When God created mankind, he said they were “very good”. ¹ But when they sinned, mankind became his enemies, and apart from his work in their lives, they lost the ability to please him.² Our sinfulness made us repulsive to God and our greatest achievements were like filthy rags or a resounding gong.³ But God did not leave us in this condition. He wanted to show us his love by redeeming us and filling us with new life and the ability to please him again.⁴ In order for finite man to please the infinite God, he filled us with himself.⁵ Similar to the sun giving life to plants, we too needed an external source to give us life.⁶ Because God himself became our source of life, the Old Testament calls believers “gods”, and the New Testament calls us sons and daughters of God.⁷ If we accept Jesus’ death for our sins, God himself will enter into us and make his dwelling with us.⁵ Because He lives in us, we live. We are both separate from him and one with him. Like in the union of marriage, his thoughts become our thoughts and his desires become our desires.⁸ Like a woman giving birth to a child God gives spiritual birth to us.⁹He sustains this spiritual life by giving us spiritual food to nourish us and cause us to grow, so that we become more and more like him.¹⁰We are not God; we are his children. We are not complete yet, but he promised to complete the work he started at the resurrection.¹¹ Then we will know fully why God called mankind “very good”.¹²

① Genesis 1:31     ② James 4:4 / Isaiah 59:2 / John 15:5 / Hebrews 11:6     ③ Isaiah 64:6 / 1 Corinthians 13:1     ④ Ephesians 1:7 / Galatians 2:20 / Colossians 1:10 / 2 Corinthians 5:9     ⑤ Matthew 28:20 / Acts 2:4 / Acts 7:55     ⑥ Colossians 1:17 / Hebrews 1:3 / 1 Corinthians 8:6 / John 1:3     ⑦ John 10:34-35 / Psalm 82:6 / 2 Corinthians 6:18 / Romans 8:19     ⑧ Psalm 37:4 / Romans 12:2 / Genesis 2:24 / Mark 10:8     ⑨ John 3:3 / 2 Corinthians 5:17 / Romans 6:4     ⑩ 2 Corinthians 9:10 / 1 Peter 2:2 / John 6:35 / John 15:5 / Matthew 4:4 / Hebrews 5:11-14     ⑪ Philippians 1:6 / 1 John 3:2     ⑫ 1 John 3:2 / 1 Corinthians 13:12