Joy in Sanctification

I remember, as a kid, our family trips through west Texas on the way to my grandparents for Christmas. It was a long trip and my dad was determined to make it in one day, so we left early and drove all day and into the night. We were headed for Plainview, TX, which is a descriptive city name. The plains of the panhandle made it so that you could see for miles, especially at night. The sky and ground seemed so dark, but you could see the next city on the highway as soon as you left the lights of the current city, and the glow made it seem close, but it was really miles away. In the same way, God's intention in saving us is to transform us so that we would shine as lights in a dark world. Our obedient growth in Christ gives others a light that will draw them to Jesus. But we also need to know that, as Christ makes us more holy, the outcome is that we will also have more joy. In fact, one of the truths we need to learn is that the most joyous path is the one that makes us more like Jesus.