Forever

“Hence also He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”  Hebrews 7:25 

Forever – This Greek word (panteles) is a combination word.  It comes from pas, which means “any or all” and telos, which means “end”.  It can be translated forever when it refers to a temporal period, but it has its root in the idea of being complete, whole or entire.  It is often translated with the meaning completely or entirely. 

Here is should be translated “He is able to save completely to the end”.  It comes from the same root word as the command of Jesus to be perfect as God is perfect, that is, to be completely whole as God intended in the same way that God is everything that He can be.  For those of us in recovery, the alternative translation of ‘completely’ carries an added emphasis.  In this verse, Jesus Christ is not only the One Who stands up on our behalf and becomes our advocate, He is also the One Who is able to save us completely or entirely.  We are not rescued from our own living hell in part, leaving some of what we are behind.  We are rescued in such a way that all of who we are is renewed.  Since so many of us struggle with those addictive parts of our past that we wish were not us, this verse is particularly meaningful.  God in Christ can repair all of who we are.  Nothing that is essential to our well-being is lost.  Recovery is not about giving up my true self – it is about finding that my true self does not need the lies of addictions.  What we give up in the process of recovery is the part of us that held us captive to our own destruction.  We leave behind that lies that would destroy us for a truth that will make us free.

God never wastes anything.  He isn’t going to waste any part of you.  He is going to make all of you what it is supposed to be.  Completely whole.

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