/go-between for humanity and Yahweh. The popular idea today that "all paths lead to God" conflicts with the point being made in Hebrews, that Jesus is far superior to any other so-called, or even true, representative of God.

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews Recap, 1:1-7:3

A significant theme of Hebrews so far has been "holding on to hope and confidence in Yahweh so that we can be engaged in his plans and experience his blessing and rest".

In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 7:1-3

First some quick background on Melchizedek, since the author of Hebrews is drawing a lot from what little we know of him.

In Genesis 14, Abram (who would become Abraham), the father of the Hebrew people, had just returned from rescuing a family member out from the middle of a conflict between kingdoms. Two kings met Abram as he returned. One was the "king of Salem", Melchizedek. He gave Abram bread and wine and blessed him. After receiving the blessing, Abram gave Melchizedek 1/10th of everything he gained from his recent victory in battle. The account in Genesis also identifies Melchizedek as "priest of God Most High".

Genesis 14 tells us all that we know about Melchizedek. Yet the author of Hebrews says that Jesus is a High Priest "after the order of Melchizedek". This phrase comes from Psalm 110, and refers not necessarily to a formal "order of priests" as we would think of an "order of monks". The Hebrew word for "order" means "manner". So the "Lord"(Adonai) of Psalm 110, who is identified in Hebrews as Jesus, is in some way a priest "in the same manner" as Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:20) The author then makes some observations about Melchizedek that he later applies to Christ.

v.1-3

Melchizedek was a king, but was also priest of "The Most High God". He blessed Abraham. The author will comment on this later. Then Abraham gave Melchizedek 1/10th of the spoils of battle.

In ancient times, this kind of tithe was common as a way of thanking a god for victory in battle. This indicates that Abraham recognized that Melchizedek represented Yahweh, and so Abraham honored Yahweh through his tithe to Melchizedek.

The author tells his readers that the Hebrew name "Melchizedek" translates to "king of righteousness", and that his status as the "king of Salem" makes him the "king of peace", since "Salem" comes from the Hebrew word for "peace".

The author observes that, as far as the record is concerned, Melchizedek is "without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever". The author isn't saying here that Melchizedek literally had no parent, that he was never born and never died. He is showing us that the absence of information about Melchizedek is significant concerning how the record of Melchizedek can be metaphorically applied to Christ.

There are already several implications about Jesus we can see in these verses.

1. Jesus is a king. His role is to rule over us. If we are thinking of Jesus in the right way, we should remember that he is our boss.

2. Jesus is a priest of the Highest and greatest God in existence. Any other so-called "gods" are cheap imitations in comparison to the Most High God, and yet we have access to relationship with this God through Jesus, who acts as the perfect, priestly go-between.

3. Jesus is a "righteous" king. This classically "churchy" word in its broad sense means "in the state one ought to be" or "in a state that is pleasing to God". If someone is "righteous", they are living in the "right" mode according to God's perfect standards.

4. Jesus is the king of peace. The implications aren't spelled out here, but we know from scripture elsewhere that Jesus will bring about peace in his ultimate reign over humanity and already brings about the peace of reconciliation between God and humanity. (Colossians 1:19-20, Revelation 21:3-4)

5. Jesus has no beginning or end. At the time this was written, the genealogy of a priest was important. If the lineage of a priest could not be confirmed he could not serve as a priest. (Nehemiah 7:64) So the idea that Jesus did not HAVE a genealogy (speaking of his divine nature) places him in a totally different category from all other priests.

So what do all of these traits of Jesus mean for our day to day grind through life?

I think being a geek can often come with an increased concern for what people think of you. That's certainly true in my case. Even before I was a geek I was overly concerned with the approval of others, and embracing my geekiness in later childhood and adulthood seemed to bring with it increased preoccupation with how others perceive me.

But Jesus sees me as I really, truly am. He doesn't fall for the image I try to present to others. I am completely exposed to him. And that brings some discomfort as I become more aware of the reality of that exposure.

I think in the light of that exposure we can tend to over-emphasize certain traits of Jesus and de-emphasize others that make us uncomfortable. But it's those contrasting traits of Jesus that make him the perfect fit for our needs, and I see that in these first verses of Hebrews chapter 7.

He is my king. He's the boss. I am not permitted to compartmentalize any part of my life. He has the right to rule over every shadowed corner of who I am.

By contrast, he's my priest. He opens the door and welcomes me into Yahweh's throne room. He  makes it possible for me to not simply cower and tremble in relationship with God, but to run up to his throne and into his arms. Scripture tells us that through Jesus we now have God not just as our father, but as our "daddy"! (As the word "Abba" translates in the New Testament. Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6)

Jesus is righteous. He himself lives perfectly and commands us to live perfectly. (Matthew 5:48) There is a net of mercy and grace when we fail, but that does not nullify the command to chase after perfection.

By contrast, Jesus is the king of peace. We will repeatedly, shamefully fail. But that same righteousness of Jesus is now credited to those who place their faith in him, which means there is no reason in the slightest for conflict between us and God. We have peace with him now, and are promised complete peace in the future, when our struggle with sin itself will be over and gone.

Jesus is the ultimate priest. It's good to confess and wrestle through sins with other believers(James 5:16). But Jesus alone provides restored relationship with God. He's not like the leaders we have in our local churches, as useful as they are and as grateful as we should be for their service. Jesus doesn't get tired. He knows the pain of resisting temptation and has felt the consequences of sin, but he has no corruption or hypocrisy in him. He will never retire or have a schedule that's too busy for you. And he is affirming each of us to Yahweh every moment, saying, "Yes. I paid for her sin. Yes, I died for him."

I'm discovering that life with this Jesus is difficult at times. There is straining and stretching. But because of who he is, there is also rest and untiring love, forgiveness and acceptance.