This is part of a series. You can read the introduction first or view all the posts together.
This is an expansion of part of yesterday’s post more than a truly new point. 
But it occurred to me today that rejoicing in the tangible benefits of being a new creation (yesterday’s post) and rejoicing in the One who makes us new creations (today’s) aren’t identical concepts, and I wanted to linger over the latter concept before moving on. More specifically–rejoicing in the culmination of the sanctification process and in the Sanctifier.
Scripture is very clear that God is now in the process of sanctifying us ([bible]2 Thessalonians 2:13[/bible], [bible]1 Peter 1:2[/bible]), conforming us to His likeness ([bible]Romans 8:29[/bible]); making us holy ([bible]1 Thessalonians 4:7[/bible]). The Greek word for sanctification is hagiasmos, from hagiazo, which carries both the sense of acknowledging something to be holy (i.e., “hallowed [hagiazo] be Thy name”) and the sense of actually making something holy, by purification and separation.
The word “sanctified” makes me think of a pile of grain, where God’s going through and pulling out all the pebbles and leaving the wheat. Scripture makes it clear that sanctification is connected to salvation (”God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,” 2 Thes. 2:13, above), and on one level, it seems like that’s where the real “journey” of life is–we begin as completely lost in sin ([bible]Ephesians 2:1-3[/bible]), and God gradually transforms us through the renewing of our minds ([bible]Romans 12:2[/bible], [bible]Ephesians 4:21-24[/bible]) until finally, in heaven, our sanctification is complete ([bible]Philippians 3:21[/bible], [bible]1 John 3:2[/bible]).
And the sanctifying process is all God. Of ourselves, none of us do good ([bible]Psalm 53:2-3[/bible]). Scripture uses the word dead: dead people don’t do anything! But God, through His mercy and grace, makes us alive ([bible]Ephesians 2:4-5[/bible]) and conforms us to Christ. This is all now, before we die–God works in our hearts.
In heaven, the process of getting rid of the “old tent” involves God completing that process. I love how everything in Scripture points to us still being individuals in Heaven–instead of getting cookie-cutter identical new bodies, God renews our old ([bible]Romans 8:23[/bible]), somehow making us perfectly in His image without losing us in the process. Another mystery of heaven that I don’t really comprehend! Nevertheless–I’ve tasted the joy of sanctification here on earth; I’ve seen little things in me that God has graciously (and sometimes painfully!) corrected, and it is delight to the soul. The idea that the process will be (painlessly!) culminated in heaven is intoxicating. It’s like someone who’s eaten little bits of chocolate being told that they’re going to a complimentary chocolate buffet (except multiplied an infinite number of times because comparing chocolate to sanctification really doesn’t make sense on the scale of joy). Heaven’s a buffet of sanctification! 
In my study today, I came across this poem, which goes very well with the subject.
