So Long Self?

Karen and I went to a movie tonight and on the way home I heard "So Long Self" by Mercy Me. It got me to thinking about Paul's words about putting off the old self and putting on the new, and I started wondering how this jives with John Wesley's paths of grace. Is the argument that me, who I am is not good enough, and I should completely be throw out everything I've worked to become? Does that mean God is not happy with me as one of His creations, and I should try to be someone who is not me? I don't think so. John Wesley's three forms of grace are provenient (the Holy Hound of Heaven), Justifying (you are forgiven for all you've done up to this point), and Sanctifying (I have finally stopped doing all of the things which put distance between me and God). Paul's words in both Ephesians and Colossians are about putting off the things which put distance between us and God. I'm on that path walking toward complete sanctification. I'm not there yet, but does that mean I need to try to be something I'm not? I don't think God want's posers. The path to complete sanctification is more like the process of refining iron ore. We're going to be tried, and with each trial there is another opportunity to rely more and more God. This being said, we are not taken out of the fire until we seek God in heaven. There is no retirement for Christians or saints. We must not give up. We must not be content to sit the bench, and when our bodies fail we must not give up in our hearts. We must be the people God made us to be and never stop striving to be the person who is reaching out for others.