Sanctification Sanitation?

I heard myself explaining the doctrine of Sanctification today at lunch. 

It was an out of body experience. 

Who.  Am.   I? 

What am I doing?

It was weird.

This teaching and discipleship itches my skin and burns in my heart.  Not that comfortable sometimes.  I would rather talk about movies.  Or clothes.  Or the oddities of the human race. 

But here's the nugget gleaned from today for me.  Why sanctification, after all?  Why not snatch us up to heaven in a hot second after we step into relationship?

Because. 

Jesus prayed for us.  That through us as his family the rest of the world would know about Him.  That the rest of the world would see Him in us and know that we are loved, and that He loves them.  The prayer is pretty rad.  John 17. 

Our extended travel time we call life is a message to the rest of our friends and family that God loves them.  I forget that a lot. 

And as we (hopefully) grow in life and Spirit and union with God, becoming more like Him is kind of like tuning an old TV.  The picture comes in clearer for those around us. 

That's just really a purpose that I'm totally fine with, actually. 

And that prayer of Jesus' for me is fantastic.  Gonna marinate in it.