We walk it out backward. We start with His end...being crucified...and then suffer His reproach as we follow Him among so many pretenders.
Just as Jesus had to learn human righteousness...we have to learn what God's righteousness is.
Jesus came to fulfill ALL righteousness (at both levels) so that we could follow Him into ALL righteousness (the righteousness of saints)
Doesn't sound like you allow that there's much of the new testament at all that was written for who are "only" born again of His Spirit but are not yet perfect.
You are calling pretenders many who are on the Way, carrying their crosses, but have not yet reached the end. We are not supposed to despise the day of small beginnings.
The extra oil for the lamps of the virgins has to be bought as we go along....we don't wait to the end and go buy our extra oil then, it's too late then, as that parable shows, but we need to be accruing it in our vessel as it were, by paying the price to follow the Lord as we go along.
Scripture shows that we are being perfected through sufferings, like the captain of our salvation was, which obviously takes time and doesn't happen overnight. It seems apparent that there is process and progression in being made holy through chastisements and suffering:
Heb 2:9-11
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Heb 5:7-9
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Heb 12:9-11
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
2Co 4:16-18
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
1Pe 4:12-13
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice
, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Rom 8:16-18
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
2Ti 2:11-12
It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Phl 2:8
Being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We follow our captain, follow in His footsteps learning obedience and being perfected through suffering….we are to endure faithful on this journey of the death of our self-life until the end. Loving not our lives to the death, being faithful unto death (whether figurative or literal), enduring to the end.
1Pe 5:9-10
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that
the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus
, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
2Co 3:18
But we all,
with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (We are being changed through the washing of the water of the word, as well as by the fire of sufferings.)
2Th 1:3
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth (ie is increasing)
2Pe 1:5-9
And beside this
, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound (are increasing/growing), they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Virtue in morality and ethics seems to me to be the very first thing we add to our faith....and then as we along we are adding more things, until finally the last and what seems to me to be the most precious one, which almost seems like it is the the pinnacle and accumulation of all the others.....agape love...selflessness. The more excellent way. These scriptures are not showing us being perfected in an instant. But once and if we get to the end of that process in this life....then I believe a change comes which happens in a twinkling.
But we don't get there by bypassing the Way of the Cross, though people may try. Think that was the error of the prodigal son really....he wanted his inheritance too early before the death of his "old man".....hadn't even added patience to his faith yet. He rolled of the altar too early, in effect. And the father granted his request...then look what happened, because he wasn't ready for the inheritance yet....he still needed more time in the crucible of the Way to deal with his flesh.