In the Beginning, Reflections on Creation, Divine Attributes and Stewardship

In the Beginning,

Reflections on Creation,
Divine Attributes and Stewardship

By Fabio Campos

The Story of the Creation of Man

The story of the creation of man, told at the beginning in Genesis, forms the foundation for
various Christian doctrines. The same is true concerning stewardship, which is found in the first
three chapters of the Bible, offering numerous hermeneutical hooks for the specific and also
diverse conclusions of various practices and beliefs that are fundamental both to Seventh-day
Adventists and to every sincere Christian.

Likeness, Not Appearance

Genesis 1:26 declares that God created man in His image and likeness; however, the already
widespread idea among Christians is that this likeness implies a physical similarity—which
would lead us to conclude that God has our appearance because we were created in His likeness
and image. People who think this way tend to imagine God as the figure painted by
Michelangelo: a bearded man, seated on a throne, upheld by angels, trying to reach out to man.
Within this premise, it is believed that He has two eyes, a mouth, two ears, legs, and even a
navel! This idea, somewhat popular within Christian circles, is partly supported by the
anthropomorphisms found in several parts of the Bible. After all, the figures of speech used by
the prophets can be quite striking and even more eloquent when read by non-technical eyes—that
is, eyes untrained in the theological nuances of divine revelation and the person of God in the
Bible.

Anthropomorphism and the Divine Mystery

Anthropomorphism is a figure of speech used by the prophets to explain the actions of God
through human imagery. When Isaiah says that the hand of the Lord is not shortened so that it
cannot save, he does not mean that God is constantly walking around with an outstretched hand
trying to rescue humanity—nor does it mean that the prophet actually saw a hand, much less that
God has one. That statement was merely an attempt by the prophet to explain, in human terms,
what he had seen, using a part of human anatomy to help humans understand that God would
always be available to save them.

This happens in many other parts of the Bible, where parts of the human body are mentioned to
describe an emotion or quality of God.

In reality, no prophet could describe the actual appearance of God. After all, it is about Him—the
Father—that it is said, “no one has ever seen God,” and it is also concerning Him that it is
written, “He is the One who dwells in unapproachable light.”

In short, one can conclude that no one truly knows what the Father looks like, nor what parts His
body possesses, and even less what essence they are made of. Man has a body made from dust,

while the Bible describes God as being Spirit. So then, what truly constitutes the likeness of God
to man? What does it mean to bear the image of God in us?

Divine Fatherhood

To understand this, let us divide the subject between “image” and “likeness”: tzelem (צֶּלֶּם)
meaning image, and demut (דְּמוּת) meaning likeness.

Some commentators say that these two words form a poetic structure using a pair of terms with
similar meanings—where the second amplifies and confirms the meaning of the first. However,
there are reasons to believe that, although these words are indeed related, they may still represent
distinct aspects of the relationship between God's appearance and that of man.

Starting from the principle of intertextuality—where one verse explains another more obscure
one—we find this same expression repeated by the author of Genesis in another passage. Moses
uses this phrase again in Genesis 5:3, when referring to the birth of Seth: “Adam lived one
hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his own likeness, according to his image.”

Notice: Adam begot a “son” in his likeness, according to his image. This verse points to the
father-son relationship between Adam and his child. It resonates with the Portuguese saying
“filho de peixe, peixinho é”—“the child of a fish is a little fish.” It means that Adam did not
produce a being different from himself, but someone with similar capacities, with whom he
could relate—after all, he was his son.

The fact that God uses these same words in the creation of man reveals much about the kind of
relationship and status with which God created humanity. While to all animals and other
creatures God simply speaks them into existence, in man’s case, God forms him from the dust of
the ground and breathes into his nostrils. Before creating him, God declares that man would be
His image and likeness—using the same expression that reveals the filial relationship between
Adam and Seth.

This word pair clearly signifies that God created man with a different status than that of the
animals. God created man in the condition of a son and heir of the Earth that He had just made.

To be a son means, above all, to have a Father—in other words, to possess an identity. It means
to inherit characteristics from the Father. This is what the Bible calls likeness. But the question
remains: “In what way are we similar to God, if no one truly knows His appearance, since no
one has ever seen Him?”

Some generalize by saying we are similar in character. And though that’s true, we will now
attempt to define more specifically what characteristics of the Father the human being
inherited in order to receive the status of “children.”

Divine Attributes

God possesses many attributes—many of which we do not even know, for they have not been
revealed in His Word. But among those that have been made known, three stand out, as they are
the attributes that confer divinity upon Him. These three are well known: omniscience,
omnipotence, and omnipresence.

These are the attributes that define God as God. And naturally, we know He did not share these
with any other creature—otherwise, there would be other gods. However, God also possesses
other attributes—these He chose to share. Those who receive them are seen by God as His
children because they become like Him.

1. Superior Intelligence

All animals have intelligence—to a certain degree. But animal intelligence does not allow for
contemplation or the search for life’s meaning. Animals do not seek the purpose of existence;
they are not capable of evaluating the essence of morality or justice. For this reason, their
intelligence is classified as inferior. Human intelligence, on the other hand, is
superior—capable of marveling at the mystery of life to the point of seeking its purpose.

And in that pursuit, human beings find their meaning in God.

Superior intelligence is the ability to understand that there is a God, and to seek what must be
done to worship Him.

The Russian novelist Dostoevsky once said: “What the human being most relentlessly seeks is
someone to worship.”

A donkey in a field, upon waking, does not give thanks, nor offer a prayer asking God to bless its
day. It simply looks for food.

Likewise, every person who awakens and does not seek God displays the same type of inferior
intelligence—behaving like a donkey who seeks his sustenance before recognizing his need to
worship.

God is intelligent. And He granted this attribute to those He calls His children: humans and
angels are both beings with “superior intelligence,” and for this reason, they are called children
of God.

2. Conscience

"Conscience" has long been difficult to define. It has perplexed scientists, psychologists, and
anthropologists alike, precisely because no logical explanation seems to fit within a
materialistic worldview.

If we are truly only the product of chance, if life really emerged from a cosmic soup billions of
years ago, then… why does conscience exist?

Why is it that, across humanity, there seems to be a voice within, insisting that some things are
right—and others are wrong?

Since there is no scientific or anthropological consensus on what conscience actually is, I will
offer a definition from religion:

Conscience is nothing more than a sense of justice—a moral compass—that helps us decide
between good and evil. It is the awareness that what you are about to do is either right or wrong.

Even in this age of relativism in which we live, there is still a clear and general sense that some
actions are simply wrong—and therefore should not be done. And this sense exists regardless of
culture, upbringing, or religious tradition.

If you were to ask someone in Japan or in Brazil whether killing another person is wrong, the
vast majority would say yes. Even among indigenous tribes who have never read the Bible, there
is an inner awareness that murder is wrong.

It doesn’t matter which country or culture you’re in—people know instinctively that lying,
stealing, and killing are wrong. Wherever you are, your conscience will accuse you if you
commit any of these acts.

Why is it that all human beings seem to carry this inner law? Why do scientists and
anthropologists struggle to explain this phenomenon?

For those who study the Bible, the answer is both simple and beautiful: God wrote the law on
the human heart, even before He created this Earth. He implanted within us a moral compass to
guide us in the right path—so that when we encounter human laws that align with divine
principles, we accept them, because our conscience confirms that they are just.

Animals do not have conscience. They are driven by instinct.

There is a species of spider whose offspring—nearly a hundred at once—devour their mother the
moment they hatch. A lion has never been seen weeping beside a zebra out of guilt for having
killed it to eat. The female praying mantis, much larger than the male, consumes him after
mating—starting from the head!

None of these creatures feel remorse. They lack a moral compass. They are governed by instinct
and hormones.

Humans, however, were given a moral capacity—a divine gift that reveals our origin: we were
created in the likeness of God.

3. Free Will

The third divine attribute given to human beings is free will.

Also known as the power of choice or personal will, this gift means that even though your
conscience tells you what is right and what is wrong, you are not a prisoner of it. You are not a
robot programmed to obey. Your conscience does not rule you—it merely reveals God’s will.

But the human being has his own will, and that will is not bound to God’s. Man can choose for
himself.

Yet free will does not mean choosing whatever you want. Often, choices are limited. Most of the
time, you are not presented with dozens of options, but rather just two: right or wrong, life or
death, blessing or curse.

Let me illustrate: Once, an atheist approached a Christian and mocked him, saying:

“What kind of free will is this that your God offers? He lets me choose—but if I don’t choose
according to His will, He destroys me! Do you think that’s fair?”

The Christian replied:

“God created everything that exists in the universe. Without Him, nothing exists. You need to
understand that outside of God, there is nothing. There is no life. So when you choose to
separate yourself from Him, you're choosing nothingness. It’s not that God wants to destroy

you—it’s that outside of Him, there is only death.

There is no third option. And God is not going to create a third realm where people who don’t
want to follow Him but also don’t want to perish can live. That would be illogical.”

Free will deals with choices within the reality of the world. And in reality, every choice, no
matter how small it seems, speaks of life or death, blessing or curse.

Jesus was crystal clear when He said:

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.”

His metaphors said the same:

Your house is either on the rock or on the sand.
You either walk the narrow path or remain on the wide one.
You are either a child of the light or a child of darkness.
God is either your Father—or your father is the devil.

There is never a middle column. God will not create a third shore of the river for anyone.
God works within the realm of logic.

Animals do not have free will. A female dog, when in heat, obeys her hormones and mates with
any male nearby. The choice of a companion is a human privilege—a decision made with
willpower and self-control.

Humans are not ruled by instinct alone. They can organize societies, pass laws, and protect the
rights of the weak. Because unlike the animals, they have free will, conscience, and superior
intelligence—gifts from their Creator.

What Makes Us Different From Animals

It is these three attributes—superior intelligence, conscience, and free will—that set the human
being apart from animals.

In the past, some sociologists defined the human being as a rational animal or a social animal.
But humans are not animals. Humans are classified as human persons.

The classification of “person” precedes creation itself, because God was already a person
before the world existed.

The word person became widely used in theological writings thanks to Tertullian. It comes from
Latin and means: a moral being, free, responsible—someone who possesses attributes that
make them accountable before God for their actions.

When the Bible narrates the creation of man in Genesis 2:7, it says:

“God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.”
In Hebrew, the word used is nephesh, which in its most primitive sense means throat, but in the
Bible is also translated as soul, and in more modern translations, as person.

At that time, the term person did not exist. But since nephesh describes a moral, free, and
responsible being, one could say it perfectly expresses what we mean today by the word person.

Three Orders of Persons

God has always been a moral, free, and responsible being. That is why we refer to the three
persons of the Trinity.

He created the angels as moral and free beings as well. Therefore, we can say the angels are
angelic persons.

And when He created man, He made him a moral, free, and responsible being. Thus, humans are
human persons.

So far, we can define three distinct types of persons:

1. Divine persons (the Trinity)
2. Angelic persons (the faithful and fallen angels)
3. Human persons (Adam and all his descendants)

What makes you similar to God is the fact that God is a person. Since eternity past, He has
always been a moral, free, and responsible being. And He chose to share three attributes with
His children—whether they be humans or angels:

 Superior intelligence
 Conscience
 Free will

With these, God granted the human being enough capacity for self-judgment, which makes him a
person like God is.

And because of that, the human being carries a superior status, for this is what qualifies him as
a child of God.

Image

Now that we have clarified our likeness to God, we must also address the image.
For image does not refer to a mere conceptual resemblance in character or thought. It implies
that humanity once bore a physical characteristic that resembled the Creator—a trait lost with
sin.

As previously mentioned, no one has ever seen God, and the descriptions that prophets give of
Him are generally anthropomorphic. However, there is one detail about God’s appearance that
is repeated constantly in the Bible—and it’s not an anthropomorphism, for even humans today
do not possess it.

Nearly all descriptions given by the prophets tell us one thing about God’s appearance:

They all describe Him as glorious.
They all speak of His splendor and glory.

The glory of God is not a moral or conceptual attribute. In Scripture, it is a literal attribute—a
brilliant radiance so intense that it can even dazzle angels who dwell continually in His
presence.

Clothed in Glory

In the beginning, God shared part of His glory with man. When the text says that humanity
bore the image of God, it means that humanity was also created as a glorious being—just like
the angels in heaven.

When Genesis tells us that the first humans, after sinning, realized they were naked, it is because
they had been clothed—but not with fabric.

Their garments were not woven with threads. On this Earth, they were clothed in the same
garments worn by the angels in heaven: robes of light.

A radiant brilliance enveloped their bodies in such a way that their skin was not exposed—and
wherever they went, they reflected the image of the glorious God.

Ellen G. White confirms this in various passages. Here are just a few:

“Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

— Revelation 16:15

“After their transgression, Adam and Eve were naked, for the garment of light and protection

had departed from them.”
— Evangelism, p. 249

“Before sin entered, Adam and Eve in Eden were surrounded by a beautiful and radiant
light—the light of God. This light illuminated everything they approached.”

— The Ministry of Healing, 205.5

“Man came forth from the hand of the Creator of lofty stature and perfect symmetry. His face

bore the flush of health and shone with the light of life and joy…”

— Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 13

However, with the entrance of sin, that light was extinguished—and only then did they see that
they were naked. God then intervened, making garments of animal skins to cover their shame.

This is what Paul refers to when he says in Romans 3:23

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

This is what David meant when he praised God’s creation, saying:

“You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”
— Psalm 8:5

And Paul again writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
“We are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image.”

The Resurrection and the Restoration of Glory

Speaking of the resurrection, Paul explains that we will have a spiritual body, and goes even
deeper:

“It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory… And just as we have borne the image of the earthly

man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly one.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:42, 49

From this we conclude: When Christ returns at His second coming, the image of God will be
restored in man. We will again receive the garments of light lost because of sin.

This means we will no longer need earthly clothing, nor worry about washing, matching, or
changing clothes. The human being will once again reflect the glorious image of God, shining
wherever he goes.

The Fall: The Shame of Nakedness and the Longing for Glory

Therefore, man is similar to God through the divine attributes He shared with His children.
We are alike in superior intelligence, in conscience, and in free will—qualities given by God
that make us moral, free, and responsible beings just as He is. These attributes are what give us
the status of children of God.

Beyond that, we were also made as glorious beings, bearing the image of God’s glory—a
brilliant light that once served as our clothing. But with Adam’s sin, man lost this robe of glory
and has been destitute of it ever since. The image faded.

This also explains why man feels shame—because all of God’s creatures feel comfortable in
their own skin, without the need for coverings. Only human beings need garments to cover their
shame.

Man feels exposed because he was created with robes of glory and will only feel whole again
when these are restored.

The Forbidden Tree: A Father's Ownership

You already know this story. Man used his power of choice and ate from the fruit of the one tree
that God had reserved for Himself. Because of this, man was expelled from Paradise. God told
him he would now eat by the sweat of his brow, and the entrance to Eden was guarded. Man
had to learn to care for himself.

Looking at this from our modern, Western perspective—nearly six thousand years after it
occurred—it’s easy to wonder if the punishment wasn’t too harsh. After all, it was just a piece
of fruit, wasn’t it?

Many today imagine there must have been something more behind the story. Some religions, in
trying to justify the severity of the punishment, claim that the fruit represented sexual sin,
layering the story with impurity—because they cannot accept that the fall of the human race
came from an act that, to their eyes, seems so simple.

But what was really behind this story?

Did God truly banish His children from the Garden just because of a piece of fruit?

And perhaps the most important question: Why did God place that tree in the middle of the
Garden in the first place?

Why the Tree? Exploring the Deeper Purpose

When this question is asked, many creative explanations emerge from scholars and students of
Scripture. And in a way, many of them hold some truth. But none seem to strike at the very
heart of the matter.

Let me summarize a few I’ve heard:

“God placed the tree to allow for free will…” If this is true, then how could free will exist if
evil was not even an option? It’s a clever answer, but it doesn’t fully explain the necessity of that
tree.

“It was to limit evil… God only allowed Satan to approach Adam and Eve at that tree, because
He didn’t want the enemy showing up anywhere else in the Garden. Therefore, He restricted
access to that one spot.

“It was a test of loyalty…” Yes, that’s true. Ellen G. White supports this idea when she says the
human family was created to repopulate heaven:

“God created man for His own glory, that after being tested and tried, the human family might
become one with the heavenly family. It was God’s purpose to repopulate heaven with the human
race.”
— SDA Bible Commentary 1:1082

Still, none of these answers fully explain the weight of that sin—nor what it meant to God—nor
what He was trying to teach His human children through it.

Let me suggest one more interpretation—perhaps it will help you understand what lay behind it
all.

A Father's Gift, A Child’s Respect

God created Adam and his wife Eve as children.

He created them to relate to Him.
His joy was to visit them daily, walking with them in the cool of the day.

And in every healthy relationship between parent and child, there is something profound: the
child knows that what belongs to the father, in some way, belongs to him too.

Ask a thirteen-year-old who bought the family couch, and he’ll say, “My dad.”Who bought the
television? “My dad.”Who built the house? “My dad.”

Yet when he brings his friends over, he doesn't say, “Sit on my dad's couch.”He says, “Sit here,
on our couch.”

And when he invites them over, he doesn’t say, “Let’s go to my father’s house.”He says, “Let’s
go to my house.”

Because to the child, everything that belongs to the father, belongs to him too.

That’s how Adam viewed Eden.

Though God was the owner of everything, He said to Adam:

“Rule over it all… Everything was made for you—even though it still belongs to Me. As My son,
you may enjoy all of it.”

Like every good father, God made everything for His children.
But if God had left Adam without a single “no, “if there was nothing reserved to say this belongs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    only to the Father, then Adam could eventually believe he was the owner of everything.

He might think all of it was his. That he owed nothing to anyone.
That he didn’t need to honor his Father.

So God placed one tree aside—as His own.

And as long as Adam refrained from touching it, he would be declaring:

“There is Someone greater than me in this Garden.
There is a true Owner of everything.
I have a Father, and I honor Him.”

To eat from that tree was to say:
“I own this. I don’t need a Father above me.”
It was a request for independence. A declaration of self-rule.
It was like a son taking his father’s house for himself.

Sin: A Life Without God

When Adam took the fruit, he was declaring his independence from God.

And yes—that is the most accurate definition of sin.

Sin, in its essence, is the attempt to live without God.

But this is impossible. It’s like a plant trying to live without the sun.

And that is how sin entered the world and passed down to every descendant of Adam.
Man has been trying to manage alone ever since—trying to live as though he has no Father.
People walk around like orphans of a living God, hungry for love, and trying to satisfy
themselves with broken cisterns that can hold no water.

They chase after money, power, fame, beauty—but all of these are symptoms of a deeper
disease: a longing for the Father they abandoned.

They try to assert themselves, but never succeed—because they still haven’t understood their
divine origin.

They do what Adam did: they make their own coverings, but they don’t last. They do not cover
their shame. In the end, these make them even more ridiculous.

The Father Still Calls

Nearly six thousand years have passed, and God still longs to relate to man.

He continues searching for His children in their hiding places. He still calls out their names.

He still wants to be a provider, a protector, a teacher.

And even now, He continues to test His children with the same principles that once established
the divine hierarchy in Eden.

The tree is no longer in our midst. But God has replaced it with something new.

He still seeks to reveal who is fit to enter Heaven, who will take the place of the fallen angels.
Even today, many are still being tested in their identity as children of the Heavenly Father.

But what is the test today?

What does God now use as proof of our sonship, since the tree no longer stands?

Two Modern Trees: The Sabbath and the Tithe

Two things remain. Two signs still stand. Two divine tests now take the place of that tree which
once revealed who the true Owner is.

The first of these can be found in the words of Ellen G. White:

“Every human being has been placed on trial, just as Adam and Eve were in Eden.
Just as the tree of knowledge was placed in the middle of Eden’s garden, so too the
commandment of the Sabbath is placed in the middle of the Decalogue.

*Regarding the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the restriction was: ‘You shall not
eat of it… lest you die’ (Genesis 3:3). Regarding the Sabbath, God said: ‘You shall not profane
it, but keep it holy.’

*‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ (Exodus 20:8).

*Just as the tree of knowledge was a test of Adam’s obedience, the fourth commandment is the
test God gave to prove the loyalty of all His people.

The experience of Adam is a warning for us until the end of time.
It teaches us not to accept any declaration from mortal lips or even from angels that removes a
single jot or tittle from the sacred law of Jehovah.” — The Review and Herald, August 30, 1898

The Sabbath: Sign of Identity and Destiny

The Sabbath reveals our origin and confirms our identity. Without it, we would have no clear
notion of where we came from. It reminds us we were created, not evolved. It shows us that time
itself began with the breath of God.

But the Sabbath also points to our future—it is a permanent mark that there will be rest for the
people of God when Jesus returns.

To keep the Sabbath is to say: “I know who my Father is. I know who I am. And I await the day
when I will rest again in His presence.”

The Tithe: The Sacred Portion

The second test is the tithe. On this subject, the Lord’s messenger also wrote:

*“The same language used regarding the Sabbath is used for the law of the tithe:
‘The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.’

Man has no right or authority to substitute the first day for the seventh.
The customs and teachings of men cannot lessen the demands of God's law.

God sanctified the seventh day. This specific portion of time, set apart by God Himself for
religious worship, remains just as sacred today as when it was first hallowed by our Creator.

*Likewise, the tithe of our income ‘is holy unto the Lord.’

The New Testament does not reestablish the law of the tithe—just as it does not restate the
Sabbath—for it presupposes the permanence of both and expounds on their deep spiritual
importance.

While we, as a people, seek to faithfully give God the time that is His, should we not also give
Him the portion of our means that He requires?”
— The Review and Herald, May 16, 1882

The Tree, Replanted

The tithe fulfills the same function as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That tree, if
touched, meant taking something that belonged to God alone.

That’s why in Malachi 3:8, God asks:

“Will a man rob God?”

Yes, man robs Him—when he withholds the tithe, which serves as a sign that God is truly the
Owner of everything.

*“The highest praise that men can offer to God is to become consecrated instruments through
whom He may work.

Time is rushing quickly toward eternity. Let us not withhold from God what is rightfully His.
Let us not deny Him what, though it cannot be given with merit, cannot be refused without ruin.

*He asks for the whole heart—give it to Him; it is His by both creation and redemption.

He asks for your mind—give it to Him; it is His. He asks for your money—give it to Him; it is
His.

Do you not know… you are not your own? You were bought at a price.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19–20)

“We belong to God; we are His sons and daughters—His by creation and by the gift of His only
Son for our redemption. ‘You are not your own… you were bought at a price; therefore glorify

God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.’

Your mind, your heart, your will, and your affections belong to God. The money we manage
belongs to the Lord. Every good thing we receive and enjoy is the result of divine generosity.
God is the liberal Giver of all that is good, and He desires that those who receive from Him
recognize these gifts that meet every need of body and soul. God asks only what is His.” — The

Review and Herald, December 8, 1896

The Test Continues

Many today believe they would not have made the same mistake Adam made.
They imagine they would never have touched the tree that brought ruin to humanity.

And yet—they commit the same sin when they use the tithe for their own desires, or when they
direct it elsewhere, instead of bringing it to God’s storehouse.

Had these same people stood in Adam’s place, they would have made the same choice.
They would have considered themselves owners of the garden and rejected the divine
fatherhood that is guaranteed only to those who walk in faithfulness.

It is our trust that there is a Supreme Provider, an Eternal Father, who calls us His children
because He has prepared an eternal inheritance for His faithful ones.

God longs to be a true Father—one who gives identity, sustains, protects, guides, and ultimately
bestows an inheritance.

But many live today like orphans of a living Father, trying to survive independently from Him
by withholding the tithe, thus losing the blessing of today and the inheritance of
tomorrow—an inheritance promised only to those who do not touch what belongs to God.

Children of God by Birth—and by Choice

“But to all who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God—to those who
believe in His Name; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      man, but of God.”— John 1:13

“You received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out: ‘Abba, Father!’
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we share in His

sufferings, so that we may also share in His glory.”

— Romans 8:15–18