A sword is unique… it is steel and not made of fire. However, if you put it in a roaring hot fire, it will eventually take on the qualities of that fire – heat and light. When it is held there for long enough time, it will radiate that heat and light, though it is uniquely UN-fire-like in its composition.

We are human, and were created BY God, for His glory. We do this if we are to choose assimilation into His ways, becoming the dwelling place of His Spirit. Saul of Tarsus alludes to our bodies as a unique Spirit-dwelled habitation, when he says, “𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪?” [1 Cor. 3:16].

This is similar to our makeup as followers of Jesus, seeking to grow deeper into the image of God. We are NOT God, can’t BE God, but we can pursue our relationship with Him, and abide in His presence.

Athanasius the Great once said, “God became man so that man might become God.” By participation in the incarnation, man becomes like Christ… we don’t literally become God, but our purification (ongoing, like steel in a forge) and sanctification (continually being set-apart, made holy) shapes us more into God’s image by practicing His qualities, and fostering a deeper walk with him so that we radiate His heat and light. This is a concept some traditions call “theosis”.

Many passionate followers of God 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺𝘀 – the ancient Hebrew prayer & song book for help in this regard. To read more about the unity of God with His people, and how His majesty woos us who seek Godly transformation. (See Psalm 24, or Psalm 139, or many, many others…)

This requires us to participate with God in what He is doing; namely, the pursuit of restoring things to a right relationship with God. It doesn’t happen against our will. But if we become more full of the divine life, we find union with God yet without fusion into God.

May God help us to pursue the mind of God; to understand His methods, His Spirit, and His very qualities which the Psalms so vividly describe. It is this type of surrendered heart that God joyfully inhabits as His dwelling place.

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.” – Ephesians 2:10 (RSV)

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥—𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙝 𝙔𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.” – Ephesians 2:10 (TLV)

“𝙃𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤, 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜.” – Ephesians 2:10 (MSG)

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙞𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩, 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣; 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚. “- 2 Corinthians 5:17

a prayer of need and confession
Gracious Father
Even in difficult circumstances- help us choose faithfulness and holiness 
Help us to choose holiness over happiness as the young Hebrew men in Babylon. 
Help us to value goodness and integrity, to be honest, to be men and women who truly belong to Jesus.
Help us, as a tribe of holy seekers, to stick together, with a holy stickiness that prefers fellowship over conflict.
May we be people of whom the world is not worthy, like the saints of old. That we may be an alternative culture of hope in a world of hopelessness and despair. And may we – above all – usher in the humble heart of surrender every day; a surrender in which your Spirit finds comfortable our hearts. As if he knows where his favorite chair is, and how He likes to sit and stay… may He do that in us.
May we always fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus, to know Him and His ways, so that we may find his actions feel more and more comfortable because the Spirit does these things in us. Forgive our stumbles, Oh God. Forgive our lapses in judgment and our ignoring lookaways from your Spirit’s presence, and may we abandon the flesh with its false promises.

May we be at home in the flesh only so much as we are at home in the Spirit, and may we strive daily to lay down our crowns at the feet of Jesus, to take up his thorny crown over our bejeweled imitation glory.

In Jesus’ holy name – which is above all names – Amen.