How to Be a Perfect Christian: Understanding Sanctification

I used to think being a “Good Christian”—or a Christian at all—meant being flawless. No mistakes. No slips. No past.

I thought if I could just get it right, if I could just stop messing up, if I could just be good enough—then God would accept me. Then I’d finally be worthy.

But the truth is, through Jesus, I am flawless in the eyes of the Father. His blood made me perfect. Not my deeds. Not my efforts. Not my ability to keep it all together.

His sacrifice. His blood. His grace.

But it would be years before I knew this.

My Story: From Darkness to Deliverance

For years, I lived far from God. I was a best-selling ghostwriter of erotic novels and witchcraft stories, leading others into the same darkness I was trapped in.

Dating as a single mom was hard, and I made a lot of bad decisions trying to fill the emptiness in my heart. I searched for love in all the wrong places, but nothing and no one could give me the peace I was missing.

In 2022, in New York City, after stumbling out of a nightclub drunk and empty inside, I looked up and saw a graffiti message on a brick wall that simply said, “Jesus Loves You.”

Something in me broke. I fell to my knees right there on the street and wept. That was the night I felt the Holy Spirit call me home, and my journey with Christ began.

I didn’t clean myself up first. I didn’t get my life together before I came to Him. I came broken, messy, and desperate—and He met me exactly where I was.

“Perfected Forever”—What Does Hebrews 10:14 Really Mean?

This is the verse that changed everything for me. The verse SWAT Ministries is built on:

“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” — Hebrews 10:14 (NIV)

At first glance, this sounds impossible. How can I—or anyone—be perfect forever?

Let me break down what this verse is actually saying, because the Greek language reveals something incredible.

“Perfect forever” comes from the Greek word teteleīōken (τετελείωκεν), which means “to complete” or “to bring to an end.” It’s a perfect tense verb, meaning it describes an action that was completed in the past with ongoing results. Jesus’ sacrifice completely finished the work of making you perfect—once and for all.

“Forever” (eis to dienekes – εἰς τὸ διηνεκές) literally means “continually,” “without interruption,” or “through all time.” It’s not a one-time perfection that wears off when you mess up. It’s an unbroken reality. Christ’s sacrifice continually covers you.

“Those who are being made holy” (hagiazomenous – ἁγιαζομένους) is written in the present participle. That means it’s describing an ongoing process. It’s not “those who were sanctified” or “those who will be sanctified.” It’s “those who are being sanctified.” It’s happening right now, every day, as you walk with Jesus.

Here’s what this means:

You are perfected in position but still progressing in practice.

In God’s eyes, because of Jesus, you are already complete. Already whole. Already perfect. That’s your position in Christ—it’s done, it’s finished, it’s sealed.

But in your daily life? You’re still growing. Still learning. Still being transformed into His image day by day. That’s the process of sanctification.

Christianity is both a destination and a journey. You’ve already arrived in Christ, but you’re still walking it out with Him every single day.

Christianity Is Not Enlightenment. It’s Relationship.

Here’s what religion will tell you: “If you just try hard enough, pray long enough, read your Bible enough, and stop sinning—then you’ll finally be good enough for God.”

That’s a lie.

Faith isn’t a mountaintop of enlightenment where you finally arrive and never struggle again. It’s not about achieving some spiritual status where you’re beyond temptation, beyond mistakes, beyond needing grace.

It’s a daily journey of walking hand in hand with the Holy Spirit and trusting that the Father has your best interest at heart, even when the path gets messy.

Jesus didn’t say, “Be perfect or else.” He said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you” (John 15:4).

He didn’t say, “Clean yourself up and then come to Me.” He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Sanctification means humbling ourselves, repenting when we fall, and trying again with His strength, not our own. It’s not about never falling—it’s about getting back up every time because you know the Father is right there with you, helping you stand.

The Lie That Steals Your Joy

Here’s the truth that might make some people uncomfortable:

Many well-meaning ministers have used verses like Matthew 5:48—“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”—as a way to get people to “do right.” They’ve turned it into a checklist. A performance. A constant striving to measure up.

But that message is weaponized by Satan to bring shame.

Because when you believe your acceptance with God depends on your perfection, you will never feel secure. You’ll never feel loved. You’ll never feel free. You’ll always be one mistake away from condemnation.

And that’s exactly where the enemy wants you—paralyzed by fear, drowning in shame, convinced you’re not good enough for God.

But Romans 8:1 demolishes that lie:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

No condemnation.

Not “no condemnation if you’re doing everything right.”

Not “no condemnation as long as you don’t mess up.”

No. Condemnation. Period.

If you are in Christ, you are free. The enemy has no legal right to accuse you anymore because Jesus’ blood has already declared you righteous.

You Are a Child of God

We are children of God. And the Father does not cast away His own.

Yes, He corrects us. Yes, He disciplines us. Hebrews 12:6 says, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

But discipline is not the same as abandonment. Correction is not the same as rejection.

A good father doesn’t throw his children out when they make mistakes. He guides them. He teaches them. He loves them through the process.

That’s who God is.

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.”

You are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Not until the next time you sin. Not until you mess up too badly. Until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

That seal doesn’t break. God doesn’t change His mind about you.

John 10:28-29 says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Nothing—NOTHING—can snatch you from His hands.

Not your past. Not your mistakes. Not your worst day. Not the thing you did that you’re still ashamed of.

You are held. You are kept. You are His.

Say This Over Yourself

Right now, I want you to speak this truth out loud:

“I am perfected forever through the blood of Jesus.”

Not because I earned it.

Not because I’m good enough.

Because He is.

Say it again:

“I am perfected forever through the blood of Jesus.”

“There is no condemnation for me because I am in Christ.”

“I am sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.”

“Nothing can snatch me from the Father’s hand.”

Let that truth settle into the places where shame has been whispering lies. Let it drown out the voice that says you’re not enough.

You are enough. Not because of you—but because of Him.

Why SWAT Ministries Exists

Sanctification is a lifelong journey, and no one should walk it alone.

That’s why I created SWAT Ministries—to set women free from condemnation, fear, and the lie that mistakes separate them from God forever.

We grow together. We war in prayer together. We walk in grace together.

Knowing that nothing—absolutely nothing—can snatch us from His hands.

You are not disqualified by your past. You are not too broken. You are not beyond redemption.

You are a daughter of the King, perfected forever by the blood of Jesus, and loved beyond measure.

And we’re here to remind you of that truth every single day.