I summarize it like this:

That over time, true believers become more and more like Christ. Though the struggle against sin continues as long as we occupy these corruptible bodies, and though battles are sometimes lost, old sinful habits die away and besetting sins lose their grip on us over time.

I really like this illustration when it comes to sanctification: It is not a duty, but a dance. Because it is a lifelong learning process and a skill that develops with practice. It is not a duty because it is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, not our own work.

A legalist is a dancer who is always watching his or her feet, to make sure they're getting every step exactly right. But that misses the whole point of dancing, which is to become more intimate with the One you're dancing with. Our eyes should be on His face, not on our own feet.

Or worse yet, on someone else' feet!

-R